The Little Paris Bookshop

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Average customer rating 4.3 (6 comments)

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As a librarian who loves to sail, this novel was a gem of words drifting along on the river of summer sun coated in the emotional journey of three men who long for love and venture both internally and across France to try and find themselves. To me, this was the epitome of what a summer beach read should be - a journey through the lexicon of emotions that takes you from one page to the next as you get swept along with the characters as they travel on a floating book barge along rivers and through locks with imagery so vivid you can almost hear the lap of the water against the hull. Passed it on to my significant other after I finished it and he loved it possibly more than I did!

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I must admit I had very high expectations for this book and I cannot say that the book met them. The concept behind the book is delightful. Jean Perdu owns a library barge, a literary apothecary. He knows what books to prescribe to his readers. Everyone has a different need and even Jean has a need. Perdu himself is also lost. (Perdu means lost in French) When a woman moves into his apartment after being dumped by her husband he gives her a table with a letter that was left inside. Jean forgot that he put the letter there and had never opened it. Upon opening the letter he takes his barge away from its his tie-up on the Seine in Paris and sets off on an adventure to the south of France accompanied by Max, a young author who has written a best seller. George's writing can be very beautiful in places, however it can also drone on. For me while I enjoyed the story I did not love it. The book just failed to grab me and take me away. Here is an example of how well the author writes. “Books are more than doctors, of course. Some novels are loving, lifelong companions; some give you a clip around the ear; others are friends who wrap you in warm towels when you’ve got those autumn blues. And some…well, some are pink candy floss that tingles in your brain for three seconds and leaves a blissful voice. Like a short, torrid love affair.” Who can really resist a passage like this? The writing is just beautiful and makes you long for more. There are many passages like this that I relished reading. For me the book was just average.

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Perfect read for any book-lovers! The story of a floating bookstore-barge on the Seine, the owner of which considers himself an apothecary whom heals all 'ails' with the perfect book for each person who comes to his store... however the one person unable to 'heal' from his literary legacy, is himself. Armed with a single unopened letter from the love of his life who disappeared one day, he and a band of unusual friends head to the south of France to see how HIS story will end. Its a perfect summer read!

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Monsieur Perdu, a literary apothecary, prescribes the exact book for what "ails" you. I am sure he would prescribe this sweet novel to all lovers of books and believers in the magic of stories.

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First off, I now need to take a vacation cruising the canals of France. There are a few different ways you can take this book and one is a travel novel--and it is quite successful in that. Trust me, you'll feel like you are cruising along with Monsieur Perdu and his friends. Tben, of course, there is the food. One of the characters is a chef and the dishes he whips up will make your mouth water (and recipes are included if you want to try them yourself!). I appreciated that the recipes were in an appendix to the book instead of sprinkled throughout, which seems to the be the style in so many books these days. Of course, the heart of this book is not travel or food, but literature. Like The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry (a book I was reading when I started this one), this is a truly bookish book. While I think anyone would enjoy this book, book lovers would truly "get it." We bookish folk understand that books can be a salve for what ails us, that can treat conditions that medicine can't touch. In short, we get Monsieur Perdu. I loved the writing style--I'm assuming a translator was involved, but I couldn't find who that might be with my electronic copy. However, it could be that the author translated her own work--I really don't know and haven't been able to figure out. In any case, I will say that this book does not read like a translation. The prose is poetic and flows nicely. There is also (and unsurprisingly) what I would consider a "European flair" about it. By that, I mean that it is a little more dramatic and emotional than I recall ever reading in a North American author, but I have read similar prose from European authors. This is not a bad thing by any means--it simply adds to flavor of this novel. The plot moves fairly steadily, although there are a few times when George seems to get stuck on one point or another. I'm more forgiving about this in translations because, unless you read the work in its original language, you can't really be sure if this is due to the author or the translator. Still, the book kept me interested from the first page to the last. Another minor--and I do mean minor--gripe I have is that the title of the book doesn't represent the actual story. Monsieur Perdu's "bookshop" is never called as such--it is referred to as a barge or as the Literary Apothecary--and it spends very little of the book in Paris and doesn't really have any ties to the city. I can't knock George for this as the publisher frequently assigns the title (especially in translations), but the title just isn't the best. While I would recommend this book to anyone, I would especially recommend it to my book loving friends. And my France-loving friends. And my travel-loving friends. And my food-loving friends.

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A lovely literary journey traveled through waters and words, "The Little Paris Bookshop" is a charming, poignant read from author Nina George. Monsieur Perdu is a bookseller extraordinaire. He doesn't just sell books--he prescribes them--after diagnosing just the cure for what ails the book seeker. His magical, medicinal matchmaking of book and reader is uplifting and life-changing, and the doctor is long overdue for a dose of his own medicine. After twenty years, a chain of events will propel Monsieur Perdu to seek out the woman who broke his own heart. Along the way, he will collect an assortment of comrades, experience new adventures, and finally come to terms with his own very personal issues. Nina George writes with warmth and spins an atmospheric tale that will appeal to romance readers, food lovers, and armchair travelers. Recipes are included, as well as a special selection of emergency remedy reads from Monsieur Perdu's Literary Pharmacy. Review Copy Gratis Crown Publishers via Blogging for Books