The story of Sylvia Beach and her iconic Paris bookstore, Shakespeare and Company. It was interesting to read about the cast of authors and artists who populated Paris during the early 1900s and their connections to each other. This was completely new to me.

The Paris Bookseller is a historical novel set at the Paris bookshop Shakespeare and Company in 1919. Sylvia Beach, the proprietor of the bookshop, is unhappy that James Joyce's novel Ulysses is banned ... so she decides to publish it herself.

I wanted to read this novel because I love books set in Paris, books set in bookstores, and knew just enough about Sylvia Beach to want to read more of her story. This book exceeded my expectations! It is such a fascinating glimpse of a different time and place, and it tells a compelling story. Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction!

Are you into historical fiction? Are you into historical fiction about a real life woman who started a bookstore/lending library in Paris and hobnobbed with writers she helped make infamous? That’s the premise of The Paris Bookseller.

Unfortunately, I could not get into the story after 30%, so I couldn’t finish, but I found myself researching all about Sylvia Beach and her bookstore. That took me down a rabbit hole. For this reason, I wanted to still share this with everyone.

Books, bookstores, fellow book lovers, writers, this book is a veritable feast for anyone who loves to read. It’s fabulous historical fiction that made me feel as if I had just opened up a time capsule of the fascinating times of 1920’s Paris ! Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, James Joyce whose book [book:Ulysses|338798] is a big part of this story, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and others .

Add to that a pretty accurate account of an amazing American woman’s life. Sylvia Beach finds a place for herself that wasn’t possible in 1920’s America. It’s about these writers, James Joyce in particular, as Sylvia Beach brilliantly and courageously takes on the challenges of publishing [book:Ulysses|338798] when the obstacles in America were impossible at first to overcome. There are many layers here, but center of the story is the remarkable Sylvia Beach.

Coincidentally, I finished reading this on February 2nd, 100 years after Sylvia Beach’s publication of Ulysses in Paris on February 2, 1922!

I received a copy of this book from Berkley through NetGalley.

An historical novel of the founder of Shakespeare & Company, an English bookstore in Paris France. Sylvia Beach is an American living between the wars in Paris and she went after what she desired: running a bookshop, having a relationship with a woman, and having writers as friends. A Lost Generation of American writers in Paris, though seems like a golden era now, circled around this bookstore, with it’s lending library a big part of the bookstore besides selling books.

The bulk of this novel centers on publishing Ulysses the novel by James Joyce, banned in America before it was even finished. Despite the massive difficulties in publishing the book, Sylvia felt it was an important piece of literature that must be published. Later the novel became a way to support the bookshop, and it did give it fame. Sylvia’s friendship with Joyce is also a main aspect of the book, along with her relationship with fellow bookstore owner Adrienne Monnier.

The one thing that somewhat irked me was Sylvia’s smoking. It did harm her health to some degree, but the frequency it was mentioned in the book seemed to signal graver health concerns due to the smoking. It’s not, but it makes me wonder why such significance of smoking was put into the book.

The extensive author’s note at the end helps to identify all that was fictional, with the attempt at more fact than fiction. Of course specific conversations are fiction, and there are other bits, but the main gist of the story are true events.

This story is a love letter for Shakespeare and Company, Paris's most famous bookstore, it owner Sylvia Beach, James Joyces and bookovers everywhere.

I really been trying to branch out more, and I thank @berkleypub for putting this one on my radar!

Synopsis: A dramatic story of how a humble bookseller fought against incredible odds to bring one of the most important books of the 20th century to the world.

Review: A beautiful story! I felt like I knew the characters and was transported back into Paris the 1920s. It was also interesting to find out that although this story is fiction it is based on a true story. Also how cute is this cover? Love the little dog on the cover.

Recommended for lovers of historical fiction!

I have a problem with requesting a book that sounds interesting, but then by the time I start reading it, have completely forgotten what it's about. That was my beginning of The Paris Bookseller. I was into it a ways before I had to google that Sylvia Beach was a real person with a real book store in Paris in 1919 and that she really did publish James Joyce's Ulysses. The story took on so much more importance to me to know that she was a real woman who forged her own way in the post-war Paris.

Kerri Maher does a great job of taking us into the personal and professional life of Sylvia Beach. She not only started an English speaking book store in Paris but became the place to be for English-speaking writers. Her trials and tribulations in being the first to publish Ulysses were many, not only dealing with James Joyce and his many changes but the fact that it was banned in the United States after chapters were published in a magazine. She felt it very important that the book be published and overcame many obstacles.

