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Debra S. (Thurmont, MD)
A Delight
The Paris Hours is a delightful book. I very quickly found myself caring about each character and wanting to keep reading, and did. This glimpse into life in Paris between the wars is full of art and color with places that are beautifully described by Alex George. I don't usually like historical fiction - this book may have changed my mind.
Judith S. (Binghamton, NY)
Best of the Year
Oh my! This man Alex George is an extraordinarily talented writer. His style is reminiscent of Amor Towles who wrote "A Gentleman in Moscow". A tip: have a dictionary handy to further enjoy the stories of these terrific characters and enhance your lovely read. I will definitely read his other novels. The Skylark Bookshop will be a destination if we are ever in Misssouri. Many thanks to Davina of BookBrowse for choosing this novel.
Julia A. (New York, NY)
I didn't want it to end
Rarely do I say about a book "I didn't want it to end." That is, however, the way I felt about The Paris Hours. Once I got used to the novel's pacing, the jumping back in time between the World War I years and the between-the-wars day in 1927 when the stories take place, and the alternating stories of the four principal characters, I was thoroughly hooked. I found the narratives captivating, particularly the ones involving Camille and to a lesser extent, Jean Paul. That's not to say that Souren and Guillaume's stories aren't also interesting. The famous people hovering at the fringes of the stories, such as Ernest Hemingway and Gertrude Stein, are almost a distraction, though I understand why they are there. After all, they were omnipresent in 1927 Paris. Then there is the painting that is almost a fifth major character in the novel. Without anything away, I will say that the final sentence of the novel ("He pushes open the front door and steps inside.") could be the opening of a whole other novel about what comes next in the lives of the surviving characters. It also suggests a parallel with the painting, whose door didn't appear able to be opened or provide entry into the house. Read this book!
Sheryl M. (Marietta, GA)
Ordinary Lives in an Extraordinary City
I quite simply loved this book. Set in Paris on a single day in 1937, it tells stories of four ordinary people, unknown to each other, but connected nevertheless. Each is struggling with a powerful loss; memories of those losses inform their daily activities. They will encounter the consequences of their actions or inaction. Some will succeed, others will not.
This is a beautifully written book, so empathetic to the characters that I felt I knew each and wanted all to overcome their obstacles. The Paris Hours is a small book and can be read in one sitting. I did so, not because it was possible, but because I did not want to put it down. The interweaving of the various characters' stories was done so skillfully that the climax when all are brought together seemed the most natural occurrence possible. Alex George is a great storyteller and a brilliant writer. Into this tale of ordinary people, he includes cameos of a few celebrities and ex-patriots to round out the picture. I highly recommend this book.
Sylvia G. (Scottsdale, AZ)
What a Day!
With a combination of fictional characters and real historical figures, Alex George has crafted a novel covering a single day in Paris in 1927. Each individual story has some unique situation, but all the stories begin to slowly interconnect like a beautiful puzzle. Loved it!
Nancy D. (Raleigh, NC)
My Paris Friends
The Paris Hours is a wonderful book. The writing flows and all the scenes and people of 1927 Paris come alive in Mr. George's book. You meet four regular people who you will get to know through their histories and through the struggles they endure. Camille's secret, Souren's guilt, Jean Paul's sorry and Guillaume's disappointment. They become your friends and you become totally invested in the outcome of their lives. You come to like all of them with their faults and learn that they all have met their destiny. Added to the great writing and character development, there is a little twist at the end which just adds to the enjoyment. I look forward to another book by Mr. George.
Nancy M. (Bernardsville, NJ)
The Paris Hours
Immerse yourself in this remarkable book. You will become immersed in Paris after the first world war while you get to know and love the well-developed characters beforehand. Emotional involvement continues as we feel we are with them sharing their pain. A page turner you will not want to put down until the breathtaking, unexpected ending.
Nancy L. (Staunton, VA)
French Braid
When my daughters were young I often braided their long hair. I did normal braids while my sister-in-law created the most intricate, lovely French braids. And this is what author Alex George has done with this novel, "The Paris Hours". On a single day in 1927 Paris he has woven an intricate story with strand after strand of seemingly unrelated characters. We get a few hints of their relationships as the story moves along, but the ending is unexpected, and ties up the plot into a complicated braid of a story.