by Amy Plum
“Breathe”—The Prodigy
“Don’t Wake Me”—Skillet
“Amnesia”—Five Seconds of Summer
Ambrose and Charlotte’s wedding reception at La Maison
“Angel”—Sarah McLachlan
“A Thousand Years”—Christina Perri
“The Right Man”—Christina Aguilera
“I Wouldn’t Mind”—He Is We
“A Sky Full of Stars”—Coldplay
“Unbreakable”—Jamie Scott
“Shiver”—Coldplay
CHAPTER 10
ART THAT WILL ANIMATE YOU
ART IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE DIE FOR ME series, not only because Kate is an art lover and Jules an artist, but when you are in Paris, art is everywhere. It is part of the fabric of everyday existence in the city. Here are some of my favorite examples of art used in the revenants’ story.
ANGEL FOUNTAIN*
Located in the courtyard of La Maison.
I based this on a combination of sculptures I’d seen, including Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss by Antonio Canova.
Link: http://musee.louvre.fr/oal/psyche/psyche_acc_en.html
LES DEMOISELLES D’AVIGNON, by Pablo Picasso
Is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Referred to by Jules in the Picasso Museum.
Link: http://www.moma.org/collection/works/79766
VENUS DE MILO, ancient Greek statue
Is in the Louvre Museum, Paris.
Jules says his model, Valérie, has a soft, curvy body as exquisite as the Venus de Milo.
Link: http://www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/aphrodite-known-venus-de-milo
THE CARD PLAYERS, by Fernand Léger
Jules is looking at it in the Museum of Modern Art. In reality, it is in another collection.
Kate calls it The Card Game.
Link: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/nov/13/first-world-war-futurism
KOUROS STATUE, ancient Greek
In Papy’s gallery.
Link: http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/4/eh431.jsp?obj_id=4497&mm_ id=2223
AMPHORA SHOWING BATTLE WITH NAKED “NUMINA,” ancient Greek*
In Papy’s gallery.
Though this particular amphora was from my imagination, similar ones exist.
Link: http://www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/amphora-praxias-group
THE BIRTH OF VENUS, by Sandro Botticelli
Jules draws Kate in this style in the café.
Link: http://www.uffizi.org/artworks/the-birth-of-venus-by-sandro-botticelli/
TOMB OF ABELARD AND HÉLOÏSE
At Père Lachaise cemetery, Paris.
Link: https://youtu.be/LYpCqlANgIo
CATHERINE DE’ MEDICI’S GOLD-ENCRUSTED CROSSBOW, c. 1540
Vincent is taking Kate to see this at the war museum at Les Invalides when they are interrupted by the out-of-control delivery truck.
Link: http://www.musee-armee.fr/collections/base-de-donnees-des-collections/objet/arbalete-dite-de-catherine-de-medicis-1519-1589.html
PAINTING OF TWO PEACHES, by Paul Cézanne
Kate uses this painting as a metaphor for her relationship with Vincent. “I was whole in and of myself, but better than whole with him.”
I based this on the memory of a painting that I saw in the residence of the American ambassador to France in the 1990s. There are many similar paintings by the artist, however.
THE RAFT OF THE MEDUSA, by Théodore Géricault
Vincent and Kate look at this at the Louvre Museum.
Link: http://www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/raft-medusa
ENORMOUS BRONZE CANDELABRA*
Was in the basement of Le Corbeau. Kate and Georgia used it to break the lock on Bran’s cell.
NUDE STATUE OF PERSEUS HOLDING MEDUSA’S HEAD
Pictured in one of Papy’s books.
Link: http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/204758
STATUE OF A DORMANT REVENANT WITH A GUÉRISSEUR HOVERING OVER HIM*
From Theodore’s revenant art collection in the archives of the Met.
GIANT THYMIATERION WITH SYMBOLS CARVED INTO IT THAT PORTRAY A REVENANT RE-EMBODIMENT*
One example exists in Theodore Gold’s revenant art collection in the basement of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Although this particular thymiaterion is from my imagination, especially the giant size, there are many examples of typical small ones.
