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The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher
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The Paris Bookseller (edition 2022)

by Kerri Maher (Author)

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4292157,967 (3.69)15
Paris in the years between the wars was home to a multitude of famous writers, most of whom gathered at a bookshop called Shakespeare and Company. Sylvia Beach was the proprietor of this iconic shop and she makes for a fascinating heroine of this novel. Much of the plot in this novel is focused on Sylvia's work to publish James Joyce's Ulysses, a groundbreaking novel which other publishers wouldn't touch due to charges of obscenity and which was banned for years in the U.S. I enjoyed learning more about Sylvia, especially her relationship with another bookseller Adrienne Monnier, and her friendships with so many notable 20th-century writers. ( )
  wagner.sarah35 | Aug 6, 2022 |
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Historical fiction written and researched very well. This novel is a fictional portrait of the life of real American ex-pat Sylvia Beach, who opened a famous English-language bookstore and library in Paris in 1919, just after World War I, and also published its first and only book: James Joyce’s controversial Ulysses, which in its serial parts had been banned in the United States. The store, which Sylvia called Shakespeare and Company, was inspired by the Parisian bookstore—eventually called La Maison des Amis des Livres—run by Adrienne Monnier, the woman who would become Sylvia’s lover. When the two stores were across the street from each other on rue de l’Odéon, all the bright lights in the French and English literary worlds converged; Adrienne coined the term for the two stores together: Odeonia. Shakespeare and Company drew all the literary ex-pats living in France during a time in which censorship and morality crusades (the Comstock Act, Prohibition, etc.) made writing life in the United States inhospitable to many artists in terms of censorship and sponsorship. The real patrons of Odeonia were a who’s who of the literary literati—Ezra Pound, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, T.S. Eliot, Gertrude Stein, Sherwood Anderson, to name a few—and these people appear in the pages of this novel to varying degrees.

The story is written in the third person from Sylvia’s viewpoint, and Ms. Maher convincingly fills in the fictional dialogues and Sylvia’s internal struggles when she is working tirelessly to bring Ulysses to print and her interactions with Joyce himself during the finishing of the writing, the revisions, the printing, and an ugly period when Joyce got Random House to publish it in the United States, cutting Sylvia out of the monetary rewards she might have easily gotten if she had not been a woman. The story seemed to sag in a few places; otherwise, it would have been a five-star review. ( )
  bschweiger | Feb 4, 2024 |
It's the story of Sylvia Beach, a women's rights activist, a bookseller, the woman who was the first to produce Ulysses when no male publisher cared and nearly perished in the process.
In 1919 Sylvia opened her bookshop 'Shakespeare and Company'. She did this with the support of her friend and later partner Adrienne Monnier, who already had a French bookshop where French authors and intellectuals came and went. This encouraged Sylvia to open an English-language bookshop. Not only did the French authors support her, but she soon counted American and English authors among her friends. On the one hand, she ran the bookshop as a kind of lending library and on the other, she also sold the books.
Everything was going well until James Joyce came to her, who was looking to get his book Ulysses published somehow. In America, the first chapters were already among the 'forbidden books'. There was no chance that his work would ever be published. Joyce was a very unpleasant contemporary. Many of Sylvia's friends called him the false Jesus. He took the worst possible advantage of his fellow human beings and disappeared when he had to pay his debts.
Sylvia, however, felt that she had to support him and threw herself into an adventure as a publisher, but also into debt and hopelessness until her health suffered.

I was very impressed by this story. I also didn't realise that at the beginning of the 20th century, same-sex love and cohabitation were not a problem in France.
I can warmly recommend this book. ( )
1 vote Ameise1 | Jan 10, 2024 |
I did enjoy this book very much but I found it too easy to devolve into skim reading it.

This is the story of Sylvia Beach and the start of her bookstore Shakespeare and Company (which I think I visited when I passed through Paris in the early 90s). She definitely was someone who had a goal and sallied forth to try to achieve it. She was definitely fortunate in getting support from others but there was a lot of work that she needed to put in herself.

One of the reasons I particularly was inclined to read this book rather than leave it until 2024 was that I'm planning on gifting it to my mother for Christmas. I don't quite know whether it's something she'd enjoy but I'll give her the choice. The main source of my hesitation is that I don't think she has any interest in Ulysses by James Joyce and there's a lot of the book that revolves around it's publication as well as Joyce himself. I don't think she'd be particularly impressed by the way he's presented. Still the setting may outweigh.

