Book to Read While Staying in Paris

Oh, Paris. Such an inspirational metropolis certainly deserves its off-white share of literature. If you find yourself daydreaming well-nigh the "city of love", picking up a book fix in Paris might be the best solution for your wanderlust. Fifty-fifty if you can't physically visit France, you lot can still feel like you're there! Whether you've been to Paris or not, the books I'll list here are a great place to immerse yourself in everything "Parisienne". Moreover, I'll be providing the xxx all-time books about Paris for every type of reader: non-fiction and fiction alike. Notice classic books well-nigh Paris, books nearly living in Paris, historical fiction about Paris, and more than! No matter your preferred genre, I hope you're able to find something here that catches your eye. If y'all recollect this listing is missing any of import volume about Paris, delight allow me know in the comments.

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Classic books virtually Paris

A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway

"If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young homo, then wherever you go for the residue of your life, information technology stays with you, for Paris is a moveable banquet."

Topping the listing of archetype novels fix in Paris is this memoir past Ernest Hemingway. In A Moveable Feast, Hemingway recounts his experience of living in Paris as a young author in the 1920s. You may recognize other famous writers he encounters, such equally James Joyce, Gertrude Stein, Wyndham Lewis, or F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda Fitzgerald.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo

"Love is similar a tree: it grows by itself, roots itself securely in our being and continues to flourish over a heart in ruin. The inexplicable fact is that the blinder information technology is, the more tenacious it is. Information technology is never stronger than when information technology is completely unreasonable."

This French Gothic novel takes place in 1482 in Paris and centers around the Notre-Dame cathedral and its bellringer, Quasimodo. The Hunchback of Notre Matriarch was such a big hitting in its time that it spurred a historic preservation move and led to renovations at Notre Matriarch. You might be familiar with the much lighter Disney adaptation of this book.

The Ladies' Paradise by Émile Zola

"Very well, sir. A adult female's opinion, however humble she may be, is always worth listening to, if she's got whatsoever sense…If you put yourself in my hands, I shall certainly brand a decent man of yous."

Although this novel is technically the eleventh in Zola's Rougon-Macquart series, it can be read as a standalone. Find what life was like in an 1860s department store in Paris from Denise, a saleswoman who comes to the big city to find work. Throughout the story, the Ladies' Paradise store represents commercialism and consumerism, while Denise depicts the struggling proletariat in the city.

A Tale of Ii Cities by Charles Dickens

"It was the all-time of times, information technology was the worst of times."

Known for having one of the most famous opening lines in literature, A Tale of Two Cities takes place in both Paris and London. Set right before and during the French Revolution (the book begins in 1775), it follows Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton. These two men not only eerily resemble one another just also fall for the same woman. Prevalent themes that you'll find throughout this classic include self-sacrifice, the tendency towards violence during revolutions, and the oppression of revolutionaries.

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

"To love another person is to come across the face of God."

Apart from its fame as a major musical, the original novel of Les Misérables is considered to be one of the greatest works of western literature. And so, if y'all loved the pic, why non give the book a read? Follow Jean Valjean, a captive who escapes prison, while he attempts to become a respectable member of society. You'll as well meet other characters every bit Valjean'southward story unfolds–some in Paris and some non–beginning in 1815 and culminating in the June 1832 Rebellion.

Books about living in Paris

My Life in France by Julia Child

An entertaining and witty read nearly Julia Child and her years spent studying French cooking and high cuisine. While Child would come to fame as a chef later in life, she didn't find her passion for cooking and teaching until she moved to French republic with her husband. This charming autobiography was besides the basis for the 2009 film Julie & Julia.

Me Talk Pretty One Mean solar day by David Sedaris

If you're looking for a laugh, you'll enjoy this drove of comedic essays. The 2nd section of the book focuses on Sedaris' motility from New York to Normandy and agreeable stories of trying to learn French in Paris. His quips about the French linguistic communication are both insightful and hilarious.

New Paris: The People, Places & Ideas Fueling a Movement by Lindsey Tramuta

With an acute drove of places and photographs, Tramuta emphasizes an heady movement happening in Paris while convincing the reader to visit as soon equally possible. Although New Paris is considered to be a guidebook, information technology reads more than as a narrative on what living in Paris is like today.

