The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher

Spoiler-Free Synopsis:

The Paris Bookseller follows the endeavors of Sylvia Beach in the creation of the first English language bookstore in Paris: Shakespeare and Company. The story unveils elements of her personal life and romance, as well as her professional efforts and relationships with famous writers like James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway, and T.S. Eliot. The ultimate tension in the book arises in Sylvia’s effort to publish the highly controversial book, Ulysses, through Shakespeare and Company. As stated on the front cover, The Boston Globe refers to it as “a love letter to bookstores and libraries.” I’m inclined to agree.

Spoiler-Free Review:

I was at first thrown off by the intense focus on Sylvia’s personality and romantic life, but later found myself comforted in having this background to best understand her perfectionist tendencies that likely emerge from her history of avid reading. Adrienne was an equally compelling character, and reading about the personalities of the famous authors who come in and out of Sylvia’s bookstore was almost startling, as I often read and hear about these works, but know so little about the people behind them. It was a bit of a slower read, as the plot follows real events, and I imagine my reading journey would have been enhanced by having more historical knowledge, or having previously read Joyce’s Ulysses.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Tabbed Quotes:

“It was hard not to feel that Paris was the place” (1)

“After all, Old Bill had never, as far as she knew, gone out of style” (34)

“Now she had it and wanted more? Was that greed or ambition? Was there a difference?” (86)

“Three. The last three” (167)

“Mixing memory and desire. That was the crux of it, wasn’t it” (303)

Me two years ago at Shakespeare and Company 📚📚