The author does a great job at immersing you in Paris in the early 1900s. I found it a slow read and I think it's more that I'm finding historical fiction is not for me rather than an issue with the book.

This is a historical fiction novel. I liked the main character and the book is written well. The story is multi layered. A good read

An utterly fascinating read with a real feminist focus! I loved diving into this bookish world, exploring Shakespeare and Company in Paris in pre -1920s, and all the literati surrounding it.

The romance element was wonderful, really pushing a ‘you love who you love’ mantra which was refreshing for that historical time period.

Overall a wonderful read that has become a firm favourite!

📚 I really needed a dose of historical fiction and this hit the spot. Paris? Bookshops? Perfect 👍🏻 I felt transported to 1920s Paris 🇫🇷 and I was in heaven. Sylvia’s story was enthralling and I found her really likeable. She founded the infamous Shakespeare and Company Bookshop in Paris, a bookshop devoted to selling and lending books written in English. She fought against the odds to bring James Joyce’s controversial novel Ulysses to the world. I learned so much reading this, as well as loving all the beautiful descriptions of Paris, books and intriguing characters. The relationship between Adrienne and Sylvia is passionate and heartwarming too 🥰 If you are a fan of historical fiction, definitely check out #TheParisBookseller 👍🏻

I really enjoy historical fiction and The Paris Bookseller was a beautiful story. I didn't realise that it was based on a true story. I like the authors writing style. Would recommend.

This was my first time reading a book by Helen Kerri Maher and I really enjoyed her writing. This was a beautiful story and I look forward to reading more from the author in the future!

I am not immune to 1920s historical fiction about writers and artists and I am ok with it!!!!!!!

This was so much fun to read for me especially as I have been to the real Shakespeare and Company in Paris many times, and have a some idea of what the scene was like at the time. While I enjoyed the constant name dropping of real life people who really interacted with Sylvia Beach and the shop, I can see how it would be annoying for some. Kinda like when you constantly have self referential cameos in a franchise film lol...

But if you're looking for a book that shows you what the 1920s Parisian lit scene was like, this is really not it. This is about Sylvia Beach, who was a book seller, a publisher, a lesbian and a dedicated supporter of the arts. Anyway, as someone who is now working in the same(ish) field some 100 years later, learning about Sylvia's life made me reflect a bit on my own standing in this industry and what it is that I really want out of it. Which was a nice surprise for me!

Lastly: I super appreciated that Maher had an epilogue where she separated fact from fiction and stated which bits she fiddled around with to suit the narrative. I love it when historical fiction writers do that! Saves me the effort of looking things up myself LOL.

Historical fiction based on the real life of Sylvia Beach, founder of Shakespeare and Co bookshop in Paris. This book is love letter to literature, bookshops and Paris (three of my most favourite things in the world!)

Set in interwar Paris we join Sylvia, an American, in her journey of opening - bookshop in Paris, meeting a selection of literary greats that we will recognise from classics of literature, such as Joyce, Hemingway and Fitzgerald and mainly in her publishing of Joyce’s ULYSSES (and all the trials and tribulations that came with that).

Also central to the story is Sylvia’s romantic relationship with Adrienne Monnier and the relationship with her family, in particular her actress sister and, in the latter half of the book, her mother.

My favourite thing about this read was the characterisation, I felt like I really got to know Sylvia and the host of other characters. I also loved the descriptions of Paris, it made me yearn to visit my favourite city again as soon as possible!

I also enjoyed the real historical context provided in the afterword by Maher. Always a nice edition to historical fiction novels that are based heavily on real events.

Overall an enjoyable read that highlights the enduring power of literature and artists.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @headlinebooks for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What an astonishing story. I really enjoyed this book and at first did not realise it was a true story. If you love reading this is the book for you because it tells you the wonderful story of Sylvia Beach who was the founder of a wonderful bookshop in Paris in 1919 and after much soul searching she called it the Shakespeare and Company Bookshop. Her visitors were the who's who in famous writers of the day including James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald to name but a few. This certainly was an engaging story that took the reader on an incredible journey.

