What do readers think of The Paris Winter by Imogen Robertson? Write your own review.

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.

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!

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..

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.

It took me a few days to start reading this book because I had another one I had to finish and review. But when I did, I absolutely devoured it. This book has everything. It is one of the best Historical Fiction books I have ever read. At first, the pace is gentle and soothing, almost like watching a peaceful river glide by, and then before you know it, you are thrown into the rapids and swimming for your life. It is dark and dangerous; mysterious and full of knowledge; and the ART - oh, the Art and Artists depicted! The emotions and characters embodied in this novel make it unique in the genre. I urge people to mark the publication date -- November 14, 2014 -- on their calendar and then make arrangements to do nothing else until you finish reading it. I did not want this book to end.

The writing was good and when I closed my eyes I could imagine that I was someone observing Maud from a distance. It starts slow, but quickly improves to a very interesting ending. I enjoyed the descriptions of works of art at the beginning of several of the chapters. After finishing reading the book this detail gives a great surprise at the end. I love Paris, but this book explores a side of Paris not portrayed in most books. It is more sinister and on the darker side of life versus the romantic and sunny side of life usually portrayed in literature or movies.

I loved the character development of the three central characters, Tanya, Yvette and Maud – especially Maud. What made the book interesting for me was the complexity of the relationships between these characters. What I didn't like was the introduction of so many characters that made it difficult for me to relate to any of them except the main ones.

I highly recommend this wonderful story of secrecy, greed, deceit and revenge to anyone that loves historical mysteries.

This was a fun read – full of history and art and intrigue. Robertson surprised me with plot twists. She provided easily processed information about gender politics and expectations in the 1900s, as well as Parisian and art history. She created full characters, varied and understandable and real, as well as humorous national stereotypes. There is a strong theme of the perpetual question of what is real in life and in art. The author's technique of including descriptions of paintings from a particular collection to coincide with the story seemed so realistic, I went on line to see if the collection actually existed. Mirroring her story line, I found myself questioning what in her book was real and what was fictitious. This story was very neatly created and complete. I will look for more of Robertson's books, based on this delightful read.

The Paris Winter truly is a long winter, too slow & drawn out for my taste. The book would definitely appeal to art lovers & knowledge of the French language. A little disappointed, but at least finished the novel.