This novel felt like strolling through Paris in the best way. Stella has always liked her life to be very structured so it is out of character that when her mother passes away and leaves her tickets to Paris, she actually goes. What ensues is a story about a woman discovering what she enjoys in life, and what is really important. I absolutely loved the descriptions of Stella running around Paris researching food and fashion in the 1980s. The bookstore Shakespeare & Company also makes an appearance. This being written by Reichl, the food descriptions were wonderful.

I just loved spending time with these characters, in this setting. If you liked My Life in Paris by Julia Child or the movie Midnight in Paris, I think you will enjoy this story.

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 288 / Genre: Fiction

Stella had always had a very complicated and contentious relationship with her mother. When she dies suddenly, she leaves Stella $8,000, a plane ticket, and a note that simply says, “Go to Paris.” Stella’s upbringing and a very traumatic childhood experience with one of her mother’s lovers, left her extremely guarded and alone. So when her boss makes her take time off to grieve, she reluctantly abides her mother’s last wishes and goes to Paris. And that’s where her life truly begins.

I love stories about Paris. And I loved reading about Stella learning to finally inhale life through everything Paris has to offer like its food, art, fashion, culture, and all the interesting characters she lets into her life along the way. This story also had some mystery to it as she hunts down the identity of a woman in a painting and even her own father, who her mother told her absolutely nothing about.

Thank you, @netgalley, @atrandombooks, and @ruth.reichl for my gifted copy. I loved it!

This is very tropey in that Eiffel Tower poster on your dorm room wall kind of way, but it was better than I expected from an entertainment standpoint, and I liked it better than the overly saccharine Delicious, Reichl’s first novel.

I have always adored Reichl as a food critic and have been now twice-surprised by the slightly schlocky quality of her fiction. That said, where Delicious felt sappy and somewhat cringey, this is cute and fun, and perhaps a good reminder that sometimes a book can be read purely for pleasure and for immersing oneself in the story rather than for the sake of learning something.

Reichl’s Paris is very much a tourist’s Paris (an Emily in Paris’ Paris, perhaps), but I don’t think that’s all bad. The foodie aspects of this are, unsurprisingly, very well-rendered, and though the Olympia “mystery” and the Shakespeare and Company stuff feels a bit obvious and surface-skimming, it’s also satisfying and charming and makes for a lovely—if predictable—feel good read.

I love Reichl's memoirs and enjoyed her fiction debut. This novel had many similarities to her debut, but ultimately, it wasn't for me. I'm not a huge Francophile, and I think someone interested in French food, culture, and history might enjoy this one more. After finishing and reading the author's note, it sounds like Reichl wrote this book in honor of her editor, who gave her the idea but passed away before the book came into being. So, I got the impression that it is a novel she stuck with in memory of this person.

The plot moved too conveniently, and I was distracted by the addition of actual historical figures to the fictional tale. It was a quick read (I listened on audio over the course of a day!) but ultimately didn't live up to my expectations, sadly!

The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl
3.5 stars

The Paris Novel is the second work of fiction by Ruth Reichl, acclaimed food writer and James Beard award winner.

When Stella’s estranged mother dies leaving her a one-way plane ticket to Paris, she has no real plans to use it until her boss insists she takes the time off and go.

The opposite of her glamorous mother, Stella likes routine and a quiet life where she knows exactly what to expect and can’t be hurt by anyone the way her mother hurt her. Even when she finally takes the trip to Paris, she falls into familiar habits – living quietly and cautiously. When she happens upon a second-hand store she tries on a dress that the shopkeeper insists is for her and she does something completely unexpected – she buys the dress, which changes her life.

As weeks and then months go by, Stella gets her first real taste of life, along with a mélange of decadent meals. She meets and befriends a cast of characters, uncovers a hundred-year-old mystery in a Manet painting, and lives as a “tumbleweed” for a time at the famed bookstore Shakespeare & Company.

This book is a testament to opening yourself up, taking chances, and finding your true calling. I loved the way it whisked me away to 1980s Paris, and the descriptions of food made my mouth water!

