It is fair to say that us Melburnites could use some distraction right about now and The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George is the perfect spring read. A journey on the Seine in floating bookshop sounds like the perfect way to escape our current reality.
The first thing that drew me to this book was the title. I remember browsing the shelves of a local bookstore when I stumbled upon it. I had not read anything by Nina George but the idea of a story set in a bookshop in one of the world’s most literary cities was one I could not pass on. Not to mention that our main character, Jean Perdu, is a bookseller, so I guess you could say it was meant to be.
Perdu is not your ordinary bookseller. He owns a restored barge from which he runs his bookshop or as he calls it, his “literary apothecary” on the Seine and he possesses the distinct talent of being able to prescribe the most appropriate book for whatever ails you. A talent I and many a bookseller could only dream of possessing. Having said that, I have come close and you can read about that here.
For all his ability to cure his customer’s emotional ailments through literature, Perdu cannot cure himself. For years he has lived a lonely and distant life after the loss of his great love who one day twenty years ago decided to leave, leaving behind a letter which Perdu has not been able to bring himself to read. That is until Catherine moves in to the building. Perdu falls for Catherine but feels he cannot commit to her fully without first bringing closure to the loss of his former love.
Perdu boards his book barge and takes a trip south on the Seine to seek the answers he needs. joined along the way by a cast of characters who are equally in need of an emotional awakening. Max Jordan a young writer plagued by writer’s block and Cuneo, a chef also seeking answers after losing his great love. Along the journey we meet others who all help the story flow on and who each contribute to Perdu’s journey of re-discovery.
Not only is this a story of loss and subsequent self discovery and learning to love again, but a love letter to books and the role that literature can play in helping us come to terms with the difficulties life throws our way. The Little Paris Bookshops takes us on a sensory journey from Paris to Provence in a way that does not come across as cliche or over romanticised, with fabulous descriptions of the southern french landscape that would put any would be Youtube influencer to shame.
Nina George has also written some flaws into her characters which is absolutely reasonable, and serves to make the story somewhat more relatable. The perfect character does not exist and as I always say, we do not have to like or even relate to characters to be able to get something out of a reading of a book.
I highly enjoyed The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George and I think you will too. During these times of lockdowns and restrictions where many of us have had to live through difficult periods of isolation, I think this is the perfect book to maybe make us feel better about the positive aspects of the world and those who inhabit it.
to get yourself into the French mood I would suggest the French Cafe Lounge Spotify playlist which has been playing in the background while I write and which has over five hours of French Cafe classics, which coincidentally, is about the time it has taken me to get this post to a reasonably coherent and readable level.
Thanks for reading.
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