This novel is set in Paris in 1870. It is gripping and captivating. The characters are well developed and all have an interesting story. It is very well written

I've always wanted to read Penney's work, having heard about her for years (yikes!).. and I guess I've missed out. She's very, very good.. From the opening, her adept handling of time and place, and of characterisations in this difficult time period in Paris is exemplary. I liked Anne, and Laurence tentative, evolving and true relationship (do I have names right?) that launched us in: From the start. Soon other (too many?) Relationships and people show relatable and familiar development of their interactions, but what I loved are the depiction of the animals and their plight and the Zoo's economic difficulties etc in the midst of appalling human history. Perfect commentary too on present times. The love story that caps it all makes the slightly long-read novel utterly worth it. Admittedly I skipped through at times!!

The Beasts of Paris by Stef Penney

This was my first Stef Penney novel, but it certainly won’t be my last. I was so happy to get an early ARC through NetGalley and thrilled to receive a beautiful proof copy in the post. I must admit I did that thing of being drawn in by the beautiful and eye-catching cover art. I love animals too, so although I’ve come to this later than I should, it was always hovering around and I yearned to read it and see it lived up to the promise of that cover.

This historical novel opens in May 1870 within the city of Paris. This isn’t the city of culture and romance, it’s a city on the verge of revolution and war. The three characters are also in transition: Anne Petitjean has been released from a women’s asylum and is now trying hard to begin her new life; Lawrence Harper has moved to the city from Canada, running away from a strict and puritanical upbringing and hoping to become known for his photography; Ellis Butterfield has lofty American connections and is an aspiring poetry, but as an Army medic he’s just escaped one civil war and may be about to get stuck in another. These very different figures met at the Paris Menagerie and feel a connection to the animals there. Probably due to my mental health background and supporting a lot of people at this halfway stage of recovery. Anne’s experience really touched me, as she tried to come to terms with her experiences in hospital. I thought the benefits she got from spending time with the animals in the menagerie really rang true. Her relationship with the tigress Marguerite was wonderful. I felt sympathy for Lawrence too, trying to come to terms with his homosexuality in a time when it really wasn’t accepted. There were other background characters too, all revolving around animals, but these two seemed to stay on my mind.



Plot and Finale - The author has chosen this transition point because it throws our characters into a tense and dangerous period of unrest. It’s a complicated period as the city is placed under siege by Prussian forces, eventually the French forces surrender. Then radicals within the ordinary Paris citizens stage a revolution, under the banner of the ‘Paris Commune’ they manage to hold the city for several months. The author weaves the tale of these individual people into this historical background with great skill. She manages to represent what the reality of this difficult time was like for the ordinary people of Paris. To some extent a lot of their energy would have been taken up with basic survival, but our three are trying to map out a future too. If you are very sensitive towards animals and our treatment of them, I will say there are some themes you might struggle with. The author has included allusions to the keeper’s struggle to feed the animals during the food shortages, unfortunately some would have to be destroyed and there were people who does their meat on the black market. I appreciated that this is a story of survival for both the animals and people. I usually read books set in the aftermath of war, but this made me think about the beginnings and how the calm and routine of everyday life is suddenly ripped apart. I thought the author told the tale well and while I was reading I was completely immersed in the powerful sense of place she created and found it very hard to drag myself away. It’s a book I’ve continued to think about since too.

I love being given the opportunity to update our school library which is a unique space for both senior students and staff to access high quality literature. This is definitely a must-buy. It kept me absolutely gripped from cover to cover and is exactly the kind of read that just flies off the shelves. It has exactly the right combination of credible characters and a compelling plot thatI just could not put down. This is a great read that I couldn't stop thinking about and it made for a hugely satisfying read. I'm definitely going to order a copy and think it will immediately become a popular addition to our fiction shelves. 10/10 would absolutely recommend.

Set during the Franco-Prussian War in the 1800's, The Beasts of Paris 🐅
follows three individuals, who lives become entwined during the toughest of times. Each has their own demons to face in a city that is falling apart.

This is a story of struggle and survival. Atmospheric, captivating and at times completely harrowing, the aforementioned beasts in this novel, are not the animals kept behind bars of a menagerie, but the humans fighting against one another.

