When Albert Camus arrived in New York from France for a visit in March 1946, he was stunned by the city, its visible economic power, its magnificent food markets and monstrous billboard advertisements.

During his stay, one woman appeared in court to explain why she had turned her pet gazelle loose to graze in Central Park. Contrary to judicial opinion, she said the gazelle was a person and spoke the language of goodness. Humanity was so abundantly provided for in New York that is could enrol new members in its ranks at a whim.

New York, an unforgettable picture of what a city ought to be, that is, continuously insolent and alive. If Paris is the perfect setting for romance, New York is the perfect city in which to get over one, to get over anything. Here the lost douceur de vivre is forgotten, and the intoxication of living takes its place.

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