A colorful history of the world’s most popular museum…[told with] a journalist’s knack for posing a good question…a discerning guide. ― The Economist
“An intimate visit with a generous, genial guide…Deftly weaving history and memoir, former New York Times Paris bureau chief Sciolino offers a spirited journey through France’s most storied museum, the Louvre ― Kirkus (starred review)
“A spiritual, relevant, and historical literary visit to the Louvre.” – Elizabeth Chandler, Library Journal (starred review)
Adventures in the Louvre [is] Elaine Sciolino’s entertaining deep dive into the history — and dusty cellars — of the revered Paris institution…A former Paris bureau chief for The New York Times, Sciolino has a peppy prose style that belies a keen journalistic eye. She amuses with tales of guards spooked by nocturnal noises, but also depicts an institution riven by conflict…She delivers a convincing argument that, if you look in the right places and talk to the right people, the Louvre has something for everyone, even grumpy teenagers. — Christian House, The Times of London
As the former Paris bureau chief for the New York Times and a longtime resident of the city, Elaine Sciolino was well-positioned to write Adventures in the Louvre. Her experience as a war correspondent also proved useful in navigating the fortress turned palace turned museum.... Mixing history and memoir, Sciolino leads readers through the landmark’s many galleries, shares favorite artworks both famed and lesser-known, and gets to know the staff responsible for the museum and its treasures. — Publisher’s Weekly
Sciolino takes readers on an affectionate and expressive tour through the labyrinthine halls of the “best-known and yet least understood museum in the world.” Combining history, interviews, and firsthand experience, she discusses famous artworks… explores how the Mona Lisa—which became a “global superstar” after being stolen in 1911— “enslaves and empowers” the museum… and delves into the sometimes-exclusionary nature of art history…. The result is a charmingly effusive love letter sure to delight. — Publisher’s Weekly
“Delightful” — Scott Simon, NPR
“[Elaine Sciolino] is a very seductive writer… One of the things I love about the book is the extent to which she engages in, collaborates, learns from, teaches some of the greatest curators of the world in the Louvre… An incredibly readable book and a very, very important one.” ― Paul LeClerc, former president of the New York Public Library
“The book is part journalism, part memoir, part art history… All kinds of tips for visiting the Louvre.” ― Mary Louise Kelly, NPR - All Things Considered
“[Sciolino] cracked the Louvre’s armor — and fell in love with the museum in the process…. Shared moments of discovery connected to art happen over and over again in this book.” ― Vogue
“Elaine Sciolino is Buffalo's gift to Paris − and now, too, to the Louvre…[she] taught herself how to see, and to trust what she saw. Now, with this book, she lets us see − really see — the many treasures of the Louvre.” — Erik Brady, Buffalo News
“I’ve just finished reading Adventures in the Louvre…and if you haven’t read her book I encourage you to do so. It’s a wonderful, thoughtful book about an extraordinary institution that makes everything in the building-its curators and its art-come alive.” — Glenn D. Lowry, Former David Rockefeller Director, The Museum of Modern Art
“She cracked the museum’s polished, secretive surface to find something far deeply human and intimate beneath. In her relatable, passionate, and colorful telling, she describes the history of the palace-turned-museum—which is also the story of France. And she tells it as a journalist would, rather than an art historian or guide….She leaves no hall, corridor, or secret backroom unopened. Instead, she approaches the museum’s treasures with fresh curiosity and emotional connection, painting sympathetic portraits of the many key people who are the keepers of the massive institution, from the fire brigade to the guards and its curators.” ― Art Net News
“People are always asking the best way to ‘do’ the Louvre, and I’ve finally found it: with Elaine Sciolino’s Adventures in the Louvre by your side. An indispensable, enchanting companion reminding us that the art world’s most intimidating institution is also a lot of fun.” — Lauren Collins, Paris correspondent, The New Yorker, and author of When in French: Love in a Second Language
“In its manifold splendors, the Louvre gave Henry James something of a panic attack. He did not have Elaine Sciolino, but we do: She has written a rich, rewarding introduction to the greatest collection of art in the world… A spirited, sumptuous book that makes the Louvre feel welcoming — even if you arrive on a Tuesday, when it’s closed.” — Stacy Schiff, author of The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams and A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America