The Beasts of Paris by Stef Penney
Stef Penney is a great writer and I have enjoyed many of her novel . She is able to seamlessly weave fictional storytelling into a historical setting. I knew very little about the events of the Franco Prussian War and the way in which it impacted on the lives of the three main characters was very well envisaged.
The novel is set partly in and around the menagerie, with its collection of rare and exotic animals. Some of those animals are now extinct. Penney makes us see that these animals do not act in a bestial manner but it is often the humans who show no humanity.
The three manin characters are each outsiders; Anne who has been an inmate in a women’s asylum, Ellis an army surgeon who has lost his nerve and Lawrence who dreams of being a photographer. It is an interesting, well researched novel. Many thanks to the author, the publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read it in return for an honest review.

I wasn't at all sure what to expect from this book, set in Paris during the siege of 1870. I was not very familiar with this period of history, but the author has done a fantastic job of blending historical fact with fiction.

We meet several characters and follow how their lives intertwine during this period - Anne who is an inmate of the infamous Salpetriere hospital where women considered insane are housed and some are chosen to be showcased in front of a public audience.

Lawrence is a Canadian photographer's assistant who works in a local studio and aswell as the formal work also helps with producing erotic pictures and postcards. He has a fascination with Paris Zoo and arranges to capture the animals housed there, which is where he initially crosses paths with Anne. Lawrence is comfortable in his sexuality, but yearns for romance and a partner who feels the same which at the time the story is set is fraught with danger.

Ellis is an American Army surgeon, he has experienced civil war already and suffers PTSD from his experiences which has led him to Paris to pursue his dreams of becoming a poet - with the support of his Uncle who happens to be the American Ambassador.

All the characters are well developed and the cast of supporting characters are also well defined so they seem like fully rounded people even when we only meet them briefly. Everyone has their own secrets and challenges, the different POVs really help to build the story and when war breaks out I found it useful to help keep up with what was happening. The different perspectives really helped to show the human impact of war as the people of Paris become frustrated and tensions rise between friends and neighbours.

The Comune of Paris is a fascinating and important historical moment. This a novel set during that historical moment and from the POV of the lasts of the lasts.
A bit confusing at the beginning, disturbing an emotionally charged.
Recommended
Many thanks to the publisher, all opinions are mine

Against the backdrop of a lesser known period of history, the Franco-Prussian war, this novel explores the stories of three protagonists. Anne, a resident of the Saltpetiere Hospital, is drawn to the animals of the Jardin des Plantes menagerie, and feels an affinity with Marguerite the tigress. We also meet Lawrence, a photographer’s assistant and Elliot, a Canadian doctor who has sought refuge in Paris in the aftermath of the Civil War. The siege of Paris affects the three characters in different ways, and draws them together. The trauma of war and the impact of the social inequalities of Parisian life are shown graphically.

Disturbing, absorbing Franco-Prussian war and Paris Commune set novel 4.5

Stef Penney seems often to be drawn to characters who are outsiders in their society, somehow on the margins. In prior books, such characters are also placed in landscapes which are indifferent, or hostile, to the curious biped struggling to survive. Her characters are often loners, also finding a harsh beauty in such landscapes, not to mention being free from close engagement when too many people at any one time.

The Beasts of Paris shifts from a landscape of isolation, from small, tight, sometimes restrictive communities, to one of teeming population and a different kind of being an outsider. Here, groups may be pitted against, or pit themselves against, other groups. First, there is the looming war between France’s Second Empire and Prussia, moving towards the formation of a United Germany. So, as so often, nations unite to make other nations ‘outside’ What happened at this time, was the siege of Paris. In times of famine and hardship, both ‘humanity’ – whatever that means, and its shadow, bestiality, may come to the fore.

Set partly in and around the Zoo, with its collection of rare and exotic animals, include those already heading for extinction, Penney does not need to labour the point – nor does she – that those creatures human beings term as ‘dumb beasts’ or simply ‘beasts’ may display behaviour of little, if any, ‘bestiality’ whilst the human biped may show, time and again, little or no ‘humanity’

‘Outsiders’ in this complex, multi-character novel may be so because they have at some point been transported or displaced from their original homes, whether this is non-human animals in zoos, or humans displaced through war, invasive territorial grabs, empire, human trafficking and the slave trade. More widely, individuals and groups may become outsiders or others due to class, political beliefs, gender, sexuality, race, nationality or any of the other depressing myriad of reasons why humans do this to each other, individually and collectively.

