French military patrol near the Eiffel Tower the day after a series of deadly attacks. (Photo : Reuters/Yves Herman)
Parisians are turning to a memoir by American writer Ernest Hemingway entitled "A Moveable Feast" as a symbol of defiance amidst the recent terror attacks in the city which claimed 192 lives. The French version of the book is being viewed as a source of comfort by locals and has topped the best-seller list of many bookstore owners in the capital.
The French version of the book titled "Paris est une fête," which means "Paris is a Party" has been flying off the shelves of bookstores across the country, according to Bloomberg Business.
Folio spokesman, David Ducreux told the publication the book is being read in bars and cafes and kept at tribute sites around Paris. The book dubbed as Hemingway's love letter to the "city of light," has long been considered popular reading for foreign visitors to Paris.
The memoir traces Hemingway's days as a youth in Paris in the 1920s and first published in 1964. It is currently the fastest-selling foreign language book and the fastest-selling biography for France's version of online book retailer Amazon.
Orders for the book surged after a video went viral featuring a 77-year-old woman urging those in Paris to read the memoir. The video is reported to have been shared a hundred times over via social media.
Meanwhile, a bookstore owner in Paris, Valerie Caffier told CNN she noticed the same trend at the Le Divan bookshop where more than 40 copies of the book were sold in a single day.
"It has become a form of resistance for Parisians against what happened," Caffier explained to the news channel. "The terrorists attacked during a very festive moment and this book is a symbol of a festive way of life."
