Reviews

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

omirmohamed's review against another edition

medium-paced

3.0

gfs0619's review against another edition

5.0

I finished this book a while ago but needed to sort thru my feelings on it before I could write a review. The book was beautiful and wrenching. It broke my heart and I loved every moment of it. I went into this book decidedly anti-Hemmingway and somehow, despite his treatment of Hadley Richardson, he was humanized to me. He was flawed, childish, complicated, cruel. And he loved her and she him. And Hadley. I am fascinated by her. She is one of my favorite characters in a long while and to know she was real just makes her more compelling.

I've already told many people this. Read this book. It's worth the anger and tears.

shaykeretz's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

katiesmcclendon's review against another edition

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

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

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

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

rawleyloftus's review against another edition

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

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

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.