As other reviews have mentioned there was a lot of name dropping but it was woven into the text quite nicely. ( )
  Damiella | Dec 19, 2023 |
Although I am not usually a historical fiction reader, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
The liberalism of the times, the Paris setting and the cameos of emerging writers visiting Sylvia Beach’s Shakespeare and Company bookshop were really engaging. Sylvia’s own development as a businesswoman as early as 1919 made for a compelling central character.
Although Sylvia is affected by a lack of confidence, she is really brave in running her own business and supporting the publication of James Joyce’s Ulysses, a book that had been banned for obscenity. Joyce is depicted as as a self centred, heartless bastard who doesn’t share the same integrity when it comes to business agreements and publishing. A lot of the authors who come into Sylvia’s orbit can also be considered as egotistical and unstable. Sylvia is continually forgiving and supportive. Sylvia and her partner, Adrienne act as patrons of many artists.
This was a really interesting look at Paris and the literary arts in the early 20th century. ( )
  secondhandrose | Oct 31, 2023 |
I cracked this one open eagerly diving into the world of Sylvia Beach and Shakespeare and Company during my favorite Parisian literary era. There was no shortage of name dropping and lusty lesbian romance which I was all in for...but then the novel honed in on James Joyce. After awhile I began to wonder if the novel was actually just an excuse to write about Joyce under the guise of a more interesting lens. Then it turned into a full on James Joyce spotlight. I kept on hoping that the tide would turn and the story would focus back in on Beach but nope. It felt like she was just a tool to tell the Joyce publishing obscenity debacle so I tapped out. This was DNF about halfway through. The writing itself was great but I feel tricked into reading about another white dude for which women were props. No thank you. ( )
  Tosta | Jan 3, 2023 |
Paris in the years between the wars was home to a multitude of famous writers, most of whom gathered at a bookshop called Shakespeare and Company. Sylvia Beach was the proprietor of this iconic shop and she makes for a fascinating heroine of this novel. Much of the plot in this novel is focused on Sylvia's work to publish James Joyce's Ulysses, a groundbreaking novel which other publishers wouldn't touch due to charges of obscenity and which was banned for years in the U.S. I enjoyed learning more about Sylvia, especially her relationship with another bookseller Adrienne Monnier, and her friendships with so many notable 20th-century writers. ( )
  wagner.sarah35 | Aug 6, 2022 |
The Paris Bookseller is about the life of Sylvia Beach, the woman who founded an English language bookshop and lending library in Paris called Shakespeare and Company. Sylvia also met many authors during her time in Paris, including James Joyce, Ezra Pound, and Ernest Hemingway. Many of them became members of her lending library, and due to this relationship, Sylvia learned about the James Joyce manuscript, Ulysses. When he was having difficulty getting it published, Sylvia offered to publish it for him. She gained fame from this publication, but later she and Joyce would have differences on how to promote the book, and they had a bit of a falling out.
The book also examines Sylvia's relationship with her wonderful mother, who gifted Sylvia with the funds to begin the bookshop, as well as Sylvia's relationship with her lover, Adrienne Monnier, who ran a bookshop and lending library. It seemed that when Sylvia first saw Adrienne, she fell for her. It was with Adrienne's encouragement that Sylvia began her own shop/library.
I never knew this story about Sylvia Beach, and her influence on the works of the 20th century. ( )
  rmarcin | May 18, 2022 |
The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher

This was a beautiful story! Just appreciating all of the research and dedication that the author put into this book this alone makes this book worth reading! Kerri Maher did exactly what evey good historical fiction book should transport us back in time and bring an old story back to life! The time and detail she put into building her characters was done so well I felt like I knew them! This book is one that all book lovers will cherish! Truly an amazing experience reading this book! I hope to read more by this author in the near future! Happy reading everyone! ( )
  jacashjoh | Apr 19, 2022 |
Perhaps I just wasn't in the mood for this book, but I never quite got into the characters based on real people in Paris during the 1920's. Sylvia is American who comes to Paris for adventure, meets Adreinne, a lesbian book seller, they begin an affair and work to fulfil Sylvia's dream of owning a bookstore - this one designed for Americans: Shakespeare and Company.

Soon the store becomes the hangout for many famous ex-pats in Paris: Gertrude Stein and Alice Toklas, Ernest Hemingway, etc. The most important writer is James Joyce whose novel "Ulysses" is being written and printed in small sections getting rave reviews and notices of censorship in the US. Sylvia eventually becomes the publisher for the novel and in essence "owns the rights" - things get complicated with Joyce, who is difficult and clueless about many things.

The setting is perhaps the most important part of the book - the background of Paris and all the famous writers. Sylvia herself never seems to come alive for me. ( )
  maryreinert | Mar 11, 2022 |
This is a good historical fiction that I enjoyed as a booklover. I found it interesting reading about this bookseller, Sylvia Beach, who's an American that loves and lives in Paris and opens her own bookstore, Shakespeare and Company.
Shakespeare and Company become more than just a bookstore, also a lending library and a place that book lovers come to talk and where writers write. It becomes a place that a lot of famous writers go to like Ernest Hemingway and James Joyce who wrote Ulysses and Sylvia Beach helps Joyce to publish Ulysses. This bookstore is like a second home for people in Paris during the Depression.
This follows Sylvia Beach and her life of wanting to be a writer, buying and opening a bookstore, her ups and downs with her family, and her personal life. It's an enlightening read about Shakespeare and Co and Sylvia Beach and changing the course of literature itself.
If you're a historical fiction lover or a book lover, then make sure to check this one out. I would say a few things for content or trigger warning of depression, marriage infidelity, suicide, and death.
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for letting me read and review this book. All opinions are my own. ( )
  Kiaya40 | Jan 28, 2022 |
The store Shakespeare and Company is a bucket list destination for this reader even though the store in existence now is not the store originally established by Sylvia Beach. Although I am not the reader for The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher, I so appreciate the introduction to the history of the store and its intriguing founder. I honor the book and the author in words from the book itself.” And I feel nothing but gratitude for the writers who make the sentences. Sentences have changed my life."

