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Many leading writers of the day, from Ernest Hemingway to Gertrude Stein, consider Shakespeare and Company a second home. Here some of the most profound literary friendships blossom – and none more so than between James Joyce and Sylvia herself. It was a really beautiful romance between Sylvia and Adrienne Monier (another ground-breaking single female bookshop owner, this time French), who were drawn to each other through their love for books and literature, and their beliefs that women capable of so much more than the traditional roles of wife, mother, servant …They both believed that people should be free to love whom they choose, and write what and how they will. Censorship was rife in the USA at the time (hence the banning of ‘Ulysses’), prohibition was in full swing, and homosexuality illegal, whereas France was much more liberal on all counts. So, no wonder Sylvia – and many fellow Americans – were drawn to an exuberant Paris that sparkled with culture old and new. That Paris was also inexpensive at the time, added to the appeal. You must come to the reading tonight!" Suzanne exclaimed. "Our dear friends Valery Larbaud and Léon-Paul Fargue will be there. And Jules Romains. You know these writers?" What was telling was how Slyvia's life changed forever for having dared publish such a narrative. Risking ruin, reputation and her business.
THE PARIS BOOKSELLER | Kirkus Reviews
The book was about Sylvia Beach, her shop ‘Shakespeare and Company’, her travails with James Joyce – and so much more.If you ever dreamed you could transport yourself to Paris in the twenties, to Sylvia Beach’s famous bookstore where Joyce, Hemingway, and Pound wandered the aisles, this story’s for you. Maher’s magical touch brings to life a woman whose struggles resonate in today’s world, while also examining the intricacies of friendship, fortitude, and the love of the written word.” Sylvia and Adrienne are devoted readers. How does reading shape their lives? How has reading shaped your life? This was a fun book for book lovers. Many famous authors made appearances in the midst of a great story line. The heroine of the story was a strong woman with lofty goals during a time when women weren't looked upon as successful entrepreneurs. There were surprises throughout the book which kept my interest while reading. It was well written and the descriptions made you feel like you were there. I highly recommend this book for all types of readers.
The Paris A Love Letter to Books: Read Our Review of The Paris
She’d taken a gamble, and it had been the right one. It had all been worth it. This moment, this book, this writer, this city.’ Ulysses from her little bookshop/library in Paris when it was banned and nobody wanted to publish it.I was half way through this book before I realized it is essentially an accurate and lengthy biography of Sylvia Beach and her English language bookshop. Beach and her Paris shop, “Shakespeare and Company”, hosted many of the writers and thinkers of the early half of the 20th century. She came to fame with her publication of James Joyce’s Ulysses when no one else would publish it. In fact, America had declared it pornography and prevented it from being published or sold in the US. The novel also covers her relationship with Adrienne Monnier and Monnier’s French language bookshop. Both women were sponsors of American, French and British writers. Intelligent, fierce and filled with reverence for a fascinating epoch in literary history… a delight for readers and writers” A beautiful ode to Sylvia Beach, the renowned Shakespeare and Company owner, a real-life heroine who has left her mark on us all.” Another thought: a current interpretation of Persuasion by Jane Austen, in a recent Netflix movie, rendered the original intent almost unrecognizable. Austen was hunched over her small writing desk in the village of Chawton during England’s Georgian era as she wrote Persuasion. The viewer, however, most likely will be lying in bed, watching the Netflix movie, interpreted by a totally different writer in another totally contextual era. A book for the bookshop lovers . . . an absorbing novel about the life changing nature of our favourite reads”
The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher - Reading Guide
El libro comienza con una joven Sylvia que sueña con convertirse en escritora pero al llegar a París conocerá a Adrienne y a su famosa librería que la dejará fascinada. La novela abordará cómo estas mujeres lograron convertirse en el centro de intercambio literario más importante de la ciudad, como Sylvia se convertirá en la editora de una de las novelas más importantes del siglo pasado, las desavenencias que pasaron durante la guerra, así como la libertad sexual que vivieron estas mujeres en París. Además se harán muchas referencias a otros escritores muy importantes de la época y que estuvieron involucrados en la vida de la librería, las batallas legales detrás de la publicación de Ulysses y los muchos problemas que Sylvia tuvo que enfrentar para sacar adelante la escritura de James Joyce y ni hablar de todo el trabajo y financiación que Sylvia tuvo que invertir para lograr publicar Ulysses. Silvia was a really interesting lady and a great friend and admirer of James Joyce and also published I'm also the author of THIS IS NOT A WRITING MANUAL, under the name Kerri Majors - it's an advice-y memoir for young people who might want to be writers, or live a creative life and it's full of commiseration and practical tips.
She couldn't help thinking that this distraction was just one more sign she was not destined to be a writer, despite the fact that after all the reading she'd done in her life, everyone around her, from her parents and sisters to her oldest friend, Carlotta Welles, just assumed she would be one. I came to appreciate many of these artists more after reading the story. At the same time, suicide is a running theme in the later part of the book, both among the artists and their families. Some suicides aren't mentioned in the book but are part of the later lives of the people we meet in the story. Be sure to read the author's notes at the end of the book. I always enjoy knowing how an historical fiction author may have taken liberties with dates and fact, to make a story flow more smoothly. I thought these author notes were especially interesting and I appreciate getting to read them. Maher ( The Girl in White Gloves) offers an alluring look at the history of Paris's Shakespeare and Company bookstore." - Publishers Weekly I think this book would appeal to people who enjoy historical fiction and literature lovers. I will watch for more Kerri Maher books in the future. Joyce's time in Paris, his publication issues with Ulysses and his relationship with Sylvia has been thoroughly researched by Maher. She describes the effort Sylvia put in dealing with Joyce, who could be difficult and demanding, in getting his manuscript ready for the printer as well as the strain on her finances that resulted from Joyce's negligence of his own financial affairs and nearly bankrupted 'Shakespeare and Company'. Through it all Sylvia held on to her unwavering belief that Ulysses was a book that must be published.
The Paris _______ (106 books) - Goodreads The Paris _______ (106 books) - Goodreads
Well. There was simply no concentrating on her Spain essay after that. Sitting at her little desk in the Palais, Sylvia kept catching the scent of dust and lavender that reminded her of A. Monnier—the shop and the woman, both—and every time she buried her nose in her sleeves to find the source of it, she found it was always elusive. Shakespeare and Company is more than a bookstore and lending library: Many of the most prominent writers of the Lost Generation, like Ernest Hemingway, consider it a second home. It’s where some of the most important literary friendships of the twentieth century are forged—none more so than the one between Irish writer James Joyce and Sylvia herself. When Joyce’s controversial novel Ulysses is banned, Beach takes a massive risk and publishes it under the auspices of Shakespeare and Company. This right here is what I love about historical books. I learn so much from them that I would have otherwise never known,
The Paris Bookseller
Recommended to fans of Paula McLain’s The Paris Wife and anyone who enjoyed Hemingway's A Moveable Feast.” Ron Rash is renowned for his writing about Appalachia, but his latest book, The Caretaker, begins ... The Paris Review Book: of Heartbreak, Madness, Sex, Love, Betrayal, Outsiders, Intoxication, War, Whimsy, Horrors, God, Death, Dinner, Baseball, Travels, ... Else in the World Since 1953 Kerri Maher has crafted a compelling, insightful look into the complexities of the Kennedy era and one of its most fascinating daughters. Expertly researched, this is a remarkable debut.”
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