👩 It's 1919, and young Sylvia Beach moves to Paris, not knowing what to do with her life. When she befriends bookstore owner Adrienne Monnier and is introduced to the greatest artists of the time, she decides to open a bookshop herself. This is how Shakespeare and Company, the first English-language bookshop in Paris, comes to life. With time, many leading writers start considering her bookshop a second home. In that same period, James Joyce's controversial novel Ulysses is banned in the US, thanks to the Volstead Act. When Sylvia is introduced to Joyce, she has no doubts: she will publish the book through Shakespeare and Company.

❤️ I liked:⁠
🥐 1920's Paris. Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald... these are just some of the artists mentioned in the book. Some of them will become regulars of the bookshop, some others don't appreciate Sylvia's decision of publishing Ulysses... Anyway, can you imagine owning a bookstore and welcoming Hemingway in your store?
✍️ Working with Joyce. Joyce is described as temperamental and demanding. Sylvia puts up with him because she is convinced that Ulysses is pure art, at the cost of her health and finances.
👭 Adrienne. She is Sylvia's rock: not only does she encourage Sylvia to open her own bookshop, but also supports her in dealing with Joyce and the publishing of his manuscript. The relationship that blossoms between Adrienne and Sylvia is pure, passionate and incredibly strong.
📚 The life-changing power of books. Sylvia almost throws away her life to publish Ulysses, because she is a firm believer in the power of books, art and literature.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 A great historical fiction novel about books and how they can change your life forever. Thanks to #netgalley for the preview.

This was a fun historical fiction for me. A veritable feast for anyone who loves to read.. does a great job of painting the time and place of Paris in 1918 and into the 1920s and 30s. It also contrasts Paris with the US, It shows strong differences between the two countries which are just about the same today.. It's surprising to learn that things haven't really changed.

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

I'd never read this author before but will certainly be looking out for them in future

This was wonderful, engrossing - absolutely loved it

I loved the evocative use of language - it really painted a picture for me

I think this is sure to be one of the best books of the year I will have read

I don't often give a 5 start rating - but this was an easy one - I would give it more than 5 if I could

I have to admit to knowing nothing of Sylvia Beach before picking up this book, and I'm now in awe of this American woman who finds herself living in Paris from 1919, and has a dream to open a bookshop - which is now one of the most famous in the world, Shakespeare & Co - and along the way becomes friends with some amazing authors of the time, and leads the way in helping them get their books published and spread around the world.

It's a fascinating mix of historical fiction and biography, as it charts the progress of Sylvia and the many hurdles she faced along the way. The backlashes and controversy that her decisions often created, but what never waivers is her determination to get some amazing stories out into the world, most notably Ulysses, and it's inspiring to read that without people like her in the world, then some of the worlds' greatest authors would never have got the backing their books deserved.

The story flows really nicely amidst some of the most turbulent times in our history and shows the real benefit of the courage of your conviction. She knew these books would sell and needed to be read, and she didn't want to give up until she could do her bit for a variety of authors. A really interesting and absorbing read.

A captivating tale. It tells the story of the famous Shakespeare and company bookstore in Paris
The landscape is the post world war 2 Paris and is painted wonderfully in words
One for book lovers to treasure

I am a relative newcomer to historical fiction, but have discovered how much I enjoy books that lead me to research more about the events they are based on and this is one such book. Based on the true story of Sylvia Beach, an American who founded Shakespeare and Company, an English language bookshop in Paris in 1919 that became a gathering place for many prominent literary figures of the time, and also published James Joyce's controversial novel Ulysses. Beach was not someone I knew anything about until I picked this up, but she proved to be a compelling heroine for the novel.