I love Ruth Reichl’s food memoirs and enjoyed this fiction novel, as well. Thank you to @NetGalley and @randomhouse for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This review will be posted on GoodReads, amazon.com and on my Instagram account @nicki_rachlin

A PARIS NOVEL by Ruth Reichl
Published: April 30,2024 by Random House
Page Count: 288



Part fairy tale …and an enchanting journey of personal actualization in 1980 France. This is a delightful feast for the eyes, nose and ears as two mysteries will be investigated and somehow magically be intertwined. The origin and deeper meaning behind the magnificent painting of “Olympia” and it’s model Victorine-Louise Meurent (not its painter Manet) …. her accomplishments at a time when women had no rights, and search for her “lost paintings.” Food will achieve almost mythical stature, in its description , enjoyment and presentation. All your senses will be necessary to explore the interlinked nature of food, culture, and the arts. This is not a book just for women, but for all who can open their minds and enjoy the wonder of self discovery. This will transcend the genre of mystery.
Stella St. Vincent is essentially estranged from her beautiful mother, Cecilia (nee Constanza Vicente of Brooklyn ), who at age fifteen left home and forged a life of privilege based upon her wiliness, and skills of self invention. Upon graduation from Vassar, Stella has settled into a life of routine blandness. She has become a copy editor for the small Vanguard Press, Most of time you will find her at home reading, and on the weekends exploring the halls of the Metropolitan Museum. It has been six months since she last saw her mother, when she receives a phone call telling her of her mother’s death after being struck by a taxi. She is contacted by a lawyer ( and probably a former lover of her mother) and informed she has a small inheritance and a message from her mother. He presents a single sheet of paper, that says: “Go To Paris.” Apparently she will be given a ticket to Paris along with her inheritance.
She arrives in Paris in the 1980s with little in the way of initiative or drive or worldly experience. Her plan is to visit all the sights in her guidebook and continue her frugal life in obscurity without confrontation. However, in one of her overly scheduled walks, she stumbles across a strange little dress shop, enticed by an enchanting black dress in the window. As the shopkeeper helps her into the dress, she seems to transform into another person. Looking into the mirror; the slim, boyish Stella was gone … in her place stood an exotic creature .. she now looked sensual with mysterious eyes, rather than the drab mundane Stella. A deal was struck … she would buy the $4000 dollar dress and follow the shopkeeper’s detailed plan of activity for the day and night … where to go, to eat and what to see … If she wasn’t satisfied she could return the dress in the morning for a complete refund. As a result she embarked on a magical journey fit for a Cinderella. She would make the acquaintance of the octogenarian art collector Jules Delatour… charming and delightful who appears to know a bevy of renown people (most are denizens of real life), at her scheduled first stop at the famous restaurant, Les Deux Magots. He will essentially be her tour guide for the rest of her enchanting journey.
He will introduce her to the literary, culinary and art world of 1980s Paris. She will discover that she possesses a remarkable gift .. the imagination and ability to appreciate food and art. He will provide her introduction to the painting and mystery behind Manet’s painting of “Olympia” and the model, Victorine-Louise Meurent. Suddenly Stella has a purpose: to find out about Victorine and her lost paintings.
Ruth Reicht proves to be a masterful storyteller as she weaves together Stella’s intriguing and convoluted path to self actualization. Along the way, the reader is treated to the delights of Paris… not only its historical and tourist sights, but more its interwoven immersion in the literary, art and culinary worlds. This vivid portrayal of Paris is a testament that the city is capable of savoring the present, while appreciating its past. This charming tale is populated by real life culinary figures (like Richard Oldney and Alain Passard), restaurants and litterary figures like John Ashbery, James Baldwin and even Allen Ginsberg. We will visit the famous bookstore, Shakespeare and Company, and encounter the renown bookseller, George Whitman, and discover what it was like to become involved in its storied past.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House who provided an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review. This gem will be enjoyed by not only foodies, but more so by those who love all things about Paris. A joy to all who have visited that great city in the past, or plan a journey in the future.
T

