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shutterbabe22's review against another edition
5.0
Loved how all the stories were so well done on their own and when they finally came together I was in awe.
bink_64's review against another edition
2.0
Not what I was expecting... more like four novellas in one book. I thought it was going to be a story of a 24 hour period in Paris post World War One but it was the story of four separate people in Paris and how they came to be there after and during the war. It was a little confusing to keep straight, some of the characters did overlap into each others stories and it did have a surprise, cliff hanger ending. Interspersed with actual people of the time period to make it interesting.. Josephine Baker, Marcel Proust, and Ernest Hemingway.
susan_gatlin's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
zuomiriam's review against another edition
3.0
The writing is gorgeous (the sort of writing that has you wanting to highlight every other paragraph), but I found the intertwined narratives somewhat difficult to follow.
logan08's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
That ending was stupid. He didn't finish the story really and I didn't like half the characters. The synopsis leads you to think the main focus will be Camille but instead it's on one of the most insufferable people and the background of one of the others when I would much rather know about him. Immensely disappointed. He did get Hemingway spot on.
eiridium's review against another edition
5.0
Stunning! Clever and exquisitely crafted, the minutiae of everyday life is performed in cinematic fashion. The brilliant interweaving of well known literary figures who are brought to life through their seemingly inadvertent interaction with the 'lesser-known' protagonists of this tale makes this a sumptuous read.
The reader is kept guessing throughout how the various threads will come together and the skill of the storyteller shows in how this is rendered in a (to me) unpredictable fashion. It is full of colour, depth, texture, allusion, and humanity. Taking place during a single day in 1920's Paris, the story carries along the reader in a journey that taps into empathetic heartstrings. George manages non-distracting contextual tangents that flesh-it our characters backstories and finally fulfil themselves in a toughly satisfying conclusion.
This is a delectable treat and a superb read. Highly recommended.
The reader is kept guessing throughout how the various threads will come together and the skill of the storyteller shows in how this is rendered in a (to me) unpredictable fashion. It is full of colour, depth, texture, allusion, and humanity. Taking place during a single day in 1920's Paris, the story carries along the reader in a journey that taps into empathetic heartstrings. George manages non-distracting contextual tangents that flesh-it our characters backstories and finally fulfil themselves in a toughly satisfying conclusion.
This is a delectable treat and a superb read. Highly recommended.
webbhkg's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
manderzreadz's review against another edition
3.0
This book had great context and insight to Paris life during this time period, but I did not like how the book ended. Not much was tied up but hey, that’s life.
aceinit's review against another edition
4.0
I'm ultimately not sure whether to 3 or 4 star this one, but the prose was beautiful so I'm inclined to round up.
On the other hand, the ending is just so.....ugh. I'm not saying that a book has to wrap everything up in a nice little neat package before calling it a day, but there is such a thing as leaving too much to the reader's imagination.
On the other hand, the ending is just so.....ugh. I'm not saying that a book has to wrap everything up in a nice little neat package before calling it a day, but there is such a thing as leaving too much to the reader's imagination.