Emma Donoghue has successfully used real life events as inspiration for some of her novels in the past. So I was not surprised to discover that ‘The Paris Express’ is based on the derailment at Montparnasse Station on October 22nd 1895.

The story begins at the start of the trains journey on that fateful day. We are introduced gradually to the vast cast of characters who were passengers and workers on the Granville to Paris train that morning. The main protagonist is Mado Pelletier a young French anarchist who has boarded the train intent on devastating action. As the journey proceeds we learn something of the social and political atmosphere of the period, through the conversations of the passengers which is very interesting and informative.

As always with this author’s novels the writing is excellent and obviously well researched. The account of the people involved in this tragedy the end of the novel enhanced my read immensely. For anyone interested in learning a little social history whilst enjoying a novel, this is a compelling thriller.

With thanks to NetGalley, Picador and the author for the opportunity to read and review.

I really enjoyed this book which is based on a real train crash that happened in 1895. Passengers are boarding the steam train from the Normandy coast to Paris. We get to know lots of the passengers travelling on the train, including a young anarchist who has a home made bomb in her lunch bucket, intending to blow up the train. I loved all the descriptions of the workings of the steam train, and there is a wide variety of characters. I felt the book captured the time perfectly.
Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

This book gathers steam in the second half

The Paris Express is based on true events in 1895, whereby a steam train derailed at the Paris Montparnasse Station. From the start, with subsequent stops, we are introduced to a considerable number of characters from all over the world. They are journeying from Granville Station at 08:30, due to arrive at their destination at 16:00.

There is much historical fact and class information included within this story. We are shown how the stations had a different time both outside and in the station. There is class information as to who could travel on what carriage and the differences experienced. Plus, lots of information regarding driving and staffing of the steam trains.

It was hard to connect with any specific passenger as there were a lot of them, plus most were unlikeable. They did, however, show much detail of how the world was at that time, politically, culturally and economically. The passenger’s stories showed poverty, prejudice and class systems, in each of their day to day lives.

This was a short read, slow to start, but did cleverly gather steam as we headed towards the inevitable outcome. The clear descriptions allowed the reader to visualise events, the passengers and the crash. Throughout the story you could hear, feel and even smell the train and surroundings and dramatic climax at the end.

Emma Donoghue includes photos and details at the end showing the actual derailment, together with historical information regarding the passengers. She details any information which has been changed for artistic license or other reasons and why. This is very informative.

Overall, I found the read interesting, but for me, the story would have worked better with fewer passengers to follow. I agree with another reviewer, that I can see this working beautifully on the big screen and much more impactive.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for access to this ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

Not an easy read so was a DNF for me,too many words used that didn’t need to be made the chapters I did read labourious, needed to be mire reader friendly so could build a picture of the characters etc

A little slow to start and then sped up (but I think this was probably intentional to mirror the speed of the train as the journey progresses).

I didn’t realise until the author’s note at the end that this was based on real events - the 1895 Montparnasse accident (and some of the characters based on real people - there had clearly been a lot of detailed research into this novel), but I don’t think if I had been aware of the outcome it would have reduced my enjoyment of this book.

There was a big cast of characters, I especially liked Mado and Blonska. The story moved between view points which I can sometimes find tricky but it held my attention well and I found the voices distinctive.

It even managed to lead me to find out more about French politics at the time (I love reading fiction that encourages looking down more rabbit holes) which was unexpected!

Very different to “Room” but I enjoyed reading this a lot and will look out for more books by Emma Donohughe in the future.

The Paris Express by Emma Donohue is superb achievement - a tense but delightful story.

Initially, I could not see how this could be a novel, but I was wrong. Captivated after a few chapters and blown away by the end, I must pay tribute to the skill of the author in creating this incredible piece of fiction.

Such a great cast of characters with their intricate back stories kept me intrigued. I also loved that this was based on historical events.

Based on the 1895 Montparnasse train disaster, this novel is impeccably researched and shows us a slice of life in Paris at the end of the 19th century.

The action takes place almost exclusively on the train, we are introduced to the many varied characters who occupy the different carriages. The carriage ‘hopping’ felt quite cinematic and I can see it working well on screen, providing the audience with a glimpse of the numerous travellers.

At times I struggled to keep track of all the characters; some were stronger than others and I felt more invested in their stories. On reading the author’s notes at the end of the book, I realised the attention to detail which had gone into creating the cast list. The majority of the characters are based on real people from the local area in 1895 and Emma Donoghue has created a story for each of them based on details she has found during her research. I thought this was a unique and fascinating approach.

The final third of the book is very tense and I really wasn’t sure how it was going to end; would the ending be true to real life events or would be be offered an ‘alternative history’?

