“Like All the Light We Cannot See, The Paris Hours explores the brutality of war and its lingering effects with cinematic intensity. The ending will leave you breathless.” –Christina Baker Kline, author of Orphan Train and A Piece of the World One day in the City of Light. One night in search of lost time. Paris between the wars teems with artists, writers, and musicians, a glittering crucible … wars teems with artists, writers, and musicians, a glittering crucible of genius. But amidst the dazzling creativity of the city’s most famous citizens, four regular people are each searching for something they’ve lost.
Camille was the maid of Marcel Proust, and she has a secret: when she was asked to burn her employer’s notebooks, she saved one for herself. Now she is desperate to find it before her betrayal is revealed. Souren, an Armenian refugee, performs puppet shows for children that are nothing like the fairy tales they expect. Lovesick artist Guillaume is down on his luck and running from a debt he cannot repay–but when Gertrude Stein walks into his studio, he wonders if this is the day everything could change. And Jean-Paul is a journalist who tells other people’s stories, because his own is too painful to tell. When the quartet’s paths finally cross in an unforgettable climax, each discovers if they will find what they are looking for.
Told over the course of a single day in 1927, The Paris Hours takes four ordinary people whose stories, told together, are as extraordinary as the glorious city they inhabit.
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I am a bit conflicted about how to review this book. On one hand, the prose exceeded even its exquisite cover. There were moments where I just sighed at the beauty of the story or the words assembled. And the ending – perfect!! But – there were so many different characters and timelines that I found it a lot of work to keep track of them. Though each chapter felt like its own small story part of the bigger story, and each chapter was written to perfection, it was the order and the amount of them that was challenging. I like a book I can escape into, and I felt like I had to do a bit more work than I like in my fiction. But – if your aim is to read something that is achingly beautiful, this one will fit the bill.
I love the cover of this book. It is simple and striking, with a haunting quality that foreshadows the story inside.
The time is 1927, the place Paris, and the main characters four in number. There is Camille, the maid of a famous writer (Marcel Proust, fictionalized). And Souren, an Armenian refugee who puts on puppet shows in the Luxembourg Gardens. And Guillaume, a struggling, very-much-in-hock artist. And Jean-Paul, a journalist who writes about others to avoid writing about himself. Each of the four has an intricate story, told in flashback.
The Paris Hours is beautifully written. Descriptions of Paris are vivid, as are the many, many flashbacks. There is a frequent moving about in time, so if you prefer a linear story, this one may bother you. After I’d finished listening to the book, I was startled to read reviews saying that the story took place on a single day.
I hadn’t realized that! There is nothing present tense about this story. Or maybe it is a tribute to the skill of the writer that I was so invested in the early lives of these characters.
Dealing with memory and pain and survival in the turbulent years between wars, The Paris Hours isn’t an easy read. And still, I was captivated. The narrator of the audiobook was wonderful. I’m a sucker for foreign accents well done and these were. And the author weaves in real-life figures – Marcel Proust, of course, but also Earnest and Pauline Hemingway, Josephine Baker, and Gertrude Stein.
Reviewers rave about the ending. I do not. While the author does a masterful job bringing these four stories together into a single blazing climax, I found the end brutal. And yet, I’m left with thoughts of the impossibility of escaping the past, and of our eternal search for acceptance, respect, and love.
Not bad things to consider.
Without a doubt, the prose in this novel was exquisite. The turns of phrase and eloquent descriptions had these stories bordering on poetry. It was one of the few times that I actually enjoyed reading a book on an e-reader over a physical copy, since I was able to look up the meaning of words easily and often.
Unfortunately, for me, the mix of the four separate story lines that encompass this novel was incredibly confusing to follow and keep straight. I am not sure whether it was due to my lack of focus or disjointed reading schedule, but I found myself, at times, contemplating the timelines and individual details of a particular character instead of becoming absorbed in the story itself.
