Have you ever been to Paris or LA? I can proudly say that I have. Only to Paris… And by being in Paris, I mean that I spent a maximum of an hour or two there. The majority of that time, I was in a bus station taking a break – bathroom and gas tank refill. It was a beautiful dark station with amazing bathrooms. Yes, I had to pay 50¢ (euros) for the toilet. Besides the station, I had the chances to see La Seine, the river that crosses Paris, and a few random buildings from the bus window. Now, you understand why I need to go back there?

Speaking of which, this book was a great catalyst to remember my love for France and French culture. With the American culture, I am well acquainted already. Wink-Wink. And regardless of my previous knowledge about these amazing cities, Diane Ratican’s travel guide poked my interest in them again. Also, let’s not forget that it is written in both English and French. How brilliant is that? And the artwork within the pages of this work? Marvelous!
For the rest of the review here https://elenaoftheuniverse.com/why-la-pourqoi-paris/

An illustrated story of Los Angeles and Paris with the added benefit of historic information, and cultural trivia, Why LA, Pourquoi Paris? is a unique visual guide for visitors to Los Angeles and Paris who want to experience the cultural milieu of these two distinguished cities.

It also contains quotes that are translated from English to Français and Français to English. It's narrated in French and has English translations after two or three paragraphs and English is italicized so it's easy to navigate when reading. I think it's a great book for French learners in that you can read the texts in French first and then read the English translation to check your understanding of what you just read in French.

A great comparison between two major cities in the world, LA & Paris. Covering everything from landscape to food, fashion and landmarks. It also features a bit of history in the book to give a better understanding in how these two cities came to be, and how they have developed over time.

A wonderful introduction to both cities and also a great basis to develop with further reading should you wish. Lovely illustrations and layout style making it easy to read. Great to see it in both English & French which is not often done by many publishers.

Diane Ratican, a native Californian, gives us this whimsical book comparing two of her favorite cities in Why LA? Pourquoi Paris? Between charming illustrations of Paris by Eric Giriat and LA by Nick Lu, Ratican narrates the main points that make these two cities alike and different.

I've seen a lot of compare/contrasts between New York City and Los Angeles, or Paris and NYC, but never LA and Paris and I like that that sets this book apart from the rest. I have never been to LA and learned quite a bit about the city. I am a huge Francophile and have read a lot about Paris and France so there wasn't really new information for me there but I still enjoyed reading it. This would make a great read for any Paris, LA, or art enthusiast and definitely feels more like an art book than a travel book to me, though there are some travel suggestions.

The second edition of the book is coming out on September 14, 2017 and will be bilingual English and French. From what I gathered in skimming the French section, the LA bits are focused on presenting it to the French audience reading and the Paris parts focused on presenting Paris to English readers. The formatting was a mess on the copy I read, and even so I still enjoyed the book. After looking at what is available to see on Amazon in the first edition, it made me excited for the book all over again and I will have to go check it out in person when it does come out. It is also a great way to practice my French!

Beautiful book that really shows the contrast between cities well and gives a personal feel to both places

Los Angeles my home. Paris a city I spent a week in last Summer. Los Angeles a city I like spending time in. Paris a city that made me feel at home. This book was a fun reminder of that.

