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There are currently 44 member reviews
for The Paris Winter
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Pat M. (Sarasota, FL)
The Paris Winter by Imogen Robertson
The story is about a young English girl, Maude Heighton, studying art in Paris during the winter of 1909-1910 and the people she meets who will become a part of her new life. The story moved slowly requiring a little patience then developed into a fast moving mystery. If you are a reader who thinks ahead as you read, predicting the outcome, then you will be in for a surprise because there are many twists and turns. This book will make an excellent choice for Book Clubs with its large cast of characters and personalities. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
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Shira S. (Somerville, MA)
The Paris Winter
While this book started out slowly, I was hooked by the end. The author describes everything in detail, sometimes a bit too much for my taste, but it certainly leaves you with a vivid picture of Paris in the early 1900s. After the slow start, the plot really picks up, and I found it difficult to put down. This is a good book for anyone who likes historical fiction and mysteries!
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Shirin M. (Beverly Hills, CA)
The Paris Winter
A well-researched historical novel with elements of a thriller mystery leads the reader into the lives of different social classes during the Belle Époque age. The burgeoning affluence, artistic splendor, and social changes cannot hide the squalor and social inequalities as the sinister plot unfolds. Characters are vividly portrayed and events described in relation to paintings makes reading a pictorial experience. The Great Paris Flood provides the backdrop for the plot climax and the detailed description creates a strong sense of place and time. A novel that has elements of different genres: historical fiction, thrillers, and mysteries, will be enjoyed by many readers.
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Donna T. (Tacoma, WA)
Three women artist in 1909 Paris
For me the book started slow and rather cumbersome. It took a while to sort out all the characters into major and minor roles. But the stage was set for an enjoyable read. About half way through (as Maude was emerging from her near death experience) I felt like this was the natural end was near. But oh no, the story just got more interesting. The book it very well researched, written and the characters well developed. Even minor characters had me either loving them or hating them. The ending (including the Epilogue) did a good job of tying up the loose ends and providing a perspective on all that had occurred.
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Marion W. (Issaquah, WA)
Step back in time...
This is a highly atmospheric novel which will transport the reader back to Paris in 1909. Young Englishwoman Maud Heighton struggles to train as an artist at a time when few women were accepted as such. She meets women from many strata of society, and a man, seemingly helpful, who offers her badly needed financial help. The plot contains twists and turns which are unexpected and exciting, culminating in the Great Flood of 1910: imagine structures crashing beneath bridges, and the Seine flowing into Metro tunnels! The reader should sit down with a map of Paris nearby, and get lost in facets such as the art scene, women's precarious place in society, French history, and fascinating characters. There are a few melodramatic bits here and there, but this novel could provide grist for the mill for some book clubs!
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Laurel G. (Pacific Palisades, CA)
Historical Paris
Having read Instruments of Darkness by Imogen Robertson I looked forward to reading The Paris Winter. I was not disappointed. It was evident that the author did a lot of research about the early 1900's in Paris. Her descriptions of the people, the neighborhoods, the treatment of women in general and female artists in particular was quite illuminating. I recommend this book to readers who like historical fiction with some tension.
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Rosemary T. (San Antonio, TX)
The Paris Winter
Set in Paris at the end of 1909 and the beginning of 1910, the story draws the reader in almost from the beginning. Three young women from very different backgrounds are brought together through the art school, Academie Afon. Through a series of events, they find themselves entangled in a world of deceit, drugs and revenge. The storyline has many twists and surprises that keep the reader guessing what will happen next. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the book, I felt the ending would have been stronger if the epilogue had been omitted. Instead, I experienced the "and they lived happily ever after" fairytale feeling..