THE PARIS NOVEL by Ruth Reichl is an April 2024 Hall of Fame Title for Library Reads. Reichl has written a cookbook, another novel, and several memoirs (Garlic and Sapphires is a personal favorite). In her latest, she builds once again on her own love of food and experience as a restaurant critic to describe several delightful meals. All were prepared and presented in Paris or nearby, and many are attributed to real life chefs "who changed the shape of dining in France," including Antoine Magnin, Marc Meneau, Jean Troisgros, and Alain Passard. Reichl's main character is a "lost soul" named Stella, a thirty-three-year-old woman who suffered abuse as a child and has yet to find confidence in herself. Travelling to Paris after her neglectful mother’s death, Stella gradually develops a sense of purpose and begins to flourish. Even as an adult, Stella is incredibly naïve, fearful, and introverted, so it is not always easy to accept the decisions she makes, but her life is transformed through food, art, and books. Finding community and support allows her to feel safe and to open up to possibilities. A hopeful tale from a talented writer.

Library Reads selections for April: https://libraryreads.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/April24.pdf

Loved this novel by the incredible Ruth Reichl. This book has that magical element that only few authors can do well. It starts with a dress and ends with a rich story about food and Paris. Mother and daughter relationships are explored as is self-discovery.

When Stella’s estranged mother dies, she leaves an odd inheritance - money that can only be used for a trip to Paris. Once there Stella happens upon a vintage store and a haute couture dress that seems made for her, the owner lets her borrow the dress for one night on the condition that she follows an itinerary beginning at a specific restaurant to have oysters. When she sits down she is seated next to Jules, an older man who has recently lost his wife and takes her on a Parisian adventure that changes the course of her life including the search for a female artist that history forgot and the father that Stella never met.

The novel is written by food writer and critic Ruth Reichl, so baseline, the food descriptions in the novel are stunning. I loved how she intertwined the history of Paris and Shakespeare & Company (my daughter and I passed it everyday when we were there last month and had about it) into the story. Beyond that, the novel itself was just so much fun to read and I loved the characters. This book was perfect for me because it had many elements that I adore - food, Paris, and fashion but it also just a great story. Paris is a city that I know very well as I have been many times so I enjoyed exploring the familiar and learning new facts with Stella.

I actually saw Ruth Reichl interview Joan Nathan a few weeks ago in NYC about Nathan’s new cookbook so I was even more excited to read this one and it did not disappoint.

4.25 stars


Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC to review

I love a food novel at least a little bit automatically. This was absolutely decadent; the food descriptions, the fashion, and seeing Paris in the 80's through Stella's eyes. I did have a difficult time reading through some of the graphic child abuse scenes that felt unnecessary to the plot as a whole. The slightly graphic nature did give me a lot of hesitance in continuing. I did enjoy the book at the end of it.

This is the authors second novel, I Have also read her first one. And I have read all but one of her memoirs. I love her books.
This novel was very fun to read.
Stella has never felt close to her mother, and she never knew who her father was. The story takes place mainly in Paris. When Stella's estranged mother dies, she leaves Stella an airline ticket to Paris, and a note saying “go to Paris”
Stella stuck from a childhood trauma had always kept herself to strict routines, to make herself feel safe, and flying to France seemed way out of her comfort zone, Stella's Boss encouraged her to take a well deserved time off, she decides to take her up on it and flew to Paris where a group of soon to be friends change her life completely.
This story takes you to the world of food, fashion, books , art ,and of course a cast of wonderful characters.
What a fun read which I didn't want to end.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-RandomHouse for a copy of this book.

Honestly, the 2 star rating is only because the second half was much, much better than the first. The first half of the book alternated between upsetting (see other reviews regarding the graphic nature of what's in the story) and incredibly boring, but once the story focuses more on food, Reichl is in her element and the story improves. I love Reichl's food writing but her fiction has been a miss.

This book is not at all what I was hoping for. It's was a first for me by this author and I'm so disappointed.

Parts of it was very good. The parts about the trip to Paris and the foods. The people Stella met. The fact that she finally met and liked her father. The descriptions were great. But the story itself drove me nuts. Stella was, in my opinion, very childish about things. There is caution then there is just stupid. She spends the day with an older man then freaks out that he may be nefarious with things. She describes him as much older too. I understand as she was molested as a young child and that plays a part. Kind of. It didn't bother her when she spent the whole day with him though and later when she meets men. Not that she is loose in any way. She's a very uptight woman. She had an awful mother. Though said mother didn't abuse her. But she was cold and still dated the molester. I didn't like her at all.