A woman who has lived and worked in both Los Angeles and Paris talks about their differences, but more importantly their similarities, in a work full of visual comparisons.
After a long intro chapter, the book moves into diverse sections, the first of which is monuments. There are drawings, so it moves much faster. It took a while to get into this, but after the slow start I grew to love it. Really enjoyed all the comparisons between the cities, like the Arch de Triumph with the Paramount Pictures front gate. My surprising favorite was the Palais Garnier, which is the building featured in the intro of the Miraculous TV show, and reminds me of Royce Hall at UCLA, even though I know that one’s based on a church in Milan.
Two of my local faves—In-N-Out Burger and Baskin-Robbins—made it into this book! Okay, BR31 isn’t local anymore—it’s mentioned it’s the largest ice cream chain in the world—but it started in El Lay, and that’s what counts. That angle of Olvera Street is unusual, never looked at it that way.
I suppose it should be expected, considering the author’s background, that there’s a lot of fashion stuff in here, but it’s still the most boring part.
Two mistakes in the Olympics section: St. Louis was the first American city to host, and nobody calls the Coliseum the Olympic stadium.
In a thoroughly modern move, instead of street directions this book gives you GPS coordinates.
The drawings are watercolor, childish but lively. Despite the abstract nature, the subjects are surprisingly recognizable. The Colorado Street Bridge is so well drawn. Another beauty that’s done so lovingly is the Huntington. The Norton Simon is painted in such a lovely Impressionistic style that it could be hanging there.
You have to be in the mood for it, but I thoroughly enjoyed the artwork, surprising myself. I think the best word I can use to describe this is playful.
3.5 pushed up to 4/5

A fresh, fabulous and super, super, super attractive book.

I have to say that I'm a huge fan of the illustrating style, so personally, I consider the illustrations one of the best parts of the book. Undeniably, the other parts are the smooth writing and the content. Why LA? Pourquoi Paris? Both cities are unbelievably beautiful and attractive in their own ways, and from a point I don't think they can be compared. They're so different, both special in their own way, so what this book offered are insights from a person who lived in both and analysis from many aspects that can make readers feel a lot closer and know more about both cities. I've never lived in either, but I dream of doing so one day, and it's really nice to get to know some insights. Perhaps one day, just like the author, both cities will always hold two special places in my heart too.
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Overall: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Illustrations: 5/5 (LOVE THEM)
Appealing: 5/5
Cover: 4.5/5
Would I buy it? Yes.

Un bon livre qui compare Los Angeles et Paris. Des citations intéressantes et des illustrations très bien faites. Un bon livre mais pas excellent. A good reading with a lot of intéresting citation and wonderful illustration. I really love it.

Thanks to Illustre Books for the ARC via NetGalley!

What a wonderful book! It's very nice to see the similarities between the two cities, as well as what makes them unique. Although they have quite different cultures, we can still identify lots of passions in common. I really liked the writing style and the illustrations.

I'm getting ready to take my first trip to Paris. I am a bit of an amateur (very amateur) photographer trying to do better - I LOVE this!

Why LA Pourquoi Paris is a side-by-side comparison of the two cities. Every text page is two columns – one in French, one in English. Each chapter begins with LA then tries the same description for Paris. The image pages, with stylized impressions of tourist venues, have LA on the left and Paris on the right. There is no point to it. It comes to no conclusions. And it is terribly superficial.

Diane Ratican lives and works in both places, loves them both, and sees many similarities. Which is probably insulting to both cities. The book is an endless listing of places, stores, restaurants and venues. But little or nothing about them – just the names. It reads like a 13 year-old’s composition assignment. It is brochureware, and leaves far less longing than a brochure would.

In the chapter on Transportation, Ratican points out that Paris has free bicycles (Velib) and equivalent electric car services (Autolib) all over town. But she doesn’t point out that the mayor (Bertrand Delanoe at the time) proposed and worked to have a mode of transport for every conceivable trip a Parisian might take. So depending on the journey, there are sidewalks and promenades, city bicycles, city electric cars, buses, metro trains, regional trains – all provided by the city of Paris. It is not haphazard, historic or fortunate. It is planning writ large – that LA completely lacks. Ratican doesn’t give Paris its due. To her it’s just charming.

I understand the book is a personal love letter, an ode to both cities. It tries to be cute and charming, but it leaves no impression and is not book you would ever pick up a second time. There is nothing useful or magnificent in it.

David Wineberg

This book is a fun new idea for a comparison book. I like the information given about both cities and that it is given in both English and French. I am sure a printed edition would be a very nice book to add to the shelf. I have a couple friends that I believe would love to receive a book like this.

I was unable to read and review this book in the Kindle format, but I plan to look for it when it is available in print.