The Little Paris Bookshop
The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George
Translated from German by Simon Pare
Pages: 359 Published: 2015 (English translation)
The book: Monsieur Perdu is the owner of a barge, named Literary Apothecary, which is moored on the Seine in Paris. He dispenses books to heal his customers’ emotional ills and stops them from reading what he considers might not be good for them.
Catherine, a new neighbor, moves into the apartment building where Perdu lives. Her arrival causes Perdu to break open a room that has been closed up for over twenty years. Inside, there’s an unopened letter addressed to him from an old lover. So begins Perdu’s journey.
You might like it because: The idea of a book apothecary is such a wonderful and romantic premise. If you are a book lover, you will enjoy the many and varied literary references and appreciate Perdu’s advice to his customers. For example, “With all due respect, what you read is more important in the long term than the man you marry, ma chère Madame.”
Wonderful lines and literary references aside, it’s a beautiful story of love, life, loss and finding oneself.
What did other people say?
“[A] bona fide international hit.” – The New York Times Book Review
“The settings are ideal for a summer-romance read…Who can resist floating on a barge through France surrounded by books, wine, love, and great conversation?”
– The Christian Science Monitor
Awards & Recognition:
New York Times Best Seller
A Barnes and Noble Best of 2015 Selection
How quickly will you get into the book? In the first chapter the scene is set; we are introduced to Perdu and we discover the room that’s been locked for more than twenty years. I was all in by the end of this chapter.
You might not like it because: If you don’t like sentimentality or if stories focused on self-reflection and the emotional workings of the heart don’t appeal to you, then skip this book.
What might you read next?
Want to read about a bookseller in another country, then pick up The Bookseller of Kabul, by Asne Seierstad
Want to remain in Paris? Then change time period and profession and read The Paris Architect, by Charles Belfoure.
Or pick up a suggestion from Jean Perdu’s Emergency Literary Pharmacy, Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy: A Trilogy in Five Parts, a must if you like your sci-fi with a sense of humor.
©BookCurious.com 2016