Review by Matthew Nielsen
750 Years in Paris by Vincent Mahé is a unusual graphic novel: a series of illustrations that depict a single point within the city of Paris that is shown again and again throughout different points in history. Starting from the 13th century, we are taken through medieval, imperial and eventually modern times. Among the scenes depicted are crusaders marching through the town, plague running rampant, conflict and war in the streets, and even events as recent as the “Je Suis Charlie” marches.
This unique graphic novel is without words, except for a caption showing the particular year each drawing is set in, as well as a collection of notes and dates at the end that briefly explains some of the events depicted in the illustrations. 750 Years in Paris may be a quick read, but the artwork and consist lives is great and Mahé provides a fine example of the ever-changing lives that cities lead.