My reason for not quite going full 5 star is that initially it is a little difficult to follow the trajectories of too many people’s stories. Though almost everyone within its pages are somehow outsiders, or feel themselves to be so, the major players whose development and growth are followed, is a woman who belongs to that special category of ‘outside’ – those deemed ‘abnormal’ as mentally ill. Anne is a mysterious woman with clearly some terrible past trauma. A former patient, and now ‘employed’ for cleaning duties at the Salpetriere asylum for the infirm, aged and insane, she is the character whose strength and fortitude the reader most invests in. Lawrence is a Canadian, working as a photographer in a fashionable, upmarket photographic business, which has its own dark secret. Lawrence too, has come to Paris because of his own secret, drawn as many were, by a certain accommodation of individuality which Europe – France in particular, seemed to allow. Ellis, an army surgeon, already damaged by his experience of the carnage of the American Civil War, has come to Paris to escape that profession, and yearns to become a poet. He too is a man with a past, and is initially the least sympathetic of the three, the one whose mask, whose hiding of his most tender and vulnerable side, has damaged him most.

As the collision between individual lives and historical events ratchet up, making almost everyone an enemy for someone else my appreciation for the book began to rise. And, as much as we care for the human characters we meet we readers become desperately invested in the community of animals in the zoo, yet more individuals caught as victims in mankind’s wars between themselves

A recommended read, this, which I received as an ARC from the publishers, via NetGalley

Set in Paris during the Siege of 1870, Penney's well researched novel is an epic story of love and survival. The story follows Ellis, an American army surgeon; Lawrence, a Canadian photographer; and Anne, of French-Haitian heritage, who is an inmate at Salpetriere, a hospice for 'insane' women. The three protagonists are challenged by attitudes of the time about gender, sexuality, class and race as they navigate their relationships.

Penney's literary montage of a period of French history I didnt really know a lot about is a good read. It is like seeing an old war painting come to life.

3.5⭐️ Thanks to #netgalley and @quercusbooks for the e-book in return for an honest review.

With the backdrop of the Franco-Prussian war of the 1800s and still with some legacy of the revolution, The Beasts of Paris follows the lives of Anne (a former patient of the women's mental hospital who has suffered much abuse at the hands of those who should have offered her protection), Victor (the shy assistant veterinarian who helped to save one of Paris' big cat star attractions and will do anything to ensure her safety), Lawrence (a Canadian photographer's assistant who helps to produce erotic postcards and while comfortable with his sexuality, seems unable to find a partner who feels the same) and Ellis (an American who while trained as a doctor wishes to be a poet and doesn't feel any shame at using his uncle - the American Ambassador - to help him out of the various scrapes he experiences).

Each character has their own secrets and challenges to overcome, in addition to being in Paris when war breaks out and it is interesting to see how their stories become more tightly weaved together as the story progresses, with each seeming to achieve contentment, albeit at different costs and in different forms.

Blending fact and fiction perfectly together, I enjoyed how, as the story progressed, extracts and photos - which I assume were really from the time - were included in the text. Adding context and atmosphere. The many interesting supporting characters also helped to capture the frustration and tension of the period, as neighbours often became pitted against each other, as the war and the battle for self preservation endured.

I really enjoyed how many of the characters were allowed to be truly human. Displaying flaws or traits that were annoying and/or testing, while also being allowed to seek to address or improve these e.g. Ellis and his alcoholism. I liked how it also didn't shy away from difficult topics, while handling them sensitively and in keeping with the time period.

*A big thank-you to Stef Penney, Quercus Books, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
Gripping and captivating, this novel takes a reader to Paris just before the outbreak of the war of 1870. There are reminiscents throughout the novel referring to the main characters who appear gradually and who bond in many different ways. The theme in the background is the Paris Menagerie with animals become casualties of the war and greed as well.
As for characters, they are beautifully developed, each having their own story to tell and dreams to come true. I especially became attached to Anne who has lived a tragic life and whose love for one of the animals kept in capitivity is beautifully presented.
The novel kept surprising me with every page and was hard to put down. The period details regarding the life in Paris, especially under the siege, are superbly presented. Historical fiction at its best!

My thanks to Quercus Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Beasts of Paris’ by Stef Penney.

I had read and enjoyed her ‘The Tenderness of Wolves’ in 2010 and was also drawn by the striking cover art of this novel.

Opening in Paris, May 1870, this work of literary historical fiction follows the fortunes of three wandering souls, who find themselves in a city about to descend into war and revolution.

Anne Petitjean had formerly been a patient at a women's asylum and is now trying to carve out a new life for herself. Lawrence Harper has come to Paris from Canada and is desperate to develop his talent as a photographer and to escape the restrictions of his puritanical upbringing. Finally, army medic Ellis Butterfield, the nephew of the American Ambassador, has aspirations to be a poet. Yet having lived through the trauma of one civil war, he is now about to face another.