The cast of characters include many young writers of the early 20th century. I found the friendships and rivalries of these writers very entertaining. I know it's all fictionalized, but it was so easy to feel a part of what they were trying to attain during those years. I crept into the story and felt very comfortable!

I highly recommend this book and thank NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for this honest review.

The Paris Bookseller, written by one of my favorite authors Kerri Maher, is about an American woman, who opens an English bookshop in Paris, and has a dog named Teddy.

I am an American woman, who wants to open a bookshop, loves Paris, and has a dog named Teddy. So this book is basically about me, right? 🤣

In reality, this historical fiction is about Sylvia Beach, who actually did these things in 1919. It turns famous authors like James Joyce and Ernest Hemingway into relatable characters. It takes you through Sylvia’s journey of opening and running a book store, publishing a novel, and falling in love with another woman.

I loved this story!

The only reasons I didn't give it five stars are that the writing felt a little amateurish, and I didn't love that the story centered SO MUCH around James Joyce.

I've seen several stellar reviews of this book & it's appeared on several "best of" lists, but I did not finish it. Despite the appealing setting and plot (a bookstore in Paris!!), I found the story tedious and (frankly) a bit repetitive and boring. It is based on a true story, and I can certainly see the appeal for some readers, but it just didn't grab me.

There’s no shortage of content (fictional and nonfiction) on the lives of Sylvia Beach and James Joyce, nor on the banning of Ulysses. Yet this book provides a thoroughly enjoyable and fresh perspective on the intertwining of the three.

Like all good historical fiction, Maher’s novel uses fictional elements only enhance, create atmosphere, and improve narrative structure and doesn’t interfere with the facts on which the narrative is based.

This is a good starter book if you’re new to the world of the early 20th century Paris artists and writers community, and a lovely, evocative read even if you’re not.

I consider Beach something of a personal hero, and greatly enjoyed this imaginative yet loyal to the truth deep dive into not just the publication of Ulysses by Shakespeare and Company, but into the relationship between author and publisher.

When I visited Paris, I made it a point to visit this historic bookstore, Shakespeare and Co. I absolutely loved it and enjoyed my few moments in that cozy bookshop. Reading a story about the bookstore and all the literary movers and shakers was amazing as well as how the main character Sylvia Beach became involved in the publishing of James Joyce's Ulysses as a banned book. Moreover, the relationship between Sylvia and Adrienne was well portrayed especially the time of the 1920's when gay and lesbian relationships were not as accepted. Overall, I thought the writing was immersive, lots of details and great research that went into the book that I appreciated. Overall, a great story line, entertaining, and a wish come true for all of us who would rather spend our days in Paris running a bookstore that is visited by literary luminaries. A really incredible read I enjoyed.

I love historical fiction steeped in history, so how could I resist, The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher. The author shares a peek into the life of American Sylvia Beach, who opened a bookstore/lending library called Shakespeare and Company on a quiet street in Paris. Famous authors, lovers and one woman’s efforts to see a banned book published. Grab a cuppa and see why book lovers need to add this to their bookshelf..

I love reading about the 1920s and was delighted to learn more about the famous bookshop in Paris known as Shakespeare and Company and the American Woman behind it all. Sylvia Beach traveled to Paris with her sister and ended up staying. There she opened the first American bookstore and lending library. Oh, to have been a patron with so many brilliant authors visiting. I would have loved to have taken afternoon tea there and chatted with them or attended one of their readings.

Maher does a delightful job of bringing Sylvia, Joyce, Hemingway, Pound, Stein and others to life. The beginning shares her meeting with Parisian bookstore owner Adrienne Monnier, who opens the door for her.

Paris was more liberal than America regarding same-sex couples and we explore Sylvia’s love life, person struggles and the losses alongside her successes and setbacks within the book world.

The story focuses on Sylvia’s attempts to protect Ulysses, which was originally banned in the United States. It gave us a look at her relationship with Joyce and her passion for great works. The story is fairly accurate historically, and any differences were noted in the author’s note. Taking on Ulysses was not an effortless task, and I bulked at what she went through personally and financially. The author did a wonderful job of conveying her struggles and successes. Sylvia Beach was a remarkable woman and influencer in her time.

The author’s interpretation of these historical figures and the timeline she choose to share felt authentic and allowed me to feel as if I was there. Sylvia was passionate, plagued with self-doubt, and loved the written word. She didn’t like to give speeches, but loved gatherings for chats. The story touches on some losses Sylvia endured but not all since it ends on a high note. We get to experience her friendships with authors, the love of her life and her family back in the states. I implore you to read all the author’s note to learn about the rest of her life.