“I have read many books about museums, but Elaine Sciolino’s stands out. This is essential reading for anyone visiting the Louvre — for those who already know it inside out and for those who have never been... Illuminating, thought-provoking, surprising, amusing. A marvel of observation and insight.” — “Xavier Salomon, director of Calouste Gulbenkian and coauthor of Cocktails with a Curator
“Nothing escape Elaine Sciolino in the immensity of the largest museum in the world; she writes with the curiosity of a journalist, the humanity of a storyteller, and the joyful disrespect of an American… With her book, we will find our way in a grand museum whose meanderings reflect the strange and glorious history of France.” — Gérard Araud, former French ambassador to the United States and president of the Société des Amis du Louvre
“Sciolino is the Louvre whisperer. With wit, charm and a scholar’s bent, she walks us through the galleries, shining her light on beloved masterpieces as well as on treasures tucked deep into gallery corners… Habitués will make discoveries in these pages and first-timers will count themselves lucky to have this book as a companion. And if food is your passion – it’s mine! – you’ll revel in Sciolino’s tour of the Louvre as a sumptuous feast.” — Dorie Greenspan, New York Times bestselling author
Like me, Elaine Sciolino doesn’t remember much from her first visit [to the Louvre], but living in Paris since 2002, she’s had countless hours to lean into its magnitude and to learn about how it operates by talking with curators, guards, and fellow museum-goers. Elaine brings her journalist’s perspective for making sense of it all in her latest book…helping us find new ways to enjoy the massive Louvre….She writes about its allure, romance, and even its secrets. — Travel with Rick Steves
“An institution and collection that has been a quiet witness to so much history and change is bound to have stories to tell. Elaine Sciolino... has captured many of these stories in her newest book.... At the Louvre, she spoke to everyone, from the guards to the lead curators, and received unprecedented access to rooms I didn’t even know existed.” — The Art Angle Podcast
“Unprecedented access to the Louvre….Some of the most striking insights come from Sciolino’s exploration of overlooked sectors of the museum, including Persian and Islamic art, as well as women and women artists and queer subjects.” ― Hyperallergic
“Visiting the Louvre is something everyone should do. But to do it well is another matter. Here, [Sciolino] passes along her own hard-earned advice …. to make [visitors’] time there truly unforgettable.” ― Town and Country
“Extremely entertaining. The author, a former New York Times journalist, has interviewed everyone from the firemen to the curators and… takes us through every corridor of the Louvre.” — Paris Diary by Laure
"Brilliant….This woman visited 200 times, read every sign, looked at every painting, interviewed every person. If you want to take a deep deep dive into this museum, that is the book you need to buy" — Oliver Gee, The Earthful Tower
“It sounds like an escorted tour in North Korea …. And yet [Sciolino] was able to penetrate it. That’s why this book is so amazing…I don’t go to the Louvre without calling Elaine.” ― Peter Greenberg - Eye on Travel
“Sciolino lives in Paris and knows this museum – well as much as anyone can as there are always nooks and crannies waiting to reveal unexpected wonders. As a journalist, she’s used to talking and connecting to people and getting them to open up. This is one of the joys of the book. She’s got the inside track to people of all levels who work there.” — Jayne, Dear Author
“Lest you should imagine the Louvre to be a fusty old dinosaur of a place, Sciolino gives us a determinedly 21st century perspective, with some compelling chapters on queer art, dubious acquisitions, and women as both artists and subjects…. A delight.”― Bookstoker
“A beautiful book.”― Antoine Compagnon, member of the Académie Française
“Elaine Sciolino used all her journalistic skills to uncover the secrets of the Museum”― Christiane Amanpour, CNN
“A masterpiece worthy of its subject” ―Doron Klemer, Southern Bookseller Review
“Thrillingly recounted [with] curiosity and fervor” ― Lee Polevoi, Highbrow magazine
“[Elaine Sciolino] is a master researcher, writer and storyteller… When you read Sciolino’s colorful descriptions and fascinating anecdotes, you will want to return to the Louvre again and again.” ―Inspirelle
“In [Elaine Sciolino’s] relatable, passionate and colorful telling, she describes the history of the palace-turned-museum―which is also the story of France.” ―Devorah Lauter, Artnet