Each of the four characters did have an interesting story to share, but I never did become fully engrossed in any one of them for long enough, perhaps due to the quick nature of each chapter, always moving from one plot line to the next.
All that aside, I was willing to overlook those disappointments because I looked forward to the coming together and resolution that I hoped to reach by the final page of the book. When I turned that last page, however, and realized that a gaping hole was left in the resolution department, I felt slightly cheated. Each chapter ended with a cliffhanger, promising a little more information in the next one. It was a recurring theme, chapter after chapter, even up until and including the final one.
I loved the setting and timeframe of this novel. The plight of each character is as relevant today as it was in the 1920s. In that respect, I appreciate this book for the way it reaffirms the importance of inspecting elements of the human condition and how we are all interconnected in fascinating ways. Unfortunately, in the end, quite literally, my fascination with the overall story did not follow suit.
Beautifully written and original. Intriguing glimpse of Paris between the wars.
Can you taste the buttery croissants? Hear the jazz? This botm add-on wasn’t what I expected, but that’s not a bad thing. It was like reading four short stories at once knowing (well, hoping) they’d intersect somehow.u2063
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I loved how this book takes place in just 24 hours throughout Paris, but not in all the touristy places. Alex George takes us to parks and apartments of normal people going about their day but each is struggling with betrayal, loss, the effects of war, or longing.u2063
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The most interesting aspect for me was the famous cameos in each tale by Josephine Baker, Hemmingway, Proust, and Gertrude Stein. It was like a jazz-age Forest Gump in how it weaves interesting moments of those real people into this special day.u2063 Each character was given enough of a yearning to keep my interest and empathy for their troubles which is not an easy task considering how many storylines are happening at once.
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Chapters are short, the pacing of each story kept my interest (although just barely in a few places), descriptions of Paris between the world wars were vivid and alluring.u2063
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It took a while to get the characters straight so I lost a bit of attachment to them. And the resolution tried to be “French” which I didn’t hate, but I didn’t love it either.u2063
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Souren, the Armenian immigrant puppeteer u2063
If you only read one work of historical fiction with Paris in the title this year, make it this one. Following four very different Parisians over the course of a single day in Paris between the wars, Alex George creates a story of extraordinary beauty, creativity and empathy.
Beautifully written with well-drawn characters that give you a peek into Paris in the Interwar years. The famous names of the day make cameos, but it’s these four “average” citizens — who are anything but average — who sweep you away.
This was a very interesting and well written book of four people living in Paris told in just a single day. I found the book to move very quickly and I liked how the four lives entertwined in places but not completely. My favorite story was Souren’s even though I found it to be sad. He has lost all of his family and he tells stories to children in the park with puppets but they are definitely not your average children’s stories. Guillaume is an artist who is running from debts he cannot pay. Jean Paul is a journalist writing down the stories of others as he mourns over his own story not able to share it. My second favorite story was Camille’s and how she worked for Marcel Proust and was to burn all the notebooks he kept but ended up keeping one for herself that held a secret of her own and when her husband sells the notebook without her permission, she must try to locate it. The ending is left open which did not bother me at all. I liked being able to imagine what I thought might occur.
The Paris Hours is another book I read with my local Quarantine Book Club. From the first few pages, I thought I was venturing into a story about Paris in the earlier parts of the 1900s. As I read on, the author’s purpose was less clear. Alex George, the author, seems to have a great love and some knowledge of Paris. He name-dropped well-known celebrities, authors, historical figures, and artists throughout the story as a means of developing the characters and making them relevant. It did not work and was rather irritating. One member of the club pointed out that the author did the same with street names, which, because he visited Paris, he found thrilling.
The book took me much longer to read than usual. The storyline was disjointed and not consistently engaging. Each chapter focused on a different character, often reflecting on a different period, which never allows showing the relationship between the characters outside of the specific chapter. It reads more like a bunch of little short stories, except with the character Soren. Also, each chapter promises more than it delivers. The author’s purpose for writing this story is not clear even to the end. A commentator noted that the end would leave you breathless. I was not breathless, just irritated.
