France in the Belle Epoque, a time of an explosion in industrial advancements and in art and culture, of rising poverty and squalor. A train leaves the coast in the morning and will be in Paris by mid-afternoon. Engine 721 has made this run many times and her engineers are experienced and motivated to keep the rigorous timetable. The Paris Express fills with people eager to reach their destination for as many reasons as there are passengers on board. But the reader knows from the beginning that this journey will end in a disaster, although how or what the consequences are is yet unknown. As people climb on board, to either the wooden benches of third class, the simple decorations of second, the lush upolstery of first or even the luxury of a private car, they bring their preoccupations, their curiosity about their fellow passengers and their own histories with them. The novel is composed of multiple voices.

Emma Donoghue uses a large cast of characters and moves between them rapidly, echoing the movement of the express as it travels along the rails. As the world around them rapidly changes, some passengers wish for a return to simpler times, others are eager to prove themselves, and some are ready to push back against the forces that keep the poor in place. A young American artist is interested in a young woman, but will he find the courage to strike up a conversation? A young boy is on his first solo train trip, and while he is only traveling a few stations, he is anxious to not make a mistake. An old Russian woman notices that all is not as it should be with the young woman seated next to her, and an Irish writer contemplates the Parisienne seated across from him, in her fancy feathered hat and tiny monkey.

I enjoyed the constantly changing viewpoints of this novel and the tension of knowing things will go badly at the end, but not knowing what that will mean. There's no main character, although maybe the train herself fits that role well enough, and with tightly constrained time period, Donoghue paces this novel very like the express train she is writing about, there really isn't a slow point in the novel.

I was optimistic about this one because I always enjoy historical fiction. Unfortunately, I had a very hard time getting into this book. It didn’t seem to easily flow into a cohesive story. I realize that there are a large number of characters on a train and the development of them is limited by the length of the journey but for me it wasn’t a story where I could lose myself. However, at the end of the book the author details the history of the real life train wreck and the known passengers that rode the train on that fateful day and I found that to be very interesting. This ARC was provided by Simon & Schuster Summit Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"The Paris Express is a propulsive novel set on a train packed with a fascinating cast of characters who hail from as close as Brittany and as far as Russia, Ireland, Algeria, Pennsylvania, and Cambodia. Members of parliament hurry back to Paris to vote; a medical student suspects a girl may be dying; a secretary tries to convince her boss of the potential of moving pictures; two of the train’s crew build a life away from their wives; a young anarchist makes a terrifying plan, and much more".
The characters the author creates are interesting and varied. Most are based on real people, although many of those were not actually on the real train. The anarchist's plot adds an additional element of suspense. I did not know anything about this train accident, and chose not to research it before starting to read this book, so the end was a bit of a surprise for me. I'm a big fan of Emma Donaghue's books, especially The Wonder, Room and The Pull of the Stars. This one was just a solid 3 stars for me.

I like the premise of the book but felt it was disjointed and lacked cohesion and that made it hard to follow but otherwise it was ok .
Thanks for sharing this book with me to Netgalley and the publisher

2.5 stars!!!

I was really looking forward to this because Room by this author is one of my favorite books of all time, but I was definitely disappointed. I don't usually reach for historical fiction books so I think this book just wasn't written for me. I wasn't familiar with the train crash this book is based off of but I did a bit of research before starting this (which I don't recommend) so I knew how this book ended. I didn't really care about any of the characters and they all felt very 2-dimensional. Overall, this was ok for me and I think that if I didn't have an ARC, I wouldn't have continued to read it.

An intriguing cast of characters are featured in this fictional retelling of the 1895 Paris train crash. The author does an exceptional job of creating three-dimensional characters and ratcheting up the tension as they rocket toward the crash readers know is coming. While fascinating and rich with historical detail, it came across as more of a series of character sketches than a cohesive novel, and there were a couple of unexpected “open door” scenes that seemed out-of-place. Much like the train itself, the book sort of crashed to an end.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. The cool part about this book was it's based on a true event. But that's about all I loved about it.

Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pub. Date: Mar 18, 2025

Set on the train that derailed and broke through the parapet of Parsis’s Montparnasse Station in 1895, “The Paris Express” looks beyond the famous photographs and imagines the lives of the passengers—fictional and factual—of the infamous tragedy. The premise is engaging, and the prose is sharp. But the sheer volume of characters packed into the train becomes unwieldy before the narrative ever leaves the station.

To her credit, Donoghue skillfully deviates from history, inviting intriguing celebrities of the era aboard. African-American painter Henry Ossawa Tanner, Irish playwright John Synge, and a Cuban medical student of the French neurophysiologist Marcelle de Heredia, allowing for what-if scenarios that explore the time’s social, political, and cultural landscape. One smells both the preserved fish and pork fat served to the lower class and the elaborate steak dinners served to the rich. The potential for engaging in conflict is everywhere. This novel itself should have been a first-class read.

But The Paris Express is a case of one simple flaw sabotaging an entire project: the ever-growing cast makes it impossible to connect with anyone sufficiently. For every stand-out character, like the fictional young anarchist who carries a homemade bomb in her lunch pail to blow up the train, intent on killing the members of parliament on board and sending a message to the ruling class, there seem to be a hundred forgettable ones. Instead of feeling immersive, the result is muddled and confusing. Still, one has to admire the research and ambition. The novel drips with history, and it is likely to please Francophiles in particular. Despite my complaints, I am compelled to recommend it, with the caveat that one does not get too attached to anyone aboard.