It’s a brilliant piece of historical fiction, well researched and really gives you a flavour of time and place.

What a ride! And this is referred to many things: to the literal ride of the Paris Express that this book tells, to this beautiful novel which let me enter in the lives of real and fictional people and let me travel in time.
“The Paris Express” by Emma Donoghue is not about a story but human beings, with all their contradictions, dreams, fears, desires. There’s no a real story but multiple voices, echoes from the past, that remind us we’re all the same. It’s true, there are many characters and this can scary a little, but Donoghue has been very able to give to each one their own voice. I also found brilliant the novel structure which follows the Paris Express stops, which reminds me travel books by 18th Century Russian authors and of great 19th classics, and surely I’ve been drawn by this part: I love travels by train and novels about them, because behind them are hidden more complex narrations, since they’re actually a pretext to analyse a society transforming fast, the destructive and creative ferocious of industrialisation, the power relations which build the relationships between social classes and gender identities. The same is done by “The Paris Express”, which through its characters, talks about the challenges that still women and people belonging to minority groups (especially the racialised ones) have to deal with, the relations between social classes and between those who own the power and those who are crashed by it that here is portrayed by how wagons are divided. Feminists, anarchists, rebels, artists of every kind, intellectuals, scholars, scientists. Men, women, other. White and racialised people. Politicians, bourgeoises, proletarians, farmers. Children, adults. Life and death.
“The Paris Express” is a funny, thought-provoking, rebel and amazing novel. And all of you must read it.

The Paris Express by @ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It’s 1895 and we join the ill fated express train as it journeys into Paris, picking up a diverse array of passengers on the way.

We learn early on that it’s not going to end well and as the speed of the train increases so does the impending sense of doom.

I enjoyed all the historical references and the clever way which the author used real people, although am unsure about the amount of poetic license used and did at times struggle to remember who was who, especially with all the carriage hopping going on!

Overall I thought this was a unique piece of writing and a great snapshot of life in France at the turn of the last century

I was looking forward to this book. It is a fly on the wall story about a selection of passengers and staff on a locomotive back in the late 1800’s. How they get on, what their story is, how relationships are built, there is a narrative throughout regarding one particular passenger who has boarded with a specific intention. There is a final twist at the end.

Not aware of the history of the Paris Express, I went into this story with no prior thoughts,

The story takes us from Granville to Paris on the express train, and introduces us to a number of people onboard. From a pregnant woman, to a little boy travelling alone for the first time, and an artist far from home, we are invited into their stories and the dirt and dust of a steam train.

But as the train speeds towards Paris the drama aboard escalates.

It certainly transports you into a different time and place.

An historical novel based on an actual incident. Carefully depiction of the characters travelling on the later train to Paris. The book is also enlightening in depicting the then social scene

The Paris Express
By Emma Donoghue

I didn't know what to expect going into this book, but at some point I suspected it was based on a real event, and then guessed correctly what was going to happen, however it didn't spoil my enjoyment of the story. The photo is iconic, so I'm not sure it's supposed to be a secret anyway.

All the elements I like about this author's writing are there. I have read most of her novels and know that their success for me will usually depend on the narrative voice. This one had instant appeal for me, and I had no problem keeping up with the various characters, there's a lot, and had fun googling the real ones along the way.

I love how she presents each person's story through the immediacy of their most pressing concern right at that time. She builds a believable and interesting picture of life across the social spectrum in that period. Switching between characters in vignettes of various lengths adds to the pace and that works to great advantage in the final two chapters.

I read the second half of this book on an international flight, and the second last chapter as the plane was making it's final decent. I wouldn't recommend that for the feint hearted, but I got a thrill out of it.

To turn the page and come face to face with that iconic photo will always be shocking.

This is a strange one. Some are questioning the point of writing this story. It's historical fiction with a good blend of fact, the imagined story behind an unexpected image. It could have been captured by an article in a newspaper or a Wikipedia page, but Donoghue uses it as a jumping off point to tell the story of an ordinary day and a near disaster. I enjoyed the reading and have a more fleshed out impression of life the year my grandmother was born. I liked it.

Publication date: 20th March 2025
Thanks to #Picador for providing an eGalley for review purposes.

Book Review
The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue
🌟🌟🌟🌟 4/5

Pub Date 20th March 2025

🚞Summed up perfectly by Audrey Niffenegger, New York Times bestselling author), The Paris Express is an evocative masterpiece that effortlessly captures the politics, glamour, chaos, and speed that marked the end of the 19th century.