Link: http://www.museosdeandalucia.es/culturaydeporte/museos/MMA/index.jsp?redirect=S2_3_1_1.jsp&idpieza=407&pagina=1
ANCIENT ROMAN FUNERAL URN CARVED WITH A SCENE GIVING INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO GIVE A WANDERING SOUL A BODY*
In Theodore Gold’s revenant art collection in the basement of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
VINTAGE VELVET UNDERGROUND POSTER*
In Ava’s house.
SKETCH OF A NUDE WOMAN WITH A HEAD OF FLOWERS, BY SALVADOR DALI*
In Ava’s house.
This is based on a drawing Dali did in 1937.
PORTRAIT OF AVA WHITEFOOT, by Andy Warhol*
Hanging in Ava’s house above the mantel.
* These are fictional works of art that I created for the series.
CHAPTER 11
REVENANT READS
KATE IS A VORACIOUS BOOK READER, AS AM I. SO I couldn’t resist including some of my favorite books in the Die for Me series. Some examples are books you can easily find and read yourself. Others I created for the story, and you will have to use your imagination to divine what they contain.
THE AGE OF INNOCENCE, by Edith Wharton
Kate reads this when she sees Vincent for the first time.
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, by Harper Lee
Kate reads this when she sees Vincent and Jules at the café.
THE HOUSE OF MIRTH, by Edith Wharton
Kate is reading this at the Café Sainte-Lucie when the masonry falls.
THE CATCHER IN THE RYE, by J. D. Salinger
Kate is reading this at Café Sainte-Lucie when Jules shows up to explain to her about Vincent and Geneviève.
THE LIFE AND OPINIONS OF TRISTRAM SHANDY, GENTLEMAN, by Laurence Sterne
Geneviève and Philippe’s favorite book. Vincent reads a passage of it at Philippe’s funeral.
THE CHURCH OF HAGIA SOFIA*
In Papy’s library.
ARCHITECTURE IN THE ANCIENT WORLD*
In Papy’s library.
ROMAN ARCHITECTURE AND CITY PLANNING*
In Papy’s library.
LE LANGAGE DES FLEURS, by Charlotte de la Tour
Violette gives a copy to Kate as a gift.
PARISCOPE
Magazine Kate uses to look up movie times.
LADY CHATTERLEY’S LOVER, by D. H. Lawrence
Kate reads this for school. Vincent knows a passage by heart.
L’AMUR IMMORTEL (IMMORTAL LOVE)*
Tenth-century illuminated manuscript telling of the love between a bardia and a human.
BEOWULF, by anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet
Kate says reading Immortal Love in Latin was as difficult as reading Beowulf in English.
THE PRINCESS BRIDE, by William Goldman
Kate and Vincent can’t agree on whether the book or movie is better.
THE FALL OF BYZANTIUM, by Theodore Gold*
One of Papy’s favorite books and one reason he is excited to meet Theo.
ANNE OF GREEN GABLES, by Lucy Maud Montgomery
When Kate visits her childhood home in Brooklyn, she remembers sitting on a bench in her yard and reading this book when she was ten years old.
*These are fictional books and do not actually exist.
CHAPTER 12
MOVIES FOR MORTALS
BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S
Kate tells Vincent this is her favorite film when they are having coffee at the Picasso Museum.
Before the first time Vincent goes dormant in front of Kate, he and she watch it and eat pizza. This later becomes a monthly
tradition of a pizza and movie date night before Vincent’s dormancy.
EXCALIBUR
When Vincent helps Kate hold a heavy sword for the first time in fight training, she says the sword looks like it had been stolen from the set of this movie.