The dress sounds beautiful and I guess that is what made Stella feel so different. Like she was truly beautiful instead of plain. Though she did apply some makeup and if memory serves me she fixed her hair a bit. That helps. I just didn't like her. I didn't like any of the characters.

The Shakespearean Bookstore sounds great. Thought you won't fine many that let you just take up residence there. Sleep there. I understand that this bookstore was real and that the owner did allow people to read free and sleep in it.

I can sum this one up as a DNF and didn't enjoy what I did finish. I read enough to write a review and to say that this book was just not for me. I understand that most loved it. I didn't.

I think it was well written and the author put her heart and soul into it. That makes it worthy of the stars I gave it. The Author's Note is worth reading. Please do that. I'm so sorry for this author's loss. That was sad. I feel awful that I didn't like this book but it happens.

Thank you #NetGalley, #RuthReichl, #RandomHousePublishing, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

3/5 stars for me.

Rating 4.5⭐🩶                                                 *netgalley arc*

Before I even say anything else I would encourage you to check trigger warnings as there's a scene that could be very triggering within the first few chapters. It is this scene that has me hesitating to rate this book 5 ⭐. Though I do see the points the author was trying to make, they fall flat compared to the gravity of the scene. To my point, by the time I made it to the end of the book, it had slipped my mind. It is upon reflection of the book that I remembered that that had even happened. I believe that the same points could have been made with other less triggering but still impactful choices.

With that said, I'm obsessed with the book. This book is like a form of a love letter to Paris. A love letter to lovers of art, books, food, culture, adventure. I generally don't pick up historical fiction but I'm also a reads every thing type of reader so I guess they cancelled out hahah. I can already see the literary girlies being obsessed with this one!

The Paris Novel is a beautiful adult coming of age story about finding yourself in places you least expected. From early 1900s high society New York to the late 1900s Paris art scene and everything past and in between, Ruth takes you on a Parisian adventure and on a larger scale, a historical adventure. Her writing is so tangible. Even if you've never been to France, it feels familiar. I would imagine it would be a very nostalgic experience for people who've been. If you love books, arts, food, culture really this one's for you. I'm obsessed with the fact that the mc is an exceptional copy editor and that this books' copy editor absolutely slayed.

*Spoiler Corner*
Loved: Various famous authors, chefs and artists made cameos. I wanna be a tumbleweed so bad 😭 I want to meet James Baldwin and live in a bookstore with fellow creatives and cook with famous chefs ahhhh😭
I loved that the author anticipated when I was starting to have doubts/questions and met me right there
Did not love: Although one of the characters intrigued me they also annoyed me. I generally do not like pushy characters who don't respect boundaries but that may very well be just a me thing
Misc: Stella's reunion with her father made me so mad that Celia had taken that from both of them😭

I already miss them 😭. I think I've found another one of my favourite books. I Will definitely be checking out more of Ruth Reichl's work

I’ve loved every one of Ruth Reichl’s memoirs so was absolutely delighted when I saw she had written a work of fiction. It’s a fantasy about food (how could it not be?!??), friendships, family, a famous bookstore, so recipes, and mid-century art in Paris, but of course. It’s a quick read. I read it while on vacation in a glass house overlooking Puget Sound. Two thumbs up!!

I loved this story. It started a bit slow, but once the protagonist found her rhythm, the story did too. It moved at a slow and smooth pace that was very easy to read. It was well-written and felt very true to life. I was a little surprised to learn there are many real life details here. I don’t know much about Paris and I’ve only visited once but this makes me want to go back. This book is filled with beautiful descriptions but they don’t overwhelm the plot.

I’d never read the author before and it feels like I found a hidden gem in a garage sale. I might have to pick up her other books now!

Mostly, the story takes place just about 50 years ago in the early 1980’s. The way it’s written, it feels like a golden age. A place before social media, the internet, but also modern feminism.