🚞I love it when an author sheds light on an historical event that's almost forgotten!
Based on the 1895 Montparnasse train disaster, this cleverly constructed novel takes a large cast of characters whose observations of each other spill across the pages to create a story. The author must have gone to painstaking lengths to gather all her research while putting this book together.
Visiting the passengers across 1st,2nd and 3rd class, we witness a wide range of personalities.

🚞There's a lot to love and admire about this writing! However, I had a few misgivings. The cast of characters was so numerous that I really struggled to keep up with who was who, making it hard to invest in anyone. Although cleverly constructed I didn't find the storyline paticularly compelling until the last quarter when the story really picks up.

I loved the author’s book The Room very much and requested this one quickly when I saw it on NetGalley UK
The book is entirely set on board an express train travelling from the countryside towards Paris in the late 1800s we gradually meet all the passengers and staff as a train as they settle down for their journey. There’s a slow start to the book which speeds up and up and up till it’s hurtling along at a fast rate of knots Towards the expected a dénouement . Add on a disgruntled androgynous woman who has a home-made bomb that she wants to set off on board with the train and you have a typical disaster move scenario.
I liked the little quotes from writers of the time at the beginning of each chapter they were all appropriate to what goes on in that chapter.
The offer has a clear straightforward writing style, which is a pleasure to read the novel is well constructed and I liked the way it speeds up towards the end
There is a whole cast full of interesting characters that you meet during the novel as they get on and off the train. Emma‘s writing is highly visual and I couldn’t help thinking this would make an amazing movie. I suspect the rights will be taken up quickly.
This is a very different book to the room and probably not what fans of her previous book will be expecting personally I didn’t think it quite hit the highs of the previous novel but was nevertheless enjoyable read and I’m sure it’ll do very well

I read an early copy of the novel on NetGalley UK. In return for an honest The book was published in the UK on the 20th of March 2025 by Pam McMillan Picador.
This review will appear on NetGalley UK, Goodreads, Story and my book blog bionicSarahS books.wordpress.com will also appear on Amazon UK

I feel very undecided about this book I really like Ms Donoghue's writing so was sucked into this true story of the 1895 Montparnasse derailment and some of the passengers (some real, some fictionalised) who were on the train. The author has obviously done meticulous research and the prose is very detailed - almost overwhelmingly so and I have to admit, while I enjoyed much of the description, I did struggle with all the characters and remembering their stories and the french history
Thank you to netgalley and Pan Macmillan for an advance copy of this book

Based on a train disaster which occurred in 1895, this is a mix of historical fact and fiction. Some of the passengers actually were on the train and some were introduced by the author. I found the beginning of this book quite confusing because of the number of characters. I did become more engaged as the book progressed but it was not the easiest of reads.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Emma Donoghue/Pan MacMillan for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Based on the true story of a train derailment in 1875, The Paris Express covers the journey leading up to the crash, focusing on the personal stories of the crew and passengers. The pacing of the story is beautifully done, starting slowly and building to a frantic pace as the train loses control. Similarly the way we meet a wide range of characters, get to know them gradually and then see them all disappear back to their own lives is a nice representation of meeting someone in passing on a journey (it’s interesting how often Emma Donoghue’s books focus so closely on people brought together into a very confined setting, whether that’s a room as prisoners, a windswept island off Ireland or now a train). Her writing is, as always, wonderful.

However, by choosing to place a large number of people who were notable in Parisian history at the time alongside some of the real people who were on the journey, the number of characters all with their backstories at times became a little overwhelming. The politics of the era, the mechanics of the steam train and the running of the railways were also interesting but at times a bit too much.

Emma Donoghue is such a talented writer though that everything she writes is worth reading and this was no different.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review 3.5 stars.

Based on a real train derailment accident in 1895 at Montparnasse Train Station in Paris, I was intrigued by the novel’s description, and of course, since it was written by Emma Donoghue, knew the writing would be excellent. Ms. Donoghue did thorough research into the incident, and her novel includes both real and imaginary characters. I am glad I did not know the story of this accident, because it would really have affected my enjoyment of the book. No spoilers, but readers should avoid looking up the history of this book before reading it, keeping in mind that it is historical fiction, not straight history.

My only quibbles are that there are way too many characters, and much time is spent on their various histories, reasons for being on the train, personalities, etc. I found myself skimming through parts to get to the “good stuff.” But I invariably had to go back and find out something that I missed by skipping over it…

I have been a fan of Emma Donoghues work since Room (which still gives me disturbed dreams) and the writing is always strong and immersive. Thankfully this tale, although exciting and well researched, will not make me lose sleep. You always feel as though you are in the scene watching on only just out of the picture. This would make a great movie and you can tell that Donoghue is an ace scriptwriter as you could easily imagine this on the big screen.