Lovely gentle book which takes you to Paris and beyond

I enjoyed the book and its quirky nature and characters. Beautiful descriptions of scenery and France. Lovely charachters who you really got to know. Not contrived, but I did guess the ending and found the story did slow down somewhat towards the end. All in all, a great read.

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2 people found this helpful

Wonderful painfully intense emotion

I loved this though at times it was almost too intensely emotional. Great performance of a wonderful complex and yet simple story of grief and finding oneself

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Charming

This was a charming story that made me feel like I had gone back 50 years until the word "text" appeared which made me realise it was present day.

This book was a recommendation from my book club and was very different from my normal style of fast adventure and murder mystery. So this was a real change, but a thoroughly enjoyable change.

The story had some twists and turns but was fairly predictable but again in this genre I felt that was the right thing to do. The descriptions took me to the various places and the characters were well formed.

The main thing it did for me was to make me want to escape, get a barge and float off down the Seine!

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2 people found this helpful

Compelling

A superbly compelling story of regret, opportunity, and the realisation that the everyday challenges that life bestows upon us is merely a test to overcome. And happiness, happinesses in ourselves and in the life we choose to live is the the key to all such challenges.

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Language and descriptions

I enjoyed the imagery and character development in this book. I felt the people were real. I also loved the concept of a floating book apothecary.

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Beautiful

If you've loved with passion and lost and experienced grief with the same depth of feeling, you will relate to this story. I loved the characters, the friendships and the sensitive way they are portrayed. The descriptions of the French landscapes and culture really sent me there.

Having lived on a narrow boat, I could identify with all the joys and challenges of life encountered on the waterways.

This tale managed to touch a chord in me and made me laugh and cry and think about life and the importance of not wasting a moment, especially with those we love.

If you are young, herein lies very good advice. If, like me, you are in the autumn of your life, you will identify with some of the themes and enjoy this heart warming tale of love, friendship, grief and the joy we can find when we feel all hope is lost.

Beautifully written, wonderful narrator. I'm recommending this to all my friends. Just lovely. *sigh*

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7 people found this helpful

Self indulgent and boring

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No. Firstly, this story is about a man in his 50s but there are several aspects to this story that make it very, very clear that this book is written by a woman for female readers. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, I'm simply saying that there were certain elements, for instance the ways Perdu identifys women's desires, pains, relationships with other men, that seemed far-fetched and rendered his character unrealistic. It felt to me like the kind of things women can see clearly in other women, but the kind of things that men rarely notice or understand.

Secondly, I would agree with others who have accused this book of being highly self-indulgent. I stopped listening very near the end in the final parts of Manan's travel journals, a deeply emotional scene is portrayed in such a contrived way that I simply couldn't stomach so I stopped listening.

I did enjoy the description of Perdu's journey South to Provence and I would praise the writer for some lovely words decribing french food, landscapes and the local community.

What will your next listen be?

No idea. Desperate for something with a good plot.

What three words best describe Ray Sawyer’s performance?

Well suited to the main character.

If this book were a film would you go see it?

Nope.

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5 people found this helpful

Extraordinary!

If you could sum up The Little Paris Bookshop in three words, what would they be?

Potentially life changing

Who was your favorite character and why?

Perdu because he really is an interesting chap. I loved the way his character and his feelings evolved.

Have you listened to any of Ray Sawyer’s other performances? How does this one compare?

No

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed, I cried, I gasped, I thought deeply, I cried again. There are so many emotions in the book and it stirred many emotions in me as I listened.

Any additional comments?

At first I thought the book was slow, the voice tedious and almost decided to stop listening. I'm so glad I didn't switch it off. I soon became entranced by the calm progress of the story, the gentle voice of the narrator as Perdu, the soul searching, the book psychology and all of the characters.
At a time when I needed some solace this thought provoking book transported me to France, the wisdom and the emotions touched me. A most extraordinary book........give it a chance and you will find something in it that will touch you too.

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Brilliant!

I needed this book at this time in my life. As you'll see running through the story, some books just speak to you and a someone who read the book I'm feeling in that moment, this is just an amazing book.

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Who can't love Paris, a bookstore, and canal barge

What made the experience of listening to The Little Paris Bookshop the most enjoyable?

The descriptions of the characters and the scenery being travelled on the barge

What did you like best about this story?

It's just a gentle, relaxing story that allows your imagination to wander through beautiful scenery.

What about Ray Sawyer’s performance did you like?

I really loved Ray's performance and can't associate with the review who described it as monotonous - he created beautiful, sensitive characters and brought the scenery very much alive.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I enjoyed it very much and got involved with each of the characters - but unfortunately, Manon grated with me as my view is she was a selfish, self-centred person and so I struggled embracing the emotions the author wanted her readers to do.

Any additional comments?

I'm reviewing this to balance some of the other reviews I read before purchasing. Firstly, I found the narration to be excellent - bringing character to each of the individuals in the book, bringing to life all the beautiful scenery and not in any way monotonous. I also didn't find anything predictable about the story (in fact, the old cliche twist that I was dreading didn't happen and I was very glad about that). The comments about this being written by a woman with men appearing as a woman would idealise them to be, I also couldn't associate with - firstly, it should be remembered these are Frenchmen not Englishmen! :o) I think anyone who would enjoy hearing about a small Parisian community, a narrow boat book store moored on the Seine and a group of people who then travel through the French canals and river systems would enjoy this book. I wished I'd travelled more in France to be able to picture their journey - I could certainly picture exactly where I would moor the barge on the Seine in Paris! It also left m feeling I would love to travel France's canals. So why only four stars? Just because Manon - one of the main characters - grated with me. I have thought about was that due to poor characterisation and I don't feel it is - she is probably more human than other characters in other books where romance is involved. But it grated someone so selfish and manipulative in my opinion, became this venerated character. Maybe, therefore, why it should be five stars ...because the character is flawed and human, and therefore the story very well written ;o)

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5 people found this helpful