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A review by mrskristinkeyes
The Paris Hours by Alex George
5.0
“The only place where you can regain lost paradises is in yourself.”
The Paris Hours is a literary and historical fiction novel set over the course of 24 hours that follows multiple characters around the city of Paris as they seek something that has been lost. Oh, but it is so much more than that--
This book feels like velvet, like a soft velvet blanket that was shaped perfectly for me, one in which I happily passed into a dream-like state for hours. It is no surprise to me that I loved this book, as I knew before I read it that it is exactly the type of book I adore.
To be precise, it is:
1. A literary fiction novel (a slow-burn, set over the course of 24 hours)
2. A historical fiction novel (set in a post WWI France)
3. Set in Paris! (Need I say more?)
On reading this book, I also discovered that it is:
1. A story of the literary and artistic expatriates (Hemingway makes multiple, boisterous appearances)
2. Written in melodic, lyrical prose (“Music coursed through her, a joyous river. It illuminated her from within, filling her with the light of a thousand suns.”)
3. An intelligent remark on the power of art (and its subjectivity).
Who I would not recommend this book to:
1. People who don’t like literary fiction
2. People who get confused by stories with multiple characters and multiple timelines (we do get lots of flashbacks)
Overall, if you want to bathe yourself in a lucious, velvetine story of love and longing, you should read this book.
Much thanks of course to FlatIron Books for providing me early access to this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I will be discussing this book in-depth on my BookTube channel Perks of a Bookflower in a video titled “My Best Reads of 2020 So Far” that will be out on May 16th.
My channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAa3DZnHK3iMF_fQzLl4ALA
The Paris Hours is a literary and historical fiction novel set over the course of 24 hours that follows multiple characters around the city of Paris as they seek something that has been lost. Oh, but it is so much more than that--
This book feels like velvet, like a soft velvet blanket that was shaped perfectly for me, one in which I happily passed into a dream-like state for hours. It is no surprise to me that I loved this book, as I knew before I read it that it is exactly the type of book I adore.
To be precise, it is:
1. A literary fiction novel (a slow-burn, set over the course of 24 hours)
2. A historical fiction novel (set in a post WWI France)
3. Set in Paris! (Need I say more?)
On reading this book, I also discovered that it is:
1. A story of the literary and artistic expatriates (Hemingway makes multiple, boisterous appearances)
2. Written in melodic, lyrical prose (“Music coursed through her, a joyous river. It illuminated her from within, filling her with the light of a thousand suns.”)
3. An intelligent remark on the power of art (and its subjectivity).
Who I would not recommend this book to:
1. People who don’t like literary fiction
2. People who get confused by stories with multiple characters and multiple timelines (we do get lots of flashbacks)
Overall, if you want to bathe yourself in a lucious, velvetine story of love and longing, you should read this book.
Much thanks of course to FlatIron Books for providing me early access to this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I will be discussing this book in-depth on my BookTube channel Perks of a Bookflower in a video titled “My Best Reads of 2020 So Far” that will be out on May 16th.
My channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAa3DZnHK3iMF_fQzLl4ALA