For Paris in July 2023 Reading Challenge
A Paris Odyssey by Axel Forrester
Published April 1, 2023; NetGalley
Genre: travel fiction, Paris, France
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
At first I thought this was a memoir, the details sounded to true and the narrator so authentic. Then I realized that the book was actually fiction - a novel about Grant the photographer on his first trip to Paris, written by a female author! This really didn't matter, in the long run.
The details of how Grant is robbed by professional pickpockets of his wallet, passport, and other IDs, and how easy it was to have them replaced at the American Embassy, rang so true. I had heard about pickpockets in all the major cities of the world.
I enjoyed the character's candid comments on visiting the famed catacombs, the underground tunnels of Paris filled with human bones from over the centuries. It's a place I have decided I'd never visit, as I hate anything speaking of horror!
The visit to the Louvre was also interesting, especially as Grant was in the company of a motley crew of street impersonators whom he spent most of his time with during his three to four week stay in Paris.
The people he decided to hang out with on the streets of Paris - the impersonators - seemed to be not only bizarre, but almost homeless, and Grant had to feed them most of the time. They seemed unreal yet authentic at the same time, and I wonder how much of what the author wrote in this novel is close to the truth of the streets of Paris, away from the tourist spots.
An enjoyable read, nevertheless, so much so I've decided to read Forrester's previous novel, A Chinese Odyssey.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
At first I thought this was a memoir, the details sounded to true and the narrator so authentic. Then I realized that the book was actually fiction - a novel about Grant the photographer on his first trip to Paris, written by a female author! This really didn't matter, in the long run.
The details of how Grant is robbed by professional pickpockets of his wallet, passport, and other IDs, and how easy it was to have them replaced at the American Embassy, rang so true. I had heard about pickpockets in all the major cities of the world.
I enjoyed the character's candid comments on visiting the famed catacombs, the underground tunnels of Paris filled with human bones from over the centuries. It's a place I have decided I'd never visit, as I hate anything speaking of horror!
The visit to the Louvre was also interesting, especially as Grant was in the company of a motley crew of street impersonators whom he spent most of his time with during his three to four week stay in Paris.
The people he decided to hang out with on the streets of Paris - the impersonators - seemed to be not only bizarre, but almost homeless, and Grant had to feed them most of the time. They seemed unreal yet authentic at the same time, and I wonder how much of what the author wrote in this novel is close to the truth of the streets of Paris, away from the tourist spots.
An enjoyable read, nevertheless, so much so I've decided to read Forrester's previous novel, A Chinese Odyssey.
This sounds like yet another book and author that I may need to consider for my reading list. Thanks for introducing them to me.
ReplyDeleteIt's an interesting one to add for France fans.
DeleteGreat review. I love the cover!
ReplyDeleteThanks. The bright pink color is eye catching.
DeleteSounds like a book I would enjoy!
ReplyDeleteI think you might!
DeleteThis sounds like my kind of read! Thanks for posting about it!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good read. Another author to check out.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy!
DeleteI wonder how French people perceive street people these days, and if the French have the same problems as here in the USA, with high housing costs forcing people to be unsheltered. It’s hard to get a clear understanding of these social problems in one’s own native environment, let alone in a foreign one. Sounds like an ambitious book.
ReplyDeletebest, mae at maefood.blogspot.com