Each are drawn to the beasts of Paris' Menagerie, where they had first met. As the siege of the city by the Prussian forces begins, they all will face challenges. Even after the French forces surrender, there is still danger as revolution breaks out and the radical Paris Commune takes control of the city for several months.

This certainly was an epic novel in its scope. I feel that Stef Penney was wise in focusing on her three protagonists with a strong supporting cast that allowed for a number of personal stories against the backdrop of events. She made the effective point that in the midst of war people were seeking not only to survive but to find their paths to the future.

I found that I related to Anne the most given her experiences at the Salpêtrière Hospital as well as her sense of connection to the animals of the Jardin des Plantes Menagerie. Her special devotion is for Marguerite, the Caspian tigress.

I will caution that there were some upsetting themes in the novel, including the fate of the animals when the keepers could no longer feed them due to food shortages. Then there were the unscrupulous individuals who sold the exotic meat to the affluent. However, I appreciated that Penney didn’t include any graphic details on page even though the inference was there.

Overall, I found ‘The Beasts of Paris’ a powerful novel that combined beautiful writing, strong characterisation, and an immersive sense of time and place. I consider Stef Penney an excellent storyteller and I would expect this novel to be nominated for this year’s literary prizes.

Set in Paris 1871, the Franco- Prussian war is raging and Paris is rioting, and under siege. All farm animals have been brought into the city for protection from the enemy and put into the lush, green parks, but they are soon used up. Then follows a diet of cats, dogs, horses and rats, until the idea is suggested that to prevent starvation of the people , the animals in the city Zoo be sacrificed for the greater good of mankind.
Indeed! The Beasts of Paris could be either two or four legged, in either case, there are awkward questions to be asked about survival and preservation of the species. Only the best beasts will be kept, Marguerite, the Caspian Tiger, Tancur the majestic, but slightly moth eaten lion, Nero the panther and a Lynx. People soon become accustomed to a richer diet of Camel, Elephant and Ostrich, but it only partially solves the problem, rich people continue to eat far better than those on the front line fighting on the barricades, and food stores and butchers are targeted for thefts.
Anne Pettijean visits the big cats regularly, she was an inpatient at the Salpetriere insane asylum, she now works there as a ward orderly.
Ellis Butterfield is a qualified Doctor, but has dreams of being a writer or poet. His Uncle, Emphraim Quine is the American Ambassador to France, he believes that Ellis is wasting his talents.
Lawrence Harper is a Canadian citizen, working in Paris as a photographer.
As the war continues, all these three people become connected by their war work. It is a rousing and terrible read, the medical details are gruesome but well described, the panic and incompetence of the Generals in charge and the contrast between them and the poorly equipped and badly fed soldiers is remarkable in the extreme.
Anne is a mystery throughout this book, you never manage to get under her reserved demeanour.
Lawrence is by turns optimistic and frantic, he tries to keep spirits up amongst his friends, but does tend to lose his temper when he drinks too much, he is loyal to friends and acquaintances. When he and Ellis find themselves in a clandestine relationship, the intensity and the need for secrecy play upon his mind greatly.
The ending was unexpected for me, Anne being inscrutable to the end. The French people continue to be impulsive, argumentative and highly demonstrative, ( June 2023) so no real change over the decades there! I appreciated the inclusion of relevant photographs.
My thanks to Netgalley and Quercus books publishers, for my advance digital copy, freely given in exchange for my honest review. A five star rating. I will leave reviews to Goodreads and Amazon UK.

Set in 19th century Paris, it’s the story of Anne, Lawrence and Ellis and their struggles and how they survive in the city of Paris in the build up to Franco-Prussian war.
Loved how the book alternated between the three main characters until we see how their lives gradually become interwoven, creating bonds across the class boundaries.
Epic and heart-wrenching - had vibes of Les Miserables
A beautifully written and well researched book - thanks #stefpenney @quercusbooks & @netgalley for the eARC

A lovely, magical book with a world that is at once familiar and full of wonder. A delight to read and would highly recommend. Thank you to Quercus and NetGalley for this early access copy.

***I had issues reading the book on Kindle due to the formatting so will give the novel 4* by can't review the full story at this point. ***

An immersive historical novel with a rich setting, layered and diverse characters, and an interesting plot. The writing is very readable, and I enjoyed the story.

I felt that this book was well researched, I don’t know much about this period in French history, so found myself googling things along the way. I was impressed. It took a little while to get into, but once I did I was fully immersed.