Paris: The Novel

by Edward Rutherfurd

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

From Edward Rutherfurd, the grand master of the historical novel, comes a dazzling epic about the magnificent city of Paris. Moving back and forth in time, the story unfolds through intimate and thrilling tales of self-discovery, divided loyalty, and long-kept secrets. As various characters come of age, seek their fortunes, and fall in and out of love, the novel follows nobles who claim descent from the hero of the celebrated poem The Song of Roland; a humble family that embodies the ideals of the French Revolution; a pair of brothers from the slums behind Montmartre, one of whom works on the Eiffel Tower as the other joins the underworld near the Moulin Rouge; and merchants who lose everything during the reign of Louis XV, rise again in the age of Napoleon, and help establish Paris as the great center of art and culture that it is today. With Rutherfurd’s unrivaled blend of impeccable research and narrative verve, this bold novel brings the sights, scents, and tastes of the City of Light to brilliant life.

Praise for Paris

“A tour de force . . . [Edward Rutherfurd’s] most romantic and richly detailed work of fiction yet.”—Bookreporter

“Fantastic . . . as grand and engrossing as Paris itself.”—Historical Novels Review

“This saga is filled with historical detail and a huge cast of characters, fictional and real, spanning generations and centuries. But Paris, with its art, architecture, culture and couture, is the undisputed main character.”—Fort Worth Star-Telegram

“Both Paris, the venerable City of Light, and Rutherfurd, the undisputed master of the multigenerational historical saga, shine in this sumptuous urban epic.”—Booklist

“There is suspense, intrigue and romance around every corner.”—Asbury Park Press

• ISBN10: 0345530764
• ISBN13: 9780345530769
• Publish Date: 1 April 2014 (first published 1 January 2013)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Random House USA Inc
• Imprint: Ballantine Books Inc.
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 832
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780345530769

Reviews

[Lianne]

This is the second novel by Edward Rutherfurd that I've read but I was greatly looking forward to it because he does such a wonderful job in portraying the history and culture of a city. I was fortunate to be approved of a galley to this novel via NetGalley.

Unlike Russka where each of the stories set in the different periods more or less were unrelated to each other (from what I recall), this novel has a set number of characters & families that the reader follows over the course of most of the novel. It’s a welcomed change because it helps ground the reader acquaint themselves with the events happening in Paris during whatever period in history the chapter is in.

Paris really comes alive in this novel and stands as quite a character of its own in the story. There’s not a dull moment in the story and there’s some really wonderful passages and moments throughout the span of centuries. My French history is a little rusty but I felt it covered all of the major events with such clarity and scope.

Overall Paris is just such an experience to read. It’s hard to get into detail about this novel because there’s just so many character and historical events covered, one has to just experience it for his or herself to understand. I highly recommend it!

My complete review of the novel was originally posted at eclectictales.com: http://www.eclectictales.com/blog/2013/04/18/review-paris/