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The Paris Novel (2024)

by Ruth Reichl

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9711281,126 (4.07)2
Fiction. Literature. Historical Fiction. HTML:A dazzling, heartfelt adventure through the food, art, and fashion scenes of 1980s Paris—from the New York Times bestselling author of Save Me the Plums and Delicious!
 
“An enchanting and irresistible feast . . . As with a perfect meal in the world’s most magical city, I never wanted this sublime novel to end.”—Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, author of Good Company
Stella reached for an oyster, tipped her head, and tossed it back. It was cool and slippery, the flavor so briny it was like diving into the ocean. Oysters, she thought. Where have they been all my life?
When her estranged mother dies, Stella is left with an unusual inheritance: a one-way plane ticket and a note reading “Go to Paris.” Stella is hardly cut out for adventure; a traumatic childhood has kept her confined to the strict routines of her comfort zone. But when her boss encourages her to take time off, Stella resigns herself to honoring her mother’s last wishes.
Alone in a foreign city, Stella falls into old habits, living cautiously and frugally. Then she stumbles across a vintage store, where she tries on a fabulous Dior dress. The shopkeeper insists that this dress was meant for Stella and for the first time in her life Stella does something impulsive. She buys the dress—and embarks on an adventure.
Her first stop: the iconic brasserie Les Deux Magots, where Stella tastes her first oysters and then meets an octogenarian art collector who decides to take her under his wing. As Jules introduces Stella to a veritable who’s who of the Paris literary, art, and culinary worlds, she begins to understand what it might mean to live a larger life.
As weeks—and many decadent meals—go by, Stella ends up living as a “tumbleweed” at famed bookstore Shakespeare & Company, uncovers a hundred-year-old mystery in a Manet painting, and discovers a passion for food that may be connected to her past. A feast for the senses, this novel is a testament to living deliciously, taking chances, and finding your true home.
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Showing 1-5 of 8 (next | show all)
Having just read a novel centered on food that left me with no sense of the taste and feel of the experience, I was glad to get my hands on Ruth Reichl's novel. I know from her nonfiction how vivid she is in details, and she didn't disappoint. I liked the story, too, and also learning what prompted her to write a novel. Cheers to you Ruth. Bon Appétit!
2024 read. ( )
  bookczuk | May 16, 2024 |
A fun book about generational trauma and finding oneself through passion, art, and the joy of food ( )
  LadyLast | May 11, 2024 |
As always, Ruth Reichl writes a delightful book. The food and fashion with the nod to the Paris of the artist, this book is a quick fun read. ( )
  kayanelson | May 6, 2024 |
Sweet. ( )
  cygnet81 | May 1, 2024 |
Why did her mother want her to go to Paris?

Stella liked her quiet, solitary life and her predictable job at the publishing house.

She wasn’t a spender.

She wasn’t one to be extravagant, and she definitely wasn’t someone that liked to socialize like her mother did.

After her boss forced her to go on a vacation, she decided she might as well head to Paris. She didn’t like it at all.

Or she didn’t like it until she was enticed by an eccentric woman to buy a very expensive dress created by Dior that made her feel amazing in all ways.

She didn’t know this dress would make her see things differently and meet wonderful people or was it just Paris itself?

Is this what her mother wanted her to feel and where she wanted her to be?

Besides loving how Stella is able to find herself you will love all the name dropping of fashion icons, famous artists, places in Paris, and the mystery Stella was trying to solve and a mystery she was not trying to unravel, but so happy she did.

You will love the characters - eccentric, sweet, and loving. And of course you will fall in love with Paris.

A delightful, breezy read, but don’t read this book if you are hungry. 5/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ( )
1 vote SilversReviews | Apr 24, 2024 |
Showing 1-5 of 8 (next | show all)
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For Susan Kamil, my beloved editor, who asked me to write this book.
It makes me so sad that she will never get to read it.
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She never called her mother mom or mommy or even Mother.
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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Fiction. Literature. Historical Fiction. HTML:A dazzling, heartfelt adventure through the food, art, and fashion scenes of 1980s Paris—from the New York Times bestselling author of Save Me the Plums and Delicious!
 
“An enchanting and irresistible feast . . . As with a perfect meal in the world’s most magical city, I never wanted this sublime novel to end.”—Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, author of Good Company
Stella reached for an oyster, tipped her head, and tossed it back. It was cool and slippery, the flavor so briny it was like diving into the ocean. Oysters, she thought. Where have they been all my life?
When her estranged mother dies, Stella is left with an unusual inheritance: a one-way plane ticket and a note reading “Go to Paris.” Stella is hardly cut out for adventure; a traumatic childhood has kept her confined to the strict routines of her comfort zone. But when her boss encourages her to take time off, Stella resigns herself to honoring her mother’s last wishes.
Alone in a foreign city, Stella falls into old habits, living cautiously and frugally. Then she stumbles across a vintage store, where she tries on a fabulous Dior dress. The shopkeeper insists that this dress was meant for Stella and for the first time in her life Stella does something impulsive. She buys the dress—and embarks on an adventure.
Her first stop: the iconic brasserie Les Deux Magots, where Stella tastes her first oysters and then meets an octogenarian art collector who decides to take her under his wing. As Jules introduces Stella to a veritable who’s who of the Paris literary, art, and culinary worlds, she begins to understand what it might mean to live a larger life.
As weeks—and many decadent meals—go by, Stella ends up living as a “tumbleweed” at famed bookstore Shakespeare & Company, uncovers a hundred-year-old mystery in a Manet painting, and discovers a passion for food that may be connected to her past. A feast for the senses, this novel is a testament to living deliciously, taking chances, and finding your true home.

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