OVERVIEW
The three books I have read by Janet, including this one, feature strong women, libraries, and books. Three of my favorite things! Unfortunately, I did not enjoy listening to this book as much as I enjoy reading Janet's books.
Hopefully, this will be released as a digital or physical book. I would like to reread it and truly savor it!
A caveat, this audiobook would be more enjoyable after reading The Paris Library and Miss Morgan's Book Brigade, as there is some character overlap.
OVERALL REVIEW: 4.5 stars
Writing: 5.0 stars
As always, Janet writes so incredibly. It is thoughtful, beautiful, and descriptive writing that touches my heart.
Narration: 5.0 stars
This book featured a full cast narrating, but the lead narrator was Pauline Chalamet (yes, she is Timothy's sister). The narration and production were like a Broadway production for my mind! It was amazing!
Character development: 4.0 stars
The main characters are Lily (a hopeful writer) and Mary Louise (a hopeful painter) from small-town Montana who move to Paris together for college and then stay. Plus, the American Library of Paris (APL) is the glue that holds the characters together.
The secondary characters are Odile and Margaret, estranged friends who worked at APL during WWII. Odile became an American war bride and moved to Montana, while Margaret remained (we believe) in Paris.
There is a whole cast of characters from APL who become Lily's Paris family.
The story is primarily set in 1995 and features multiple flashbacks and other points of view, which were confusing to me as an audiobook. This resulted in the character development not being as strong or as easily determined as in Janet's previous books.
Memorable: 5.0 stars
One of the biggest takeaways is that friendships take as much work as romantic relationships.
Side note: I have had the same best friend since first grade, and we both work to maintain it.
Entertaining/Educational: 3.0 stars
I enjoyed learning about Paris and the APL, but felt lost at times as to who was who, when they lived, and their relationship to APL.
Book cover: 5.0 stars
Gorgeous.
Book title: 5.0 stars
So appropriate.
STRONG recommend
Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: audiobook
The Parisian Chapter by Janet Skeslien Charles
7 hours, 15 minutes
Simon & Schuster Audio Originals
Release date: 5/27/2025
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
Simon & Schuster Audio Originals
Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)
TRIGGER WARNINGS: War, toxic work environment, sexual situations, alcohol
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
No comments:
Post a Comment