We follow Stella who is drab. Her mother was flighty, colourful and ostentatious. Stella modelled herself on the complete opposite. When her mother dies, she leaves her a little money, but requires her to go to Paris and spend it. Stella seems to understand the inclination and although a touch resentful, she does go. Her whole world changes in Paris and this makes up the bulk of the novel.

My only criticism is that Stella is a bit of a Mary Sue. Everything falls into place for her as if by magic and it isn’t the most realistic portrayal. It didn’t bother me too much, but it may bother other readers. If you’re looking for the next “Great American Novel”, this is not it, but it was fun to read. Mary Sue’s are often described as a bit of wish fulfillment for their author’s. I’ve no idea if that’s the case here, but it was nice for me.

In the end, it’s a happy novel and it brought me much joy to read it. I tried to savour it but it was too delectable to put down. Reading the afterword and acknowledgements heightened that experience.

This is what I always think of when I think of a beach read. Not something fluffy and forgettable, but something a little more weighty. A story that enriches your experience, brings you pleasure and peace and feels like finding an old friend.

I highly recommend this book and hope everyone who picks it up will derive the same delight I did.

Ruth Reichl has conjured a novel -- rich in texture, color, flavor -- in the same manner that the novel's Chef Django improvises a meal. Some of the dialog feels a little overstuffed, but who doesn't love a novel of self-discovery, stuffed with all the most Parisian of Parisian images, characters, tropes? If you've read any of Reichl's extraordinary foodoirs, you'll recognize and appreciate this fictional story that incorporates so many Reichlisms. A novel about Paris, art, books, wine, food and food? Yes, Chef. Oui, bien sur.

[Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy and share my opinion of this book.]

I've been a fan of Ruth Reichl since she was writing memoir pieces including about her time as a restaurant critic. She had published her first novel Delicious! in 2014 and most recently before this work, Save Me the Plums, a memoir about her time as editor of Gourmet. No one can bring to life the delicious smells and flavors of dishes the way Reichl can.

The Paris Novel is broken into three distinctive sections that feel as if they could of each satisfyingly be separated into their own individual pieces, but together form the evolution of Stella, a damaged young woman into a happier life by following in the footsteps of two Parisian women before her. The novel is set in the 1980's. The first section deals with Stella's discovery of a beautiful couture dress in a shop that once belonged to women named Severine; a chance encounter with someone from Severine's life leads Stella to many new friends and experiences in the city of light. In the second section Stella looks into the mystery of Victorine the famous muse for artworks like Manet's Olympia whose own paintings were lost for years and only recently have works like her self-portrait been again displayed. Through these other courageous women, Stella finally explores her own history in third section of the book and through this exploration finds a love of cooking and what could just be the love of her life.

Ruth Reichl is one of my favorite authors. The Paris Novel was my first exploration of her fiction and it did not disappoint. This felt like it was partially written for me with lush food writing, the Parisian setting and an underlying mystery about art. There's high fashion, family dynamics, and coming of age.

This novel follows Stella and prim and proper copy editor who does nothing exciting for herself. When her mother dies, Stella is left with a plane ticket to Paris and the remainder of her mother's savings. There Stella has a chance encounter with a dress that fits her perfectly and she decides to wear it, and be Parisian for a day. This leads her to discover a story of a female artist who was forgotten by men, and launches her into a community of found family, and an adventure to find this female artist's work. Through this found family, she experiences so much French cuisine, which really shows Reichl's talent for describing and writing about food.

This was just a fun novel that I needed at the time and was Ruth Reichl at its' core. I loved it.

I could have used a content warning at the beginning, so please be aware that there is SA and that it is a hard scene to read.

The descriptions in this book are perfect. From describing the different parts of Paris, the bookshop, the fashion and the food - I could easily imagine every single part. The characters were kind of bland to me - the personality of Stella, the main character, was annoying in my opinion. The story line also dragged on for me a bit. I almost wished there was more drama and less description at times. Reichl has an unbelievable talent for transporting a reader to another place, time and meal - and I loved being taken to Paris in the 80's, I just wished I felt more invested in the characters and storyline. 
Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.