André Beaunier's Visages d'hier et d'aujourd'hui is a literary time capsule, but not in a dusty, academic way. Published in 1913, it's a series of brief, brilliant portraits of people from the author's world. Beaunier was a well-known literary critic and journalist, and this book feels like him taking off his critic's hat and just showing us what he sees on his daily rounds.

The Story

There's no single plot. Think of it as walking through a gallery of character studies. Each short chapter focuses on a different 'face.' We meet the aging dandy who still dresses for a Paris that has moved on without him. We observe the cunning hostess who engineers every conversation in her salon like a general. There's the young, passionate intellectual whose ideas are borrowed, and the weary diplomat who has seen too much to believe in anything at all. Beaunier doesn't just describe their clothes or jobs; he captures a moment, a gesture, a telling phrase that seems to unlock their entire story. He shows us the public mask and then, with a gentle nudge, hints at the private person wearing it.

Why You Should Read It

I loved this book because it’s so deceptively simple. Beaunier has this incredible gift for observation. He writes with empathy but also a clear, unflinching eye. He’s not cruel, but he’s honest. Reading these sketches, you realize how little human nature changes. The anxieties about relevance, the performances we put on for others, the quiet disappointments—they’re all here, dressed in early 20th-century fashion. It made me laugh in recognition one moment and feel a pang of sadness the next. It’s also a wonderful, subtle glimpse into a specific slice of French society right before World War I, a world poised on the edge of unimaginable change.

Final Verdict

This is a perfect book for a quiet afternoon. It’s for readers who enjoy character-driven stories, fans of writers like Natalia Ginzburg or even the observational essays of someone like Nora Ephron. It’s great for history lovers who want to feel the texture of daily life in the past, not just the big events. Because the chapters are so short, it’s easy to dip in and out. Don’t go in expecting a thrilling plot. Go in ready to sit with a sharp, witty companion who points out the fascinating stories in every corner of a room.