Paris (novel)

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Paris
Paris (novel).jpg
First edition (US)
Author Edward Rutherfurd
CountryUSA
LanguageEnglish
Genre Historical novel
Publisher Hodder & Stoughton (UK)
Doubleday (US)
Publication date
23 April 2013
Media typePrint (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages832 pp (first edition, hardback)
ISBN 978-0-7126-5419-7 (First Edition, hardcover)

Paris is a historical novel by Edward Rutherfurd published in 2013, which charts the history of Paris from 1261 to 1968.

Contents

The novel follows six core families [1] set in locales such as Montmartre, Notre Dame and Boulevard Saint-Germain. [2] It includes a map of old Paris. [3] Later titled Paris: A Novel. [4]

Plot

The novel follows six families: the Le Sourds (a revolutionary family), the de Cygnes (a noble family), the Renards (a bourgeois family of merchants), the Blanchards (a family of Napoleon supporters), the Gascons (a family from the slums) and the Jacobs (an art dealing Jewish family). The book follows two timelines throughout, containing a large number of characters and is based on real events. [2]

Reception

"This saga is filled with historical detail and a huge cast of characters, fictional and real, spanning generations and centuries. But Paris, with its art, architecture, culture and couture, is the undisputed main character." - Fort Worth Star-Telegram [4]

"Both Paris, the venerable City of Light, and Rutherfurd, the undisputed master of the multigenerational historical saga, shine in this sumptuous urban epic." — Booklist [4]

A columnist for The Telegraph , however, gave it a rather scathing review calling the novel "swollen", "encyclopedic", and saying further that "character and plot are blithely sacrificed on the altar of trivia with every turn of the page." [5]

Publication details

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References

  1. Rutherfurd, Edward. "Paris Family Tree" (PDF). EdwardRutherfurd.com. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  2. 1 2 Rutherfurd, Edward. "Edward Rutherfurd Paris". EdwardRutherfurd.com. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  3. Rutherfurd, Edward. "Old Paris" (PDF). EdwardRutherfurd.com. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Paris: The Novel Product Information". Amazon.com. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  5. 1 2 Martin, Tim (19 July 2013). "Paris by Edward Rutherfurd, review". The Telegraph. Retrieved 20 December 2015.