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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
no, thank you. idea was super cute, execution was horrendous
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a book with two stories of self-discovery, finding one’s identity, familial connections, and pursuing the passions that make us feel alive.
The pace is slower and the chapters bounce back and forth between Margie (the grandmother during her mid-twenties) in third person and Madeline (the granddaughter during her mid-thirties) in first person. At first it feels a bit whiplash-ish with the going back and forth between perspectives and stories, which is definitely unique, but you get used to it, and begin to see all the parallels between their lives.
Has very little to no problematic elements, which I greatly appreciated. I love the details of Margie’s time in Paris - it’s a place on my bucket list to visit! Madeline can appear to come across as a complainer, but when you understand the position she’s coming from, to me at least, it seemed fairly justified and you can understand why. All in all, it was a quick and easy read that was pretty decent, and even further sparked my desire to visit the City of Lights.
S:2, L:1, V:1
The pace is slower and the chapters bounce back and forth between Margie (the grandmother during her mid-twenties) in third person and Madeline (the granddaughter during her mid-thirties) in first person. At first it feels a bit whiplash-ish with the going back and forth between perspectives and stories, which is definitely unique, but you get used to it, and begin to see all the parallels between their lives.
Has very little to no problematic elements, which I greatly appreciated. I love the details of Margie’s time in Paris - it’s a place on my bucket list to visit! Madeline can appear to come across as a complainer, but when you understand the position she’s coming from, to me at least, it seemed fairly justified and you can understand why. All in all, it was a quick and easy read that was pretty decent, and even further sparked my desire to visit the City of Lights.
S:2, L:1, V:1
If you're looking for a book filled with wimpy female characters, more loose ends than you can count, horribly flat characters and a book rife with cliches, then here it is. I picked this book up on a whim and, if I'm being honest, probably picked it out because of its attractive cover and because I've always wanted to go to Paris. I've also read many amazing books that transported you through time via a character's journal entries... but this just wasn't it. Both Madeline and her grandmother might as well have been the same person. They're both privileged whiny women who don't fit society's mold because they're artists and not considered to be attractive. (Seriously how unique are you when you are both carbon copies of each other?) Not even halfway through the book I considered giving up with this book, it was so cliche and monotonous (I actually fell asleep quite a few times reading this during the day), but I forced myself to finish and sadly it did not get any better. Don't waste your time. This is basically just chick lit with one woman stuck in a marriage she was "forced" into (seriously, take some accountability!) and another lamenting the fact that her parents won't let her become a writer and that no man will ever find her attractive. Chances are you've basically read this book before.
Imagine how our lives would have turned out if we hadn’t been afraid. I loved Sebastian, and Henry these men both sexy, and alive with dreams and happiness. The women, three generations, all suffering from making choices based on fear and peoples judgement. Finally one of them has broken the pattern and becoming who she could be.
This a multiple generational story about love, adventure, obligations, control, sacrifice, broken dreams, conformity and finally happiness. Freedom, has it’s price, and a good life is worth it.
I struggled in the beginning, almost dropping it early on. It was depressing, with a sad character, but then it started changing. The message is good, the stories are lovely and full of lessons on living.
This a multiple generational story about love, adventure, obligations, control, sacrifice, broken dreams, conformity and finally happiness. Freedom, has it’s price, and a good life is worth it.
I struggled in the beginning, almost dropping it early on. It was depressing, with a sad character, but then it started changing. The message is good, the stories are lovely and full of lessons on living.
Madeleine goes home to Magnolia to visit her mother simply out of familial obligation. She and her mother have never really gotten along. Now Madeleine's marriage is struggling and she knows she's disappointed her mother once again. During her visit, she discovers her grandmother's journals. Her grandmother was a stoic woman, always perfectly behaved in every situation, so Madeleine is shocked to learn that her grandmother had quite the time in Paris when she was young.
Margie feels completely out of place in the debutante world that she has been raised to embrace. When her only option for marriage is simply one of convenience and a good business deal, she rebels and flees to Europe for a grand tour with her cousin.
In The Light of Paris by Eleanor Brown, both Madeleine and Margie need the strength to pursue their goals and dreams and break free from the mold their mothers and society has fashioned for them. Paris may just be the answer.
Both main characters really need a push to take back their own destinies. They have spent their lives as passive women, making decisions that they felt would please others instead of what would make themselves happy. It's the age-old story of mother vs. daughter but Brown gives it a fresh voice and a new life in her lovely new novel.
With a lyrical writing and a sassy tone from women who keep their true voices hidden from the world, I fell for The Light of Paris. Madeleine and Margie are real women--struggling with weight and appearance issues, lack of love and the confines that society has used to define the proper role of women. Essentially, they both have huge self-esteem problems. Yet, they are funny and interesting and saucy and women that I would absolutely want to be friends with.
The Light of Paris by Eleanor Brown is an enchanting novel with characters so honest and true the reader can't help but root for them.
Margie feels completely out of place in the debutante world that she has been raised to embrace. When her only option for marriage is simply one of convenience and a good business deal, she rebels and flees to Europe for a grand tour with her cousin.
In The Light of Paris by Eleanor Brown, both Madeleine and Margie need the strength to pursue their goals and dreams and break free from the mold their mothers and society has fashioned for them. Paris may just be the answer.
Both main characters really need a push to take back their own destinies. They have spent their lives as passive women, making decisions that they felt would please others instead of what would make themselves happy. It's the age-old story of mother vs. daughter but Brown gives it a fresh voice and a new life in her lovely new novel.
With a lyrical writing and a sassy tone from women who keep their true voices hidden from the world, I fell for The Light of Paris. Madeleine and Margie are real women--struggling with weight and appearance issues, lack of love and the confines that society has used to define the proper role of women. Essentially, they both have huge self-esteem problems. Yet, they are funny and interesting and saucy and women that I would absolutely want to be friends with.
The Light of Paris by Eleanor Brown is an enchanting novel with characters so honest and true the reader can't help but root for them.
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I loved this book. It's main theme is social class, in particular the upper class, and how that isn't always a happy life. It also describes low self esteem and how that can lead to choices that trap you with toxic people. Spanning two generations with these themes shows the different times for women and how choices used to be very limited. I found this book inspiring and I couldn't put it down!
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
No