Set during the course of one day in Paris, 1927, with flashbacks to the lives of the 4 main characters, Alex George weaves real people like Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein and Marcel Proust into this story of lives in balance and how we relate to the life we're living when we cannot forget the past. Thought-provoking.

Wow. This was a STUNNINGLY lyrical story of many different individuals' lives all coming together in one, climactic, satisfying conclusion leaving your heart broken (and quickly put back together again). The prose in The Paris Hours stole the show! I am usually not a fan of fluffy writing as I feel it can take away from the plot and character development. This, however, contained narratives that did not feel excessively written or described. The beauty actually created an atmosphere that was dreamy, yet grounded in Parisian culture and language. Loved it!

Welcome to my stop on the virtual blog tour for The Paris Hours by Alex George! This is one book to add to your spring TBR if you enjoy a suspenseful historical. Keep reading to learn more about the book and read an exclusive excerpt from Flatiron Books.

The Paris Hours by Alex George follows four ordinary characters over the course of a single day. A puppeteer, a journalist, a housekeeper, and a painter each tell their stories, and their pasts are slowly revealed as the book progresses. I was most invested in Jean-Paul’s story, but Souren and his puppeteering also intrigued me. There are many different points of view in the book, and the reader is kept in suspense as to how they will all connect. I enjoyed the 1920’s Paris setting and the appearances of figures like Marcel Proust. I also found the writing style to be very refined, and George’s prose is compelling. Those interested in historical fiction with meaning will enjoy this one.

This is a story that takes place in one day in Paris post WWI. It focuses on the lives of four ordinary people. The author uses rich language and exceptional story telling skill to make the characters and the city come alive and seem fascinating.

Camille is a mother who worked for Marcel Proust as a companion and chambermaid.

Guillaume, an artist who is desperate to sell some of his art to pay off a loan.

Soured, an American who performs puppet shows on the street to entertain and make money from donations.

Jean Paul, a newspaper writer sent to interview the famous and lovely Josephine Baker.

You really get to know these four characters as they are revealed a little at a time. There are some famous people from the 1920’s sprinkled into the story but otherwise it does not focus heavily on historical events.

This was an interesting story and as the book comes to an end, how the characters lives come together was exciting. I enjoyed this story and would recommend it to someone who enjoys historical fiction and character study as well as beautiful writing.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel.

Title: The Paris Hours
Author: Alex George
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

One day in the City of Light. One night in search of lost time.

Paris between the wars teems with artists, writers, and musicians, a glittering crucible of genius. But amidst the dazzling creativity of the city’s most famous citizens, four regular people are each searching for something they’ve lost.

Camille was the maid of Marcel Proust, and she has a secret: when she was asked to burn her employer’s notebooks, she saved one for herself. Now she is desperate to find it before her betrayal is revealed. Souren, an Armenian refugee, performs puppet shows for children that are nothing like the fairy tales they expect. Lovesick artist Guillaume is down on his luck and running from a debt he cannot repay—but when Gertrude Stein walks into his studio, he wonders if this is the day everything could change. And Jean-Paul is a journalist who tells other people’s stories, because his own is too painful to tell. When the quartet’s paths finally cross in an unforgettable climax, each discovers if they will find what they are looking for.

Told over the course of a single day in 1927, The Paris Hours takes four ordinary people whose stories, told together, are as extraordinary as the glorious city they inhabit.

This was…slower than I would have liked. It had a dreamy, floaty feel to it for me, and I just couldn’t make myself care about the characters. To be fair, I’m not generally a big fan of literary fiction, so that was probably the main problem.

Excellent writing and the setting was so vivid, as were some of the secondary characters (Proust), but in the end, this just wasn’t a good fit for me.

Alex George was born in England but now lives in America. The Paris Hours is his newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Flatiron Books in exchange for an honest review.)

I really enjoyed reading the vivid descriptions of Paris in this book. I found myself wanting to look up all the places mentioned. This was a lovely character driven novel, and it was a nice surprise to see how their lives finally intersect.

In The Paris Hours, the reader is introduced to a colorful cast of characters all living in Paris in 1927; Souren, an Armenian puppeteer, Camille, the maid of famous writer Marcel Proust, Guillame, who is tailed by some shady people who want money from him to pay of a debt in just three days or else, Jean Paul, a journalist. The thing that the four have in common is that they all are in a search of something they lost. Further on the connection between them is a bit lost too in the book, untill the end where somehow the plot and the characters make a strange connection finally and then it is suddenly the end. For instance, Camille is searching the whole story for a personal notebook written by Proust which she kept under her matrass, untill her husband found it and sold it to a local Parisian bookshop, and now Camille has to search in all the bookshop that buy books in to find the notebook that has a secret in it, only to finally find the notebook in the end, and then it is burned to make sure the secret never comes out. Further on the other characters all have their own little personal story of loss, but not one of them was very interesting. Jean Luc is looking for his lost love, and Souren''s story is more about the war he escaped and the story of what lead him to Paris. All of them never get really that interesting for the reader, and the plot lacks something plot twisting that keeps you hooked till the last page, and all the famous historical characters the author weaved into the story didn't help with that. It just misses something interesting, alltough I liked the author's style of writing and the Paris backdrop that was realistic and very lively though.

