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There are currently 44 member reviews
for The Paris Winter
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Jan C. (San Antonio, TX)
the Paris Winter
You will yearn for a color plate of one of the paintings described in this novel.
The heroine, young English aspiring painter, goes timidly into the Paris Winter and discovers her own naiveté. Friends from the Parisian Acadamie Lafond, sashay thru their own adventures, into the fanciest Russian salons of Paris and into the bowels of Paris underground.
Robertson has done a great job describing the atelier of woman painters and the streets of Paris as she spins a tale of morals and mortals. Another story about strong women that doesn't include romance.
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Paula F. (Zephyrhills, FL)
Paris Winter: Art, Betrayal and Friendship
There are layers to this historical novel set in Paris towards the end of La Belle Époque during the winter of 1909-1910. Christian Morel hires destitute art student Maud to be a live-in companion to his much younger sister Sylvie. Maud provides English and art lessons to Sylvie in exchange for room, board, and a very generous weekly salary, but her employers are not what they seem. When Maud's fortunes change, it's her two art school friends Yvette and Tanya who help her in her quest to exact revenge. On its surface, Paris Winter is an historical novel. It's also a mystery and a story of betrayal. But ultimately it is a story about the role and value of women in society and the importance of friendship above all else, especially class distinctions.
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Mary H. (Phoenix, AZ)
Art and Mystery
By the end of the novel I was wanting to stroll through an art gallery,(perhaps the Louvre), sip some champagne and imagine the Paris of 1910. Each character has been carefully chosen to intrigue and strengthen the storyline, all independent people connected by the love of art and the want of a beautiful life style. It's the 'how to' accomplish this goal that keeps the lives of each character connected. This book held my interest from start to finish.
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Vivian H. (Winchester, VA)
Intriguing Historical Mystery
I love historical fiction and really looked forward to reading this book and was initially a bit disappointed that the initial chapters of The Paris Winter felt ponderous without much promise. However, I slogged on and ultimately found this delightfully crafted mystery set during La Belle Époque Paris a real page-turner.
While the character at the center of the story, Maud Heighton, a nearly starving artist from Darlington in England in Paris to study art, seems almost cardboard, the supporting cast is wonderful – a privileged Russian beauty, a model raised on the streets of Montmartre, a near-do-well con-man, an ethereal opium addict, a brass American born countess, and the city of Paris itself during the winter of 1909 – 1910 when the banks of the Seine flooded the city.
Ms. Robertson's prose flows beautifully as if from an antique fountain pen on fine paper from Crane's. She captures the feeling of early 20th Century Paris before the Great War & finely illustrates the dichotomy of the poor and struggling versus the flamboyance and extravagance of the rich. It is clear that Ms. Robertson thoroughly researched the time and place and I yearned for more. While part of the plot seemed a bit overly concocted, it was a good read. And really, what more can we desire?
After reading The Paris Winter I am eager to explore some of Ms. Robertson's other writings.
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Florence K. (Encino, CA)
The Paris Winter
History, mystery, mayhem and murder! An insider look at the City of Light in 1909-1910 with its damaging flood makes a meaningful reading experience. Paris itself is as much a character as the human characters are.. The juxtaposition of bright, glittering salons, drab boarding houses, dark and dangerous alleyways mark the twists and turns that kept me guessing. The characters, while well-developed, sometimes verged on stereotypes. Nonetheless, Paris Winter is a compelling read.
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Courtney N. (Chicago, IL)
An interesting look at Paris
This book is a bit hard to review because it is so many things at once: a romance, a thriller, a period piece. Although at times it seems almost confusing, the book is beautifully written and draws you into the characters and their lives. I kept wishing there were actual paintings to go along with the descriptions at the beginning of each chapter, though maybe it's better to imagine the artists style rather than seeing it.
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Deanna W. (Port Jefferson, NY)
Nice Escapist Read
If you like Sarah Waters & Matthew Pearl you will enjoy this historical crime novel. It is filled with intriguing characters and historic details. The story takes the reader to a very special time and place...Paris - Belle Époque...The Great Flood of 1910...