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2022/01/the-paris-bookseller.html

Reviewed for NetGalley and a publisher blog tour. ( )
  njmom3 | Jan 10, 2022 |
The Paris Bookseller is a must read for anyone that loves historical fiction... What is better than a book about books! Set against the backdrop of Paris in the 1920's, the book weaves the story of Sylvia Beach and how she followed her dreams of opening a bookstore where authors and readers alike came together to read, discuss and love books. And the authors did come. Not only is the story about the bookstore but about Sylvia Beach's fight to publish James Joyce's Ulysses. Every time I sat down to read, I felt like I was visiting old friends. The story and characters were wonderfully written, a mix between a character driven and plot driven novel. Although mainly set in Paris, references to America were woven in with a timeline of what was happening in the United States, helped me as a reader settle a time and place in history for the events unfolding. You get a little bit of everything in this novel, romance, historical fiction, family drama and overall, a fabulous story. I will be recommending this book to everyone. Thank you to netgalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for an opportunity to read and review a copy of The Paris Bookseller ( )
  tb0607 | Jan 7, 2022 |
Young Sylvia Beach has always dreamt of writing books, but soon she must recognise that writing isn't hers. When in Paris, the American meets Susanne and Adrienne who run a bookshop and she is immediately fascinated by them. She decides to open a bookshop herself to provide Paris and its masses of expatriates with English books. A risky adventure in 1919, but her small store "Shakespeare and Company" is going to make history. Not only do the Roaring Twenties make Paris the centre of the literary world, the bookshop and Sylvia become its very own epicentre and when she comes across an extraordinary novel nobody wants to publish, she decides to do it herself thus making James Joyce and his "Ulysses" one of the greatest novels of the century.

Kerri Maher tells the story of a young and adventurous woman who follows her instincts and is willing to risk a lot to make her dreams come true. “The Paris Bookseller” portrays an outstanding personality whose strong character can be felt in every line of the novel. On the other hand, the novel is a remarkable depiction of misogynist behaviour in the literary world and, on the other, also of strong women who can accomplish a lot when working together.

I totally adored following Sylvia's way from naive American tourist to one of the most important characters in the literary world between the wars. Surely Paris was the place to be and she was there at the right time, but also her endeavour and spirit were decisive to make it the best known bookstore in the world.

I wasn't aware of how hostile towards women the time and publishing industry was, quite interestingly, it wasn't people like Hemingway of whom I could have easily expected such a behaviour, quite the opposite, the educated and seemingly decent people were the most abominable.

A great read which gives insight in a time already a century ago and most certainly a must read for all booklovers of classics and the great time a century ago. ( )
  miss.mesmerized | Jan 7, 2022 |
THE PARIS BOOKSELLER by Kerri Maher

I was half way through this book before I realized it is essentially an accurate and lengthy biography of Sylvia Beach and her English language bookshop. Beach and her Paris shop, “Shakespeare and Company”, hosted many of the writers and thinkers of the early half of the 20th century. She came to fame with her publication of James Joyce’s Ulysses when no one else would publish it. In fact, America had declared it pornography and prevented it from being published or sold in the US. The novel also covers her relationship with Adrienne Monnier and Monnier’s French language bookshop. Both women were sponsors of American, French and British writers.

The novel is well researched and well written but gets bogged down in the details. Joyce, Ulysses, Hemingway and Pound by themselves along with Beach could have made a fascinating tale that moved more quickly and kept the reader’s interest from flagging. Still, the history alone makes the book worth reading. Personally, I could have done with a hundred fewer pages.

3 of 5 stars ( )
  beckyhaase | Nov 3, 2021 |
This is the fictionalized account of the very real Sylvia Beach, and American bibliophile who opened an English bookstore in Paris. As her store attracted the blossoming crowd of writers in Paris during that time, she fostered relationships with such authors as James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, and Ezra Pound. When the climate of censorship in the United States prevented the publication of Joyce's Ulysses, which Beach recognized as a major masterpiece of the 20th Century, she had the courage to publish it herself under the umbrella of her store, Shakespeare and Company. Maher describes the relationship between Beach and her longtime lover and soulmate Adrienne Monnier, who also owned a bookstore and shared her passion for literature. This romantic historical fiction provides a most engaging glimpse into the Lost Generation as it may have been experienced by some literary icons. ( )
  sleahey | Oct 28, 2021 |
Romance.
  CasSprout | Dec 18, 2022 |
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