A captivating and fascinating read, it is clearly well researched (do read the author's notes at the end of the book for further insight) and it truly brings Paris of the 1920s and 1930s to life. I enjoyed the dynamics of the Paris literary scene and the prominent individuals within it, as well as the contrast of life there with the conservative regime in the US at the time. Sylvia was clearly an exceptional and determined woman and her same-sex relationship with Adrienne Monnier, another bookseller, is sensitively and touchingly explored. This is the first book I have read by Maher but I now look forward to reading her two previous books.

This one is based on a true story/person. Sadly, it didn't quite meet my expectations. Fortunately, the storytelling improved somewhat and I did finish the book but I can't say I loved this one.

Very much centred around the publication of ‘Ulysses’, ‘The Paris Bookseller’ certainly encompasses commonly known facts about the inception of the ‘Shakespeare and Company’ bookstore and Beach’s business dealings with Joyce.

Shakespeare and Company and Sylvia Beach plays an important part in the European literature scene of the beginning of XXth century.
That said I didn't know anything about Beach's life or how the bookstore was established.
This is a compelling and informative read, a well researched book that tells the story of Sylvia and how she became an iconic character
It was a gripping read and I was fascinated by the setting and the atmosphere.
I wasn't a fan of the characters as it was very romantic but I assume that some of the most important writer of the XXth century talked in a different way. I like Adrienne but I suppose her relationship with Sylvia was a bit more complex and not only physical.
It was an entertaining read and made me learn about the life of this iconic women.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was a wonderful read that book lovers would enjoy. The author does a fantastic job of allowing the reader to explore the story of Sylvia Beach who founded Shakespeare and Company Bookshop in Paris in 1919. Beautiful and engaging.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Headline for the e-arc.

Based on the true story of Shakespeare and Co in Paris this story tells the fictionalised tale of Sylvia Beach it's American founder. A colourful picture of 1920s Paris is painted as Sylvia acquires the premises for her shop and stocks up with English novels. She soon finds that it becomes a centre of attraction for the famous international community of literati of Paris, notably James Joyce and Ernest Hemingway.
Sylvia's lesbian relationship with fellow bookseller Adrienne Monnier features prominently in the story offering a version of events that may or may not be accurate, but adds a human dimension to Sylvia's character. The portrayal of the misogyny and prejudice they faced is shocking by today's standards
Sylvia's foray into publishing with the publication of Ulysses by James Joyce has been well documented but the dilemma that followed and the breakdown of her relationship with Joyce is not so well known. It does though throw a spotlight on the selfish tendencied shown by most writers in the pursuit of publication and recognition of their work.
Of necessity the story sticks closely to real life - the colourful character of Sylvia Beach is well known and the demise of the legendary bookshop during WW2 was mourned by many.
An interesting read, entertaining and well told.

Founded by Sylvia Beach in 1919, Shakespeare and Company was a Paris book shop made all the more influential for being the first to publish James Joyce's controversial novel, Ulysses in its entirety. The Paris Bookseller is the story of how the bookshop, and lending library, was formed and how Sylvia Beach rubbed shoulders with the great, and the good, of the literary world in the early part of the twentieth century,

Both interesting and absorbing this fictionalised account of Paris in the early 1920s and 30s brings to life a city which is as vibrant as it is complicated and to become an observer as Sylvia goes about setting up the book store is to sit and listen as the writers of the day linger to exchange views. The way the book shop brings each of the writers, with all their foibles and eccentricities, to life, is done with fine attention to detail.

Whilst the shop was a meeting place for the likes of Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound and Gertrude Stein, it was Sylvia Beach's championing of James Joyce's epic novel Ulysses which brought the store into the epicentre of Anglo-American culture. Previously banned, the first edition of Ulysses was published by Shakespeare and Company on Joyce's 40th birthday in 1922.

The Paris Bookseller is an interesting historical novel in its own right but as a bird's eye view into the way the great writers of the day shared their angst and anxieties it soon becomes a fascinating glimpse into a forgotten but vitally important era in classic twentieth century literature.