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD
Vincent uses this movie title when he’s teaching Kate to hear him speak while volant. She thinks he’s saying, “Fight off the lint in bed.” (Die for Me, Chapter 33)
When teaching Kate how to use The Language of Flowers, Violette chooses this movie title for Kate to decode. (Until I Die, Chapter 13)
THE MATRIX
Kate says Jules’s fighting clothes make him look like he belongs in this movie. (Die for Me, Chapter 38)
KILL BILL
After Georgia helps Kate into her new silk birthday gown, she says she can’t believe Kate’s the same girl who was doing a convincing Uma Thurman Kill Bill imitation barely two weeks earlier. Later, when she’s learning to fight, Georgia asks if Kate thinks she can take her big sister on with her “Kill Bill sword-fighting skills.”
MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL
Kate and Vincent watch this movie on one of their first dates, and Kate says Vincent earned major points by quoting the best bits in English right along with her.
DANGEROUS LIAISONS
Violette and Kate see this film together. Violette thinks it’s hilarious because the costumes and mannerisms are all wrong.
HAROLD AND MAUDE
One of Kate’s all-time favorites; she and Violette go to see this together.
WINGS OF DESIRE
The movie Kate chooses instead of Scarface for the monthly predormancy movie-pizza night with Vincent.
CASABLANCA
Kate and Violette go to see this a few days after Kate returns from her weekend in the south with Vincent.
MOULIN ROUGE
Kate talks about how the rue Foyatier staircase “is so Old Paris–looking that you half expect everyone on it to suddenly break out into an impromptu Moulin Rouge can-can routine.”
LES 400 COUPS
Jules and Vincent spot Kate while patrolling and end up following her from her building to the cinema where she goes to see this film. Vincent convinces Jules to go in and watch it too.
UNDERWORLD
When Kate first starts one-on-one fight training with Gaspard, she wears a high-tech suit to keep her from getting nicks and cuts, which she says makes her look like Kate Beckinsale in Underworld.
INDIANA JONES MOVIES
Kate describes the secret button to open the hidden entrance to the guérisseurs’ archives as being “Indiana Jones-ish.”
THE GREAT GATSBY
When Kate first meets Theodore Gold, she says he reminds her of a young Robert Redford in the seventies version of The Great Gatsby, with his timeless look and white suit.
KING KONG
When Jules is in New York for the first time, he asks Kate to take him up the Empire State Building because he saw the original King Kong in 1933 and has wanted to go ever since.
ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S NOTORIOUS
Kate takes Violette to see this; it’s the very first film Violette has ever seen.
CHAPTER 13
DINING WITH GODS
IN FRANCE, LIFE REVOLVES AROUND FOOD AND drink, and I tried to pay homage to many French culinary traditions in the Die for Me books. Here are a few examples of the delicacies the characters in the stories enjoyed in between falling in love and conquering the evil undead.
DRINKS
DIABOLO
A drink made from mint-flavored syrup and water. This was Kate and Georgia’s favorite drink when they were children and went with their grandfather to cafés.
CITRON PRESSÉ
When Kate drinks lemonade in the Café Sainte-Lucie, this is what she orders. You are given a glass with the juice of one or two squeezed lemons, a separate pitcher of water, and several lumps of sugar. It’s up to you to make your own concoction as sweet or sour as you want it.
TEA
Kate orders this at Café Sainte-Lucie. In a French café, the waiter brings you either a cup or a tiny metal teapot filled with hot water. On the side is the tea bag and a slice of lemon, or a small pot of milk if you ask for it.
Vincent makes tea for Kate in the dragon-shaped teapot after she sees Jules die in the Saint-Paul Métro.
Kate makes tea for Geneviève the morning after Philippe dies.
PERRIER
What Charlotte and Charles are drinking at Café Sainte-Lucie when they save Kate from the falling masonry. If it’s a hot day, you can see many café-goers drinking Perrier or Coke at the sunny outside tables.
CHTEAU MARGAUX 1947
Vincent brings this expensive wine as a gift for Papy when he first meets Kate’s family.