But overall this was a book that I expected more from.

This is a good historical fiction. I enjoyed reading this book and I will share it with my friends who love historical fiction.

Review online at link below. This was selected as the inaugural book in Veranda magazine's book club, May 2020!

Pensive, evocative, and atmospheric!

The Paris Hours takes us on a moving journey into the lives of four strangers in Paris for one day during 1927 and introduces us to their thoughts, feelings, motivations, fears, and dreams, and highlights just how small the world truly is and how easily our paths can cross, intertwine, and collide.

The writing is eloquent and expressive. The characters are complex, damaged, and genuine. And the plot is an affecting, absorbing tale about life, loss, love, loneliness, family, friendship, heartbreak, war, grief, hope, guilt, secrets, deception, and survival.

Overall, The Paris Hours is a wonderful blend of historical characters and alluring fiction that sweeps you away to another time and place and does a beautiful job of reminding us that everyone that enters our lives, no matter how brief, can impact, shape, and define it.

The year is 1927 and the location is Paris. The lives of several individuals from differing backgrounds intersect in a fascinating exploration of how our lives impact those of other people and how fate and chance play a part in our lives in unanticipated ways. Life has not always been kind to these characters but Paris remains as a location that can nurture dreams.

Guillaume is a struggling artist. The love of his life was a short affair and he still remembers everything about it. Lack of finances and crushing debt may force him to leave Paris and the artistic life but he still has hopes both to win professional respect and to reunite with his lost love.

John-Paul is a newspaperman. He dreams of different lives, one where he is a novelist who can write whatever he wants instead of the next day's news and of living elsewhere. But his past and the tragedy that shaped it keeps him in Paris and doing the same routines.

Camille is a hotel owner with her husband. But before that she was the housemaid and personal assistant to Marcel Proust. When she discovers that her husband has sold her most prized possession which is a journal Proust asked her to burn, she is horrified and knows she must get it back at whatever cost.

Souren is an Armenian, living in Paris after he immigrated there during an upheaval in his country where he and his entire village are forced out of their daily lives. He spends his days using puppets to tell stories to Parisian children in the park and to work out the tragedies that still haunt his dreams.

Each of these individuals will interact with the others in an eventful day that will bring joy to some and pain to others. Along the way, they will encounter some of the more famous expatriates that call Paris their home in this period; Josephine Baker, Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway and others.

The Paris Hours is a fascinating read and one that provides comfort and hope in these stressed times. The intersection of the characters lives and the glimpses of more famous people keep the reader entrenched in the novel and the resolution of the different inner conflicts and blockages that keep the characters from their dreams is fascinating to watch unfold. The research is extensive and well done and anyone who has visited or read about Paris will recognize scenes and locations. This book is recommended for readers of literary fiction.

Alex George doesn’t write a novel quick enough for me. I loved his two previous novels and The Paris Hours is no different. We are brought 4 different and unique stories during a 24 hour period in Paris. Each of these people has experienced different sides Parisian life but how Mr. George intersects them together is brilliant.

The Paris Hours - Alex George Review

5 / 5 Stars

** Thank you to Netgalley, Flatiron Books, and of course, Alex George for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What would you do with 24 hours? Alex George asks this question in a Parisian, interwar setting. It’s the summer of 1927 and Paris thrives with artists, writers, musicians, and more. It creativity glimmers with promise, with the future unknown to the atrocity which would plague them just 13 years later. Four normal everyday people walk the streets among greats - Camille, a maid, Souren, a refugee from Armenia, Guillaume, a debt bearer with hope for change, and Jean-Paul, a journalist who tells others stories because he cannot tell his own.

Each character’s story is told over one single day in Paris. When they all finally cross paths, the story reaches its unforgettable climax of what one is truly looking for. Although they live the lives of everyday people, their lives tell as extraordinary stories as the city streets they walk.

In order not to spoil the story too much, as I think it is incredible and worth the read I want to share my pros and cons.

This is George’s third novel, and having read his other two, he has proven again he is successful with his words to provide a beautiful landscape of everyday people and their deep struggles. I am a huge fan of the words he uses to create such a scene and story. For example, the first few chapters cover mundane topics and to-dos - but George uses a language that makes them seem fascinating.

Of all the stories, I found myself most drawn to Souren. As someone who studies Genocide studies, I really am glad George’s Souren was from Armenia as the Turkish atrocities are often forgotten about in concerns of Historical Fiction in exchange for other Genocides which are well known (WWII, Holocaust).