The Piano Shop on the Left Bank by Thad Carhart

While walking his children to schoolhouse, Thad Carhart stumbles upon a storefront in Paris called Desforges Pianos. This intriguing shop–apart from existence a secret hangout spot for locals–awakens Carhart's childhood passion for playing the pianoforte. As he becomes closer to Luc, the atelier's possessor, friendship blossoms alongside the writer's understanding of the history and art of the piano.

The Sweetness Life in Paris by David Lebovitz

David Lebovitz makes his dream motion to Paris merely to detect that life in France is quite unlike from what he expected. This guide is both hilarious and an enjoyable read. Plus, it includes fifty original Parisian recipes!

Time Was Soft There: A Paris Sojourn at Shakespeare & Co. by Jeremy Mercer

Time Was Soft At that place is Jeremy Mercer's memoir of living and working at ane of the best-known bookstores in the world: Shakespeare & Co. Afterwards leaving Canada, the journalist finds himself poor and unemployed in Paris. While out for a walk, he stops at Shakespeare & Co, purchases a book, and is invited by the staff to a legendary tea party. From in that location, the shop's owner offers Mercer free room and lath in substitution for his piece of work. I won't spoil what happens adjacent, merely it's the perfect read for any book lover!

Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik

In 1995, Adam Gopnik and his family moved from New York to Paris in an effort to feel life as a Parisian. Paris to the Moon covers just how comedic life can be as both a parent and a resident in a new and foreign urban center. With sharp insight, Gopnik explains the differences betwixt living in the United States and France, and how these atomic number 82 to such contrasting cultures.

The Only Street in Paris: Life on the Rue des Martyrs by Elaine Sciolino

Elaine Sciolino provides us with a snapshot of what life is like on the Rue des Martyrs, a street in Paris that seems to have everything. Only in Paris does one street take plenty history to fill up an entire book!

Fifty'Appart: The Delights and Disasters of Making My Paris Home past David Lebovitz

David Lebovitz, professional person chef and writer, shares stories of ex-pat life in Paris and the highs and lows that come with making a new country home. Especially if you enjoy David Sedaris' books, you'll like this story also. As a personal affect, Lebovitz too includes an original recipe at the end of about capacity.

READ More: THE MOST Photo WORTHY SPOTS IN PARIS

Novels ready in Paris

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

The Elegance of the Hedgehog is set in a posh Parisian apartment edifice. The cultured concierge, Renée, and a brilliant 12-year-old resident, Paloma, both experience every bit if no i understands them and, therefore, both hibernate their talents from the world. That is until they meet a new tenant in the building, Kakuro Ozu.

Paris for I and Other Stories past Jojo Moyes

If you're looking for an irresistible Paris love story, this is it! Paris for Ane and Other Stories is comprised of 9 short stories, with the first and most enthralling being "Paris for One". Nell and her boyfriend, Pete, are geared up for a romantic getaway to Paris–except Pete never shows upwardly. Greeted with this unexpected opportunity, Nells decides to travel to Paris on her own. This is a delightful story near stepping out of one'due south comfort zone and the thrills and challenges that ensue. The other stories included in this book are equally as charming, although shorter in length.

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George

Monsieur Perdu, the owner of a floating bookstore on the Seine, has a gift. He's able to infer precisely what book a person should read based on what they're going through in life. All the same, at that place is one thing he lacks: the ability to fix his broken heart. When the beloved of his life disappeared years agone, she left backside a alphabetic character. Only years afterward is he tempted to open up it, propelling him on a quest of self-discovery and healing.

Best books nigh Paris history

Seven Ages of Paris by Alistair Horne

Seven Ages of Parisshares an in-depth account of Paris from before 1000 A.D. upward to 1968. Some of the interesting focuses of this book include how the city has adult throughout the centuries and how the rulers of these fourth dimension periods e'er attempted to shape Paris to reflect themselves.

How Paris Became Paris by Joan DeJean

This lively read centers around the transformation of Paris from an urban disaster to a strategically planned metropolis. After reading this historical business relationship, you'll take a ameliorate agreement of how Paris became the spectacle it is today.

