The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher: Undoubtedly, historical romance always maintains this
energy of magicalism that seems otherworldly, forgotten, emerging…a reference to a time when real things existed and perhaps real love was somehow more powerful than now. Post WWI France sees literary rebel Sylvia Beah travel to France to support her sister’s acting career and become completely anamoured by love’s potential – love of writing, love of reading, love of liberty and more importantly love of Adrienne who captured her imagination and stole her breath from the second they met.
Sometimes, fate just twists that way. And after dabbling in creating a French bookstore in New York during the prohibition era, settles on the very realistic idea of an English bookstore in Paris – perhaps because her heart demands her to. And because she’s an educated woman in the 1920s from the USA, things are super bright. More importantly though, this semi-ish biographical yet confessed fictional account of Sylvia Beach’s life, and the tremendous work she achieved in altering the face of early 20th century literature, is an absolute doozy.
After falling in love with Adrienne and finding courage due to the magnitude of Adrienne’s belief in her, Sylvia opens Shakespeare and Company, an English bookstore in Pairs and befriends some of the truly remarkable artists of the time, from Hemingway, to Beckett, Henry Miller, and last but not least James Joyce. And it is of course as history tells us, Joyce’s Ulysses that Sylvia also fell in love with. As an early suffrogette and self-confessed feminist, Sylvia’s faith and financial backing of Joyce, at times to her own significant determinant, saw her stamp her profound mark on literary history.
Re-told beautifully and with the style and discourse suited perfectly to the time, this at times feels like one of those novels that crosses boundaries of genre. From beginning to end, this was a brilliant read, filled to the brim with love in all its facets and a beautiful way to explore an era that has really gone by. I highly recommend!
Book Info:
Publication: 11th January 2023 | Berkley |
PARIS, 1919.
Young, bookish Sylvia Beach knows there is no greater city in the world than Paris. But when she opens an English-language bookshop on the bohemian Left Bank, Sylvia can’t yet know she is making history.
Many leading writers of the day, from Ernest Hemingway to Gertrude Stein, consider Shakespeare and Company a second home. Here some of the most profound literary friendships blossom – and none more so than between James Joyce and Sylvia herself.
When Joyce’s controversial novel Ulysses is banned, Sylvia determines to publish it through Shakespeare and Company. But the success and notoriety of publishing the most infamous book of the century comes at deep personal cost as Sylvia risks ruin, reputation and her heart in the name of the life-changing power of books…
Amy R
Thanks for the review.
Amy Donahue
I was an English Lit major so I have long been obsessed with that era of literary history. I definitely need to read this book! Thank you for sharing it.
BN
sounds intriguing
bn100
interesting time period
Dianne Casey
I definitely want to read this book. Thanks for the rev.
Latesha B.
Not familiar with Sylvia Beach, but this story sounds very interesting.
Patricia B.
This book is going on my Wish List. I had heard of the store as a gathering place for authors of the time, but never knew any of the specifics. Even though it is historical romance, it sounds like it will give good insight and a good idea of the time and what really happened.