Reviews

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

katiesmcclendon's review

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emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

510heather's review against another edition

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lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

mandyfish's review against another edition

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5.0

Exceptionally well written. Engrossing story. Couldn't put it down. If you love Paris or Hemingway or are fascinated by the collection of writers who flocked to Paris during the 1920s, you'll enjoy this book. A beautiful love story and a haunting breakdown of its demise.

bjlovering's review against another edition

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emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

rawleyloftus's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

eggjen's review against another edition

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5.0

I'm kind of grateful that I didn't previously know very much about Hemingway's life, much less his wife Hadley's, because there was never any moment in this book where I definitely knew what would happen next. Beautifully written, this book was a favorite of mine. I really sympathized with Hadley and found the book to be a fascinating look at marriage, literary history and life in the 1920's.

tashaseegmiller's review against another edition

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4.0

This is the retelling of what may have happened between Ernest Hemingway and his first wife, Hadley. I am a huge Hemingway fan, so I was naturally drawn to this, but the voice that McLain captured for Hadley kept me reading. I completely adore her and the narration she provides. It is a great book to read for anyone chasing a dream, to remind ourselves that even the greats struggled, but also the importance of keeping balance. And somehow it made me like Hemingway even more.

marlisphillips's review against another edition

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4.0



I went into this book grudgingly because I've always thought of Hemingway as a jerk. Having finished it I can't say he wasn't a jerk but he was so much more than a jerk and Hadley seemed to feel the same way. What a wise woman she must have been to recognize that all his life experiences made him the complex character he was. It seemed that through to the end of his life she was the only one who truly understood him

ebc726's review

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2.0

The thing is, if you know anything about Hemingway and his personal life, you know what's going to happen. And the plot and the way it was written just didn't redeem the story enough to keep me that excited about it by the end.

cami19's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0