This novel started a little slow for me but really picked up steam (haha) as it went along. I love the framework Donoghue used to tell this story. The chapters follow the train’s journey and with each station’s stop, you learn more about the passengers, the employees and the life of the train. I struggled to keep the characters straight at first but they took shape and by the end I was invested in their stories. The novel is based on the actual Montparnasse train derailment and Donoghue’s novel illuminates this era in history: from fashion to politics, religion to culture. I bounced between audio and Kindle but really loved the narrator’s rich and resonant voice.

Thank you to @simon.audio for this advance listening copy. The opinions are my own. #Gifted

"The Paris Express" by Emma Donoghue is a story based on the true event of a train derailment at the Paris Montparnasse train station. We are introduced to a wide variety of characters who are taking this train from Granville to Paris. As would be on any train, there are many people from all walks of life squeezed in as passengers. It is a suspenseful story as the reader tries to figure out each passenger as they relate to the other passengers on the train. Crew from the train as also included, as they work to get the train to each stop at exactly the scheduled time.
As the story goes on, the reader senses something very dangerous is going to happen. I enjoyed the descriptive writing, and found myself trying to figure out what was going to happen next. Not until the last chapter do we know the fates of the passengers aboard. I found it to be very interesting. 4 Stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Summit Books for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

The Paris Express by Enna Donoghue
Story of the Paris Express train that crashed in 1895. The train traveled from western Normandie to Paris. It doesn’t seem to be much of an express train as it made even more stops than usual. There are many characters in this story including noblemen, their wives, not their wives, women and their children, a child alone, all ages. A variety of people who would be expected on a train; first, second and third class sections. A variety of people, a variety of stories.
For some reason I had a difficult time staying with the story and all its characters and felt it was almost too long.I have to say I did not enjoy this as much as I thought I would. Perhaps you will.
Thank you to @NetGalley and @S&S/Summit Books for the opportunity to review.

This book caught my attention right away—based on a real train disaster in 1895, with a super intriguing setup and a cast of characters from all over the world. I loved the idea of a story that moves carriage by carriage, giving a glimpse into everyone’s lives and how they ended up on the same train. The train itself even feels like a character, which was a cool touch.

That said, the first half really dragged for me. There are so many characters, and while their backstories are interesting, I found it hard to connect with any of them. Just as I started to care, the story would switch to someone else. It wasn’t until a big twist about halfway through that things picked up and I started to feel more invested.

The writing is gorgeous, and once the pace got going, it really did keep me engaged. But I have to admit, I was disappointed by the inclusion of an anarchist trying to cause the disaster. Since the book is based on a real event—and the actual details of the accident are dramatic enough—I didn’t think that extra plotline added much. In fact, it took away from the realism I was hoping for.

All in all, this was a unique and well-written book, just not quite the journey I was hoping for.

My copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and S&S/Summit Books for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

After the initial pages, I found myself not connecting with the story or characters, so I decided to pass on this book. Did not finish

The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue is a well written historical fiction story.
Donoghue is a fantastic storyteller. I absolutely loved getting immersed in her work yet again.
The characters are wonderful and the setting very clear and unexpected. I loved the time period this took place and the inclusion in the story line.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for this free ARC in return for my honest review.

A wonderful blend of history and fiction inspired by the 1895 train crash in Paris in which the engine actually crashed through the 2nd floor of the train station and ended with the engine falling to the ground outside the station,
Author Emma Donoghue uses both historical and fictional characters to take us along as the train makes it way from the coast of France to Paris, a journey of 350+ kilometers and which takes over 9 hours to complete. We meet so many different characters along the way, and get to listen in to their thoughts and conversations. From artists, to students, to PM on their way to the opening of Parliament, lesbians and gay men, pregnant women, a mad bomber, the engineer and the man stoking the furnace. As the train draws closer to Paris the actions heat up and it is a suspenseful last full chapters.
Well written and I was able to connect with most of the characters - even the train is a character!! The research is meticulous and the writing masterful. This is one book that kept me up at night until I finished it!!!
This is a solid 4.5****

The Paris Express is the perfect book for readers who want a book combining historical fiction and drama. It is based on an actual train derailment in the late 1800s. Donoghue delivers a fast paced story told from different point of views with fascinating characters. I highly recommend this book.

This novel opens on the Normandy coast in 1895, with Mado Pelletier boarding a train under mysterious circumstances. What follows is a brilliantly researched and suspenseful ride, enriched by fascinating historical details—like why station clocks run fast—and characters drawn with real emotional depth. The story blends real and imagined figures, from a closeted industrialist to a pioneering female filmmaker and an artist confronting prejudice. As secrets unravel and we learn Mado’s chilling mission, the tension quietly builds. It’s a slow-burn read with heart, history, and humanity at its core.

Unusual read for me but very compelling.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for this e- copy of The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue in exchange for a honest review. This is an action packed, historical fiction fiction piece set in France in Oct of 1895 aboard The Paris Express. Many passengers are aboard the train headed to Paris not knowing what fate awaits them . There is a lady bomber onboard who wants to blow the train up , a pregnant woman fleeing her family , politicians and many characters that are trying to navigate their lives . Lots of drama and intrigue that leaves you guessing until the end about what fate will await the passengers.

In 1895, The Paris Express train derailed and crashed into Montparnasse station.in Paris. During the 7 hour train ride, we meet a multitude of characters, each with an interesting story. The book is based on the actual event, with the Engine itself as a character. Donoghue populates the train with both people who were on the train and others that could have been on the train. Interesting look at people, society and the changing times at the end of the century.

More a collection of character sketches than anything else. The book lacked any sort of plot and only got interesting in the last chapter when the train finally crashed.