Stevie‘s review of The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher
Historical Biographical Fiction published by Berkley 11 Jan 22
I was never set anything by James Joyce in English Literature, which is a mixed blessing as I’ve not been forced to overanalyse the works or the author. On the other hand, I don’t feel that I know enough about him either. Having said that, I came to this book more out of a love for its author’s previous works and an interest in the lives of young, educated, industrious women in the inter-war years than with any curiosity about the male authors of the era. American Sylvia Beach has longed to return to the Paris of her teenage years and gets the opportunity to visit the city again while carrying out voluntary work during the Great War. Once there, she quickly befriends Adrienne Monnier and Suzanne Bonnierre, bookshop owners and lovers, who introduce Sylvia to the flourishing lesbian scene in which they play a notable part.
Sylvia dreams of opening a bookshop of her own once the War has ended, but increasing censorship in her home country, coupled with high rents in each of the cities where she had planned to settle, lead her to change her plans and seek out a Parisian location where she can sell books by American and British authors to the growing ex-pat community, as well as to inquisitive French readers. Her resolve is strengthened by the pleas of a grieving Adrienne, and soon the two women have established a sister bookshop to Adrienne’s on a nearby street. Resident and visiting authors flock to the new store, and Sylvia finds herself at the centre of a growing social and literary scene populated by established as well as up and coming writers.
Already a fan of James Joyce, Sylvia takes it upon herself to ensure that his latest work, Ulysses, reaches as wide an audience as popular, in spite of the censors. Not all of her clientele are supportive, and Joyce himself is difficult to work with, but Sylvia perseveres, even when rival publishers try to take on the task, with more resources and a commensurately increased chance of success against the US authorities. Sylvia’s dedication to her store and to Joyce’s book damages some of her most important friendships, while visits from her increasingly erratic mother, show her the flaws in her family’s relationships. Eventually she learns which of her friendships and relationships really matter to her and she is able to be at peace with herself in the rapidly changing Europe of the 1930s.
I really enjoyed this book, although few of the famous authors who made an appearance were portrayed in a flattering light. It was good to see a side of Paris that I had previously read little about, and the author’s prose and attention to detail was just as nuanced as in her previous books.
Grade: A
Summary:
When bookish young American Sylvia Beach opens Shakespeare and Company on a quiet street in Paris in 1919, she has no idea that she and her new bookstore will change the course of literature itself.
Shakespeare and Company is more than a bookstore and lending library: Many of the prominent writers of the Lost Generation, like Ernest Hemingway, consider it a second home. It’s where some of the most important literary friendships of the twentieth century are forged—none more so than the one between Irish writer James Joyce and Sylvia herself. When Joyce’s controversial novel Ulysses is banned, Beach takes a massive risk and publishes it under the auspices of Shakespeare and Company.
But the success and notoriety of publishing the most infamous and influential book of the century comes with steep costs. The future of her beloved store itself is threatened when Ulysses’ success brings other publishers to woo Joyce away. Her most cherished relationships are put to the test as Paris is plunged deeper into the Depression and many expatriate friends return to America. As she faces painful personal and financial crises, Sylvia—a woman who has made it her mission to honor the life-changing impact of books—must decide what Shakespeare and Company truly means to her.
Read an excerpt.