I loved all the historical tidbits and comings and goings of the literary authors mentioned. It was considerably less expensive to live abroad and with prohibition and censorship, America authors flocked to Paris during the 1920s to write. Maher brought them to life from Hemingway’s feelings of inadequacy to Pounds desire to repair things in the bookstore.

I closed the book feeling as if I got to know Sylvia Beach, Adrienne and the authors they supported. The author’s note has me wanted to dive into more works about her and the authors mentioned. I also have a craving to travel to Paris and see the street her shop was on before visiting the new Shakespeare and Company Bookstore, which displays info about her.

Fans of historical fiction, the 1920s and book lovers far and wide will delight in this tale that transports you.

Thank you to BookBrowse.com and NetGalley for a copy of this book. Kerri Maher's detailed novel about Sylvia Beach and her English language bookshop, Shakespeare and Company is a great read. I flew through the second half as I wanted to know what happened next. Sylvia is in Paris in 1919 and opens her store which becomes the center of life for the ex-pat authors who lived in Paris in the interwar period. Looming the largest is Irishman James Joyce who is unable to publish Ulysses as it is banned in the US. Ezra Pound, Gertrude Stein and Ernest Hemingway all loomed large in Sylvia's life and helped keep the bookstore financially afloat. Sylvia's lover, Adrienne Monnier helps her achieve her dreams for her store and her life. Overall, an interesting novel about a little known literary figure.

The Paris Bookseller opened my eyes to a part of history I had no idea about. I loved learning about this bookstore and its utmost importance in literature.

I enjoy historical fiction, and I loved the bookshop angle to this book. This one is based on a true story/person. Sadly, it didn't quite meet my expectations. It was slow going to get into the story, though it did pick up a bit as the book went on. It was an interesting read, but it could've done with a tighter editing to eliminate some of the overdetailing (for instance, on Sylvia's life) that created some lulls. I did enjoy the glimpse into Paris in the 1920s. It's apparent the author did her research.

Paris in the early 20th century, the story behind the opening of Shakespeare and Company, learning how Ulysses came to be published and the woman responsible for bringing both Ulysses and the bookstore to life. Booklovers and history buffs will enjoy this book.

This is a good historical fiction that I enjoyed as a booklover. I found it interesting reading about this bookseller, Sylvia Beach, who's an American that loves and lives in Paris and opens her own bookstore, Shakespeare and Company.
Shakespeare and Company become more than just a bookstore, also a lending library and a place that book lovers come to talk and where writers write. It becomes a place that a lot of famous writers go to like Ernest Hemingway and James Joyce who wrote Ulysses and Sylvia Beach helps Joyce to publish Ulysses. This bookstore is like a second home for people in Paris during the Depression.
This follows Sylvia Beach and her life of wanting to be a writer, buying and opening a bookstore, her ups and downs with her family, and her personal life. It's an enlightening read about Shakespeare and Co and Sylvia Beach and changing the course of literature itself.
If you're a historical fiction lover or a book lover, then make sure to check this one out. I would say a few things for content or trigger warning of depression, marriage infidelity, suicide, and death.
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for letting me read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

The Paris Bookseller is an unexpected treat. For someone who loves books and bookstores this fascinating visit to the historical perspective is deeply appreciated. Kerri Maher brings the reader right into the streets of Paris during the Twenties and Thirties when prominent writers gathered at Shakespeare and Company, Sylvia Beach’s legendary bookstore. Don’t miss the Author’s Note – makes reading more of Ms. Maher’s work worth exploring.

Publication of Ulysses by a Paris Bookseller

Sylvia Beach was enchanted by Paris when she lived there as a child. As an adult her dream was to open an English language bookstore there. Her first taste of a bookshop in Paris came when she browsed in Adrienne Monnier’s bookstore. The attraction between the two was instantaneous and Adrienne became a major part of Sylvia’s life when she opened her own bookstore, Shakespeare and Company, in the1920s.

The book is historical fiction, but it’s well researched and revolves more around the famous authors, Hemingway, Stein, Pound, and others who frequented the shop and became Sylvia’s friends than a romance. The most important figure in Sylvia’s life as a bookseller was James Joyce. Theirs was a strong bond. When Ulysses was banned in the United States, Sylvia decided to publish the book under the auspices of Shakespeare and Company. Although she championed Joyce and published his novel, they eventually broke when he went to a New York publisher. I thought the author did an excellent job describing the sometimes difficult relationship between the two.

Sylvia’s life in the bohemian areas of Paris is fascinating. I particularly enjoyed the glimpse of the soon to be famous writers who frequented the shop. The book is heavy on the historical detail. The author’s final notes on how she chose dates and characters to portray to keep the story moving are well worth reading. If you enjoy English literature, this is a must read.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.