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A Paris Apartment by Michelle Gable

A Paris Apartment

by Michelle Gable

  • Readers' Rating (23):
  • Published:
  • Apr 2014, 304 pages
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There are currently 23 reader reviews for A Paris Apartment
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Kay D. (Strongsville, OH)

Blending Real Life and Fiction
i was fascinated by the premise of this book - a Paris apartment found that had been abandoned over 40 years previously. I recalled a recent news story about the same and discovered that this book was, indeed, based on fact.

Michelle Gable does a wonderful job of taking those facts and weaving them into two fictional stories - one focusing on April Vogt and taking place in present day and the other spinning the tale of Marthe, the original owner of the apartment. She creatively moves back and forth between the stories and time periods while linking the two women in many ways.

This is an engaging read and keepsmore
Wendy R. (Woodinville, WA)

A Paris Apartment
Michelle Gable's, A Paris Apartment, is an excellent read for anyone who loves art, history and romance. The novel takes you into the life of April Vogt, a furniture specialist. She is sent to Paris to appraise the furniture and belongings discovered in an apartment in Paris. The apartments contents are like discovering jewels of a treasure chest. The main character is very dynamic with many personal and professional issues that keeps the readers interested and waiting to see what happens next. A major find at the apartment are a collection of journal entries by the apartments last occupant that take the readermore
Mary H. (Phoenix, AZ)

Madame de Florian Collection
The characters are connected by interests, history, love and a certain amount of 'je ne sais quoi'. The author presents April Vogt or 'Avril' living in the present day but reading a diary from a prior century in hopes of adding some provenance to each piece from the Paris apartment that eventually will be auctioned. She eventually becomes more involved in the personal journals than in the actual furniture. The reader will be introduced to French culture, art, food, verse, landmarks and romance. The story is enjoyable, a good read that will hold your interest while allowing your imagination to travel.
Roberta M. (Saratoga, CA)

The Paris Apartment
The Paris Apartment reminds me of several books I have read recently with the theme of Paris. The book shifts from current time, with a Sotheby's appraiser overseeing an apartment filled with antique furniture. What is intriguing is not the furniture itself but the story behind how the woman who lived in the apartment during the late 1800s came to own the treasured pieces.

The book is interesting from a collector's standpoint but the story is light and interesting enough to be a good beach or travel read. It's not weighty enough for a book club read, the characters are not well developed or particularlymore
Jean G. (Rockford, IL)

More than just a place
The Paris Apartment has numerous themes running through which make it a book readers might not want to put down. The majority of the story is set in Paris. Readers will be totally immersed in the lifestyles, culture, and habits of the French.
April, the protagonist, has a "not too common" profession as an auction house expert (a name she prefers to a mere auctioneer) that provides an opportunity to get the inside story of that profession.
The apartment defines her major reason for the business trip to Paris but sets off numerous sidetracks.
She delves heavily into French history with flashbacks taken and read frommore
Shirley L. (Norco, LA)

An Interesting Tale of Two Women
Michelle Gable does an excellent job of telling the parallel stories of Marthe, a renowned courtesan of Paris' Belle Epoque, and April, a very modern furniture appraiser. Although life has changed greatly in the past one hundred and twenty years, love, the bond between parent and child, the desire to feel important, and the relationship between the sexes remains much the same. The story kept my interest and the final fourth of the book was a page turner. Some further editing in the middle third of the book would move this story from very good to excellent. I would definitely read future works by this author.
Marjorie H. (Woodstock, GA)

I'll Take Paris
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author is very skillful in moving back and forth between centuries without a lot of confusion. Her descriptions of Paris and the Gilded Age held my attention completely. Unfortunately, I did not like April. Despite her education and knowledge, she impressed me as being a whiney brat - certainly not mature enough to navigate her life. And I don't mean to diminish her husband's infidelity. It seems she should have put all that on hold until her assignment in Paris was finished. She became very tiresome. Tho' I realize her resentment and confusion added to the plot.
The endingmore
Beverley

Irritating at times
The story of Marthe de Florian is fascinating and certainly made me run to do some research about the apartment and Boldini, Marthe's lover. The author has clearly done her research about the history of the period and portrays the sumptuous elegance and extravaganza of Marthe's world convincingly. I was also introduced to the wonderful paintings of Boldini, with the lavish swish of the fabulous fabrics and the stylish people of his portraits.
It was also interesting to read about the world of top end auctions through the story of April Voigt. However, I found her an irritating, rather superficial person and itmore
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