I love, love, LOVED The Paris Hours by Alex George! This was my first time reading a book by this author, but I am definitely going to have to read his backlist now. The prose was wonderful, and the book was so moving.
I listened to the entirety of the book on audio and while at times it could be a little confusing without having a physical copy, overall I really enjoyed it this way. The narrator, Raphael Corkhill, did a remarkable job especially considering how many characters he had to voice. There are a ton of different viewpoints in The Paris Hours which is why not having the book was a little hard. If you are going to listen to the audio I would highly recommend having a physical copy you can look at as well. There are a lot of names, and during the last, big, chapter when everything is coming together it was harder for me to follow on audio alone.
Although there were a lot of characters, I found myself drawn to each and every one of them along with their stories. There is just something about George’s writing that really spoke to my soul and I can’t even begin to explain how much I truly loved this novel. The chapters were mostly very short as well which I think made the book speed by even faster, but I never wanted it to end. It broke my heart, but at the same time was inspiring and made me laugh at times.
The very end of the book wrecked me even more than the rest of it, and this does not tie everything up in a neat little bow, but it does give you hope. I think it would make a great buddy read or book club book as there is definitely a lot to talk about here. The Paris Hours also had mentions of many famous people I was familiar with, and some that I was not. I did a lot of Googling names and I feel like I learned quite a bit as well. In my eyes this was a masterpiece, and I will definitely be purchasing myself a copy to have on my shelf!
A maid, a puppeteer, a journalist and an artist. 1927 Paris. 4 people all desperately seeking something. Their lives slowly intertwine until the climax of the book, and what a climax it is. This book is narrative perfection. Don’t expect page-turner pacing – that isn’t what this is about. Not that the story lacks forward momentum – it certainly doesn’t – but it takes its time and beings you to a conclusion as it chooses too. The chronological order is challenging at times but don’t let that put you off. Vaguely reminiscent of All The Light We Cannot See, as much for the breath-taking world building a for the setting and themes, this is a book that I believe is going to win awards this year. The sort of writing that you can immerse yourself in, sentence by sentence, and detail that will transport you…highly recommended.
Easily 5 stars for me. A beautifully written story; I was mesmerized from the first page. It is not light reading, but the short chapters and alternating storylines make it easy to read. I enjoyed every moment I spent inside this story.
Pensive, evocative, and atmospheric!
The Paris Hours takes us on a moving journey into the lives of four strangers in Paris for one day during 1927 and introduces us to their thoughts, feelings, motivations, fears, and dreams, and highlights just how small the world truly is and how easily our paths can cross, intertwine, and collide.
The writing is eloquent and expressive. The characters are complex, damaged, and genuine. And the plot is an affecting, absorbing tale about life, loss, love, loneliness, family, friendship, heartbreak, war, grief, hope, guilt, secrets, deception, and survival.
Overall, The Paris Hours is a wonderful blend of historical characters and alluring fiction that sweeps you away to another time and place and does a beautiful job of reminding us that everyone that enters our lives, no matter how brief, can impact, shape, and define it.
Searching……
Paris, France 1927, four people, each with secrets search for something lost. Camille the maid, Souren, Armenian refugee turned puppeteer, Guillaume, the artist, and Jean-Paul the journalist.
The stories are told in turns a little of each character, than it goes back and tells a little more of each character. They all have much to lose and something they need to find. The war and life has been hard on all four. It is a story of humanity, of ordinary people, of hurt and fear and pasts which never left them. They cannot move into the future because they are haunted by their past.
As their stories play out each in a different part of the city of Paris you will enjoy their stories as survivors and as common ordinary people with wants, needs, secrets and dreams. One person’s loss is another person’s secret. Somehow all four of them come together at the end of the book.
It is well worth reading. It is a little difficult to keep the different parts straight, especially at the beginning of the book. It starts out slow but keep reading because it is worth it to read to the end.
Thanks to Alex George, Flatiron Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy for an honest review.