New books by Elaine Sciolino, Michael Cunningham and David Thomson

"The Only Street in Paris: Life on the Rue des... — "The Only Street in Paris: Life on the Rue des Martyrs" by Elaine Sciolino Credit: Norton

By Tom Beertom.beer@newsday.comNovember 12, 2015

What’s new

THE ONLY STREET IN PARIS: Life on the Rue des Martyrs, by Elaine Sciolino. “I can never be sad on the rue des Martyrs,” writes the former New York Times Paris bureau chief of this iconic Paris street. Here a saint was beheaded, Degas and Renoir painted, and Francois Truffaut shot “The 400 Blows.” (Norton, $25.95)

A WILD SWAN AND OTHER TALES, by Michael Cunningham. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “The Hours” and “A Home at the End of the World” offers his own darkly sophisticated spin on 10 classic fairy tales, including “Hansel and Gretel,” “Jack and the Beanstalk” and “Beauty and the Beast.” With striking illustrations by Yuko Shimizu, these are not bedtime tales for the kids. (FSG, $23)

HOW TO WATCH A MOVIE, by David Thomson. This little volume will not tell you how to stream your Netflix. Instead, the author of the classic “Biographical Dictionary of Film” explains the many elements of film — actors, shots, cutting, sound and more — to enhance your viewing experience. Think of it as a Cinema Studies 101, with references to films from “Citizen Kane” to “Gone Girl.”(Knopf, $24.95)