Similar to my last comment, I LOVED that this was based in the Interwar Period. Again, a lot of books, especially if they hope to do well among Francophiles or historical fiction fans of The Nightingale focus on the actual outbreak and aftereffects of World War II.

I personally do not have any cons with this book. I consider it to be one of the best historical fiction books I have read in a LONG time. However, I know some might have issues with the speed of which the book is read. You will want to savor this book to the last drop - it cannot be read at 2x the speed. My second thing others might find an issue with is accuracy. As a historian and lover of fiction - I separate the two to a degree. If you cannot do this, you might have an issue with the book. Remember - it is first and foremost a literary journey.

I am incredibly grateful to Netgalley, Alex George, and Flatiron for the opportunity to review The Paris Hours. I look forward to reading more from George in the future.

Four individuals...and 24 hours in Paris: what could be more enticing? With wonderful cameo appearances of familiar characters and captivating portraits of fictional ones, this is a wonderfully rendered and captivating read which is part historical novel, part mystery novel.

I finally realized why I love shorter books so much. It’s not just the fact that you can read them quicker, it’s about how precise authors have to be with their stories - they can't get carried away, every single scene, every single act has to mean something and has to lead the grand finale. Alex George crafted the story of four different characters, showing us their present and telling about the past, in just two hundred and seventy pages. Each story was carefully crafted, each character had different things to offer, and the setting made me fall in love with Paris all over again.

1 - It’s reading books like this that reminds me just how much I love historical fiction and that I should read this genre more often . There is something compelling to read about our past. Even though the characters and their stories are fiction, I wouldn’t be surprised if something similar actually happened, someone similar to our main characters actually lived and went through the difficulties described in the book. For me, that’s the best part of every historical fiction novel.

2 - Reading this book felt like unraveling of different yarns mixed together, tugging on one thread made the other move . In « The Paris Hours », we follow four completely different characters - a maid, an Armenian refugee, an artist, and a journalist, all of them had come from a completely different background, had different dreams and ambitions, but Paris united them all. In a craftily made plot, Alex George brought them together with thin connections and little hints he left here and there.

3 - If you’d ask me what genre this book falls into, I wouldn’t be able to give you one answer . On one hand, it’s historical fiction, on the other hand, it’s also a character study, and a mystery, with a big accent on Paris as the main stage.

In addition to the four main fictional characters, Camille - the maid of Marcel Proust; Souren - an Armenian refugee and a puppeteer; Guillaume - an artist; and Jean-Paul - journalist and a writer, other more well-known personas made their way into the story as well - we also follow closely Marcel Proust through Camille’s eyes, and Ernest Hemingway as his path crosses with Camille and also Jean-Paul. It was very refreshing to see such famous people thrown into the mists of a fictional story, which made it even more believable and exciting to read.

Fun, escapist, and an intriguing inside look into the lives surrounding the glitz and glam of post-war Paris.

A very enjoyable historical tale. Charming descriptions of 1920s Paris, with cameos from real life figures such as Marcel Proust and Josephine Baker. Perfect for the fans of Midnight In Paris.

I really enjoyed this one! The Paris Hours follows 4 different people throughout a day in their lives in Paris. We meet a puppeteer, an artist, a journalist, and an ex-chambermaid. Each of their stories is beautiful and somewhat tragic. Enjoyed how the ending really wrapped things up, but also left the reader wanting more!

Beautifully written and vividly told. Alex George’s debut is dazzling and packed with stunning pros. This is the story of a day in a life of four regular people in post WWI Paris. Camille, Souren, Guillaum, and Jean-Paul are all living seemingly ordinary lives, but they all have a story to tell. Told in short chapters we get to know each of these characters both through their current actions and flashbacks to their past. There was also a sprinkling of well-known historical figures throughout the book, such as Hemingway, Proust, Josephine Baker, and Gertrude Stein. The beauty of this book was in the storytelling it was quite magical.

Each of these characters spoke to me but I found Jean-Paul and Souren’s stories extra compelling. Jean-Paul’s grief was palpable and Souren’s determination was admirable. This was true literary fiction and while the writing was beautiful it was also quite dense. This is not a light easy breezy read, but it is definitely worth your time. This book will appeal to fans of historical fiction, literary fiction, and stellar storytelling.

This book in emojis 📰 📓 🗝 🎨 🎭

*** Big thank you to Flatiron for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

3.5 stars

This ambitious literary novel set in Paris between the wars is complex. It centers upon one day (not counting flashbacks) in the lives of four people whose destinies intersect briefly in a climactic final scene.

The backstories of the four are all interesting, but at times the narrative slowed for me under the weight of too many characters. While a few celebrities of the time, like Josephine Baker and Ernest Hemingway, make an appearance, the novel is not about them.

Each of the four has experienced great sorrow, and it's interesting to see how they have organized their lives to encompass that. The frenetic bleakness of the post war years is captured well.

Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.