Chapters 1-2: 0:00—Water drinking. 6:06—Murger’s success. 7:33—Francis’s success. 12:00—Man with a glove. 16:13—Berserkers. 19:56—Mid-century French art. 24:07—A blank canvas. 25:12—The painting of democrats. 28:23—Size matters. 31:23—Interlude.

Chapters 2-4: 31:57—A house call. 35:00—Behind the curtain. 40:10—Unsatisfyingly elliptical. 43:33—Muddied by pride. 45:49—An artistic freemasonry. 47:51—The doctor’s funeral. 51:04—Art & vanity. 52:23—Thirsting for greatness. 56:29—Francis browbeaten. 1:00:57—Browsing literature. 1:06:04—Interlude.

Chapters 5-6: 1:06:37—Family life. 1:08:30—Russians in Paris. 1:12:58—Initiation & integrity. 1:17:35—Bread & water drinkers. 1:18:32—Art movement. 1:20:03—Francis, Antonie & the Princess. 1:23:41—Fire & water drinkers. 1:25:05—Francis’s fate. 1:25:40—A glass one-third full. 1:27:25—Anything but amusing. 1:35:36—Closing.

Text: Henry Murger, The Water Drinkers and Other Sketches of Paris in the Romantic Era. Translated by Zack Rogow. Black Widow Press, 2025.

Interludes: Georges Bizet, Symphony in C Major (1855), performed by the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano della RAI, conducted by André Cluytens, Milan, February 3, 1961.

Image: Engraving of Henry Murger, 1854 (Wikimedia).

Click here for transcript

Contact me: jimjneilson@gmail.com

Chapter 19: 0:00—A state of widowhood. 4:33—The species grisette. 12:52—Grisettes, lorettes & courtesans 16:05—Luxury & liberty. 18:52—Musette & Marcel. 24:52—Interlude.

Chapters 20-23: 25:50—Rodolphe & Mimi & Murger & Lucile. 31:00—Women undressed. 40:28—Rodolphe verses Mimi. 49:57—Murger’s poverty. 52:38—The past arrives. 56:46—La Boheme vs. The Bohemians. 57:53—A handy man. 1:05:15—Puccini’s Mimi. 1:06:38—Number 8. 1:09:28—Romanticism vs. realism. 1:10:59—Losing Lucile. 1:16:43—Epilogue.

Text: Henry Murger, The Bohemains of the Latin Quarter. Translated by Maurice Samuels. 1901. Univ. of Pennsylvania Press, 2004.

Interlude: Giacomo Puccini, La Boheme, “Ohè là! Le Gardie,” NBC Radio Orchestra, conducted by Arturo Toscanini, 1946.

Additional music: Giacomo Puccini, La Boheme, "Che ha detto il medico?" sung by Jan Peerce, NBC Radio Orchestra, conducted by Arturo Toscannini, 1946.

Image: Henry Murger, caricature by Étienne Carjat in Diogène no.18, vol. 7, December 1856 (Wikipedia).

Click here for transcript

Contact me: jimjneilson@gmail.com

Chapters 11: 0:00-Bohemians behaving badly. 4:16—Murger’s purpura. 5:56—The real Bohemians. 8:54—Murger’s models. 15:22—Christmas at Café Momus. 16:54—Interlude.

Chapters 12-14: 17:48—Becoming bohemian. 21:51—Celebration at the Viscount Paul’s. 24:16—Rodolphe & Mimi unite. 27:19—Demolishing Nisard. 29:02—Perfect harmony. 29:54—Shattered harmony. 34:47—Mimi mutilates. 36:58—Routine, recrimination & reanimation. 38:32—Rodolphe & Mimi separate. 39:45—A wild ballet. 42:15—An instrument of pleasure. 44:00—Lucile! Lucile! 44:57—The chill of solitude. 46:33—Raging Rodolphe. 48:13—Rodolphe & Mimi reunite. 48:55—Murger & Lucile. 50:50—Interlude.

Chapters 15-17: 51:43—Breaking up. 53:46—Upper-class Musette. 55:30—A love ode. 56:08—The passage of the Red Sea. 59:03—Médecis the Jew. 1:00:59—The Damascus Affair. 1:03:07—Anti-Semitism. 1:04:05—Médecis’s inventory. 1:05:49—Hanging Marcel’s painting. 1:06:34—A hub of luxury. 1:07:53—Bodies in the Louvre. 1:09:20—A Britisher. 1:12:09—Coco the parrot. 1:13:40—Dolores the actress. 1:14:05—The June Days Uprising & the February Revolution. 1:17:19—The Parisian poor. 1:19:06—Dolores & the Englishman. 1:21:47—Coco’s cacophony. 1:23:41—Interlude.

Chapter 18: 1:24:33—A man named Jacques D. 1:27:42—What about Francine’s muff? 1:28:11: Jacques & Francine. 1:31:29—Digressions. 1:33:58—Francine’s condition. 1:36:22—Francine’s last word. 1:40:46—Kissing her on another’s lips. 1:43:04—No special grave. 1:44:26—Missing person. 1:51:27—Closing.

Text: Henry Murger, The Bohemains of the Latin Quarter. Translated by Maurice Samuels. 1901. Univ. of Pennsylvania Press, 2004.

Interludes: Giacomo Puccini, La Boheme, “Ohè là! Le Gardie,” NBC Radio Orchestra, conducted by Arturo Toscanini, 1946.

Image: Henry Murger, by Nadar, between 1854 -1860 (Musee d'Orsay).

Click here for transcript

Contact me: jimjneilson@gmail.com