The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George

The Little Paris Bookshop

by Nina George

The international bestseller, translated from the German by Simon Pare. On a beautifully restored barge on the Seine, Jean Perdu runs a bookshop; or rather a 'literary apothecary', for this bookseller possesses a rare gift for sensing which books will soothe the troubled souls of his customers. The only person he is unable to cure, it seems, is himself. He has nursed a broken heart ever since the night, twenty-one years ago, when the love of his life fled Paris, leaving behind a handwritten letter that he has never dared read. His memories and his love have been gathering dust - until now. The arrival of an enigmatic new neighbour in his eccentric apartment building on Rue Montagnard inspires Jean to unlock his heart, unmoor the floating bookshop and set off for Provence, in search of the past and his beloved.

Reviewed by Lianne on

2 of 5 stars

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I was approved an ARC of this book by the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This review was originally posted at eclectictales.com: http://www.eclectictales.com/blog/2015/09/23/review-the-little-paris-bookshop/

I really liked the premise of the novel, the concept of a literary apothecary, his ship being a barge, and Perdu having a knack for prescribing particular novels based on what he’s assessed of the client and his/her life experiences, what they are going through, etc. I loved the little quotes about books and reading and the feelings associated with it. At times it reminded me of The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry with its quaintness, Perdu’s journey, and the nature of the shop.

However, from the start I did feel like something was off about the novel, like the events of the novel was feeling rather distant to me for some reason. Once Perdu found Manon’s letter and set off on his journey down the Seine, I lost all interest in the story: I felt so disconnected from the characters and what they hoped to achieve with their journey. It also moved away from the initial premise that I liked so much at the start of the novel, about books and the concept of his shop, and focused more on past events in the character’s life that didn’t compel me as much as I thought it would.

I’m not sure how I got through the book–I guess just to see if things would change as I went along–but The Little Paris Bookshop was not what I expected and ultimately was a rather disappointing read for me. Perhaps not my cup of tea but other readers may enjoy this novel.

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  • Started reading
  • 17 August, 2015: Finished reading
  • 17 August, 2015: Reviewed