CHAMPAGNE
Mamie, Papy, Georgia, Kate, and Vincent toast Kate’s seventeenth birthday with glasses of champagne (“bubbly”).
After Jules dances with Kate at the New Year’s Eve party, he serves himself a flute of champagne and goes to talk to a pretty revenant across the room.
CAFÉ CRÈME
Café crème: espresso with steamed milk. This is what Kate is drinking in the drawing Jules does of her from a Photo Vincent took. It is the most common drink to order in cafés with your breakfast croissant or tartine.
DESSERTS
CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH ICING AND WITH SUGAR-SPUN FLOWERS
Jeanne is putting the finishing touches on this while she talks to Kate about the twins before the New Year’s Eve party. Most French people don’t bake their own cakes for special occasions. They prefer leaving fancy desserts to the experts, and buy them at pastry shops. However, pastries are Jeanne’s forte, and if it is for a meaningful event, she prefers to make them herself.
HONEY-SCENTED MADELEINES
Jeanne comforts Kate with these cookies after Kate is kicked out of the house meeting. Madeleines are often served in the afternoon with tea or coffee, and have a special nostalgic status to the French ever since being immortalized in Marcel Proust’s book In Search of Lost Time.
TARTE TATIN
A baked apple tart served upside down with a caramelized glaze. When Kate was a child, Mamie took her to a café to eat tarte tatin. I sampled my first tarte tatin at La Palette, and have never found its equal!
ALMOND COOKIES
After Kate sees Jules die, Vincent brings her to La Maison to calm her down and serves her tea with paper-thin almond cookies. As Vincent says, “Sugar and caffeine. Best medicine in the world.”
CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES (WITH DECAF ESPRESSOS)
Mamie serves these after the dinner where Vincent first meets Kate’s grandparents. In French homes, you might find a small plateful of chocolates served after a fancy meal, along with the coffee or after-dinner drinks.
BREAKFAST
TARTINE
A baguette sliced lengthwise with salty butter and jam. Kate is eating this for breakfast when she asks Mamie about guérisseurs. Tartines and croissants are usually your two choices for breakfast in French cafés.
CROISSANTS, CAFÉ AU LAIT, AND FRESHLY SQUEEZED ORANGE JUICE
The ingredients of Kate and Vincent’s picnic breakfast in January. “We munched on croissants that were baked exactly how I love them: crunchy on the outside, light as air inside, with an inner core of doughiness. The café au lait was hot enough to warm my insides, and I sipped the supersweet freshly squeezed orange juice . . .”
PAIN AU CHOCOLAT
I would call this a chocolate croissant, because that’s the English translation of this flaky treat. But if you have this light, flaky pastry anywhere else but in France it just isn’t the same. The bakery downstairs from my apartment bakes the rectangular pastry until it is golden brown on the outside, but still a little bit doughy in the middle, with two lines of melted chocolate running down the middle. Served with a café crème, it is Jules’s idea of a perfect breakfast.
CROISSANTS
Most Frenc
h people purchase fresh croissants at the bakery. However, you can buy them frozen and bake them yourself in the oven. This is what Jeanne does for Kate’s first breakfast in La Maison.
OTHER
FRENCH ONION SOUP
This is what Kate and Violette order for lunch at the Marché des Enfants Rouges. It’s one of my favorite traditional French soups. French grandmothers swear by its medicinal properties, like American grandmothers do with chicken soup.
FALAFEL SANDWICHES IN TAHINI SAUCE
Kate and Georgia order these for lunch at one of the three famous falafel shops on rue des Rosiers. I like to buy them and take them to the nearby Place des Vosges for an impromptu picnic.
TENDERLOIN AND POTATOES GRATIN
This is what Kate and Vincent eat at Georges and Chantal’s wedding reception, sitting next to the river.
COCHON DE LAIT
Considered a true delicacy, cochon de lait is an entire roasted suckling pig. Jeanne serves it on good china. Jules comments that it would normally feed a dozen people, but they would easily finish it that night because Ambrose ate for six.