Paris Syndrome

Paris Syndrome

This article relates to Brawler

In the second story in Lauren Groff's collection Brawler, "Between the Shadow and the Soul," a woman named Eliza struggles with depression and ennui after retiring early from the post office. This is not an unusual experience, as people who have devoted their lives to a career often find themselves without a sense of purpose or meaning when they no longer have to go to work every day. It is also mentioned, offhandedly, that, while on her honeymoon with her husband Willie, Eliza was affected by "Paris syndrome"—while traveling to Paris she had been "wracked with misery" and had sobbed through the night while Willie slept soundly.

Paris syndrome is a kind of culture shock that is caused by the City of Light not living up to the visitor's expectations, which are usually set by the glamorous and romantic, idealized version of Paris we see in film and television, or read about in books. The term was coined in the 1980s by a Japanese psychiatrist named Hiroaki Ota. Some experts believe Japanese people are more likely to experience the condition because of how deeply ingrained a fascination with French culture is in Japan—the chic fashion, world-famous art and architecture, unparalleled cuisine, and general atmosphere of sophisticated urban living. But this fascination spans many cultures and Americans like Eliza are just as susceptible.

According to Live Science, Paris syndrome can cause nausea, vomiting, hallucinations, and increased heart rate. A study in the journal Anthropology Matters explains that culture shock like this is "an illness resulting from the loss of meaning brought about when people from one symbolic reality find themselves immersed in another." Live Science also suggests that Paris syndrome is caused in part by the fact that Parisians can be brusque, if not downright rude, and being on the receiving end of such behavior is not the kind of experience people expect when they visit the city. It may be especially harsh or grating for tourists who come from a culture where public interactions are expected to at least give the appearance of being deferential or nonconfrontational.

For Eliza, the issue seems to be more existential. Groff writes:

"For her, the glory of the honeymoon had been in the planning, the dreaming, the building up in her mind; what a letdown to find that Paris was just a place, that some days were full of chill gray drizzle, that the dull, thick bodies of other tourists blocked her from full joy. Paris had been a gorgeous dream she had embroidered in her mind—shining, empty, existing for them alone."

Nothing could have lived up to the expectation of the Paris she had built in her mind, planning this romantic getaway with her new husband for months ahead of time. Paris syndrome is a symbolic microcosm of the larger problems of Eliza's life—that she has a hard time enjoying things, that she feels more at ease while working toward something than she does actually experiencing the thing she was working toward. This is why she is out of sorts after her retirement—no further work is expected of her and she is meant to be enjoying a time of leisure. Studies suggest nearly one-third of retirees develop symptoms of depression. One expert, a social worker specializing in elder care, explains, "For many people, their work offers them meaning and purpose in their lives. When their job is gone, it can be difficult to fill that gap with something else." People might expect retirement to be a time of peaceful relaxation, just as they expect Paris to be an enchanting wonderland of glamorous and hedonistic pleasures. In both cases, it is best to develop a plan for what to do and how to change course if things don't go as planned—to establish new, achievable goals that align with reality rather than imagined expectations.

Window on a Paris street
Photo by Viktor Hesse, via Unsplash

Filed under Cultural Curiosities

This article relates to Brawler. It first ran in the February 25, 2026 issue of BookBrowse Recommends.