Historical fiction about Paris

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

An enthralling portrait of women during World War II, this novel brings two very different sisters together in the struggle to survive during wartime. Although much of the story takes place in the fictional village of "Carriveau", it also covers the beginning of the Nazi occupation in Paris. The Nightingale was such a hitting that it's currently being made into a feature film starring sisters Dakota and Elle Fanning.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret past Brian Selznick

Set up in Paris in the 1930s, this novel follows Hugo, a 12-twelvemonth-former orphan, clock keeper, and thief. Although alone, he manages to go through each twenty-four hour period with the hope that he'll exist able to unlock a hole-and-corner message that his father left for him. Office novel, role graphic novel, this book weaves a magical tale. Moreover, it was adjusted into the critically-acclaimed 2011 film Hugo.

The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer

In 1937, Andras Lévi, a Hungarian-Jewish pupil, makes his way from Budapest to Paris to attend the Ecoles Speciale. Prior to leaving habitation, he was asked to deliver a mysterious letter to ane "C. Morgenstern". The first half of the novel covers his time in Paris equally Europe is on the brink of war, while the second half follows his return to Hungary and the horrors that Andras and his brothers experience during the Holocaust. While parts of the book can be difficult to read, Orringer tells an centre-opening tale of what life was similar for Hungarian Jews during WWII.

The Room on Rue Amélie by Kristin Harmel

This novel is told from the perspective of Ruby, an American woman, as well as the RAF pilot (Thomas) and Jewish teenager (Charlotte) she's hiding in her apartment. During the Nazi occupation in Paris, when no one was prophylactic, Cerise risks her life and receives a new family in return.

Paris: The Novel by Edward Rutherfurd

Paris: The Novel takes readers dorsum and along through time to uncover the dazzling city of Paris. Rutherford does a fantastic job of tying essential moments in French history together through the 4-5 French families that nosotros follow throughout the book. Due to the fourth dimension hops, information technology can be challenging to follow at times; withal, this novel is sincerely worth the read.

Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution by Michelle Moran

Everyone has heard of Madame Tussaud and her famous wax museums, but are you lot familiar with the story backside the woman? Taking identify during the years of the French Revolution, readers volition acquire how Marie Tussaud'due south skill at wax modeling saved her life during the Reign of Terror.

Suite Française by Irène Némirovsky

Set in Paris in 1940 as the Nazi occupation begins,Suite Françaisetells the story of metropolis locals as they bargain with the aftermath of this invasion. The writer is able to shed incredible insight on this situation as it was 1 she was actually experiencing. In fact, Némirovsky was a successful writer living in Paris during WWII until she was arrested and sent to Auschwitz, where she was afterward killed. This manuscript only managed to survive as information technology was hidden in a suitcase that her daughters carried with them into hiding.

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

The Paris Wifetells the story of Ernest Hemingway and his wife, Hadley, as they experience life in Paris among the "Lost Generation". During a fourth dimension of ultimate debauchery in Paris, the married couple grapple with their relationship–Hemingway struggles to find his place as a writer, and Hadley finds information technology challenging to play the part of muse to a genius.

All The Light We Cannot Seeby Antony Doerr

Although this story doesn't fully take place in Paris, I still highly recommend it. All The Light Nosotros Cannot Run acrossfollows a blind French girl, Marie-Laure, and a German boy, Werner, as their lives intersect during Nazi occupation. The beautiful imagery and description of the characters' lives will keep your attention to the last folio.

Sarah'southward Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

This dual-timeline novel centers around Sarah, a 10-year-old girl in Paris in 1942, and Julia, an American journalist living in the city in 2002. The story of Sarah's past and her horrific experiences during the Vel' d'Hiv' roundup ultimately bring these ii women together to understand the silence surrounding this dark day.

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

Lilac Girls tells the story of iii women, whose lives collide during the events of World War Ii at Ravensbrück, a concentration camp. Set during the timeframe of 1939-1959, this book transports readers to Germany, Poland, New York City, and Paris to tell a story of redemption and dazzler.

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The first version of this article was published in July 2019 simply has since been updated.

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Source: https://gringajourneys.com/paris-books/