Publication of Ulysses by a Paris Bookseller

Sylvia Beach was enchanted by Paris when she lived there as a child. As an adult her dream was to open an English language bookstore there. Her first taste of a bookshop in Paris came when she browsed in Adrienne Monnier’s bookstore. The attraction between the two was instantaneous and Adrienne became a major part of Sylvia’s life when she opened her own bookstore, Shakespeare and Company, in the1920s.

The book is historical fiction, but it’s well researched and revolves more around the famous authors, Hemingway, Stein, Pound, and others who frequented the shop and became Sylvia’s friends than a romance. The most important figure in Sylvia’s life as a bookseller was James Joyce. Theirs was a strong bond. When Ulysses was banned in the United States, Sylvia decided to publish the book under the auspices of Shakespeare and Company. Although she championed Joyce and published his novel, they eventually broke when he went to a New York publisher. I thought the author did an excellent job describing the sometimes difficult relationship between the two.

Sylvia’s life in the bohemian areas of Paris is fascinating. I particularly enjoyed the glimpse of the soon to be famous writers who frequented the shop. The book is heavy on the historical detail. The author’s final notes on how she chose dates and characters to portray to keep the story moving are well worth reading. If you enjoy English literature, this is a must read.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

This incredible story brings us to Paris in the 1920's and we meet Sylvia who is an American living in Paris. She begins her journey as a writer but soon meets Adrienne and her life takes a change for the better and her path and journey in Paris becomes nothing short of amazing.

Sylvia soon realizes that opening a book shop/lending library offers her more joy than writing and the relationships that she develops with many influential writers from Europe help change history not only in Paris but also in America. Her friendship with James Joyce ends up taking her on a path she hadn't originally planned but not only brings her name into fame but also her beloved store Shakespeare and Company as the publisher for Joyce's banned book in America.

This is a great story not only about the publication of James Joyces Ulysses but also about love, friendship and the birth of many great publications we have all come to love as the classics.

The iconic 1920s Paris bookstore, Shakespeare and Company, and its owner, Sylvia Beach, were responsible for first publishing James Joyce’s ULYSSES despite it being banned and deemed unpublishable in the United States. This atmospheric novel recreates the time, place, and social life that drew so many American authors to Paris, including Hemingway and Stein. The best parts are the glimpses of society and the passion for books and reading that permeated Beach’s world.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for the ARC to read and review.

What an extraordinary book by Kerri Maher about an extraordinary woman.
The book tells the story of Sylvia Beach, the founder and owner of Shakespeare and Company, the first bookstore for English books in France, and an institution in and out itself.

But more than telling the story of a bookstore this book gives us the real connection between it, Sylvia and the famous book Ulysses by James Joyce. The book is banned in the United States by the Volstead Act for indecency, preventing it to be printed there. Sylvia decides to publish it in Paris as a Shakespeare and Company publisher, even though she had never have publish anything before. It is fitting that The Paris Bookseller is being published on the 100th anniversary of the publication of Ulysses.

You can't think of Shakespeare and Company without thinking of Ulysses, Sylvia and Joyce, they are intertwined one with another and always will be, even though Sylvia and Joyce part ways in not so amicable terms because of Ulysses and Joyce's desire to publish it in the States when the banned on the book is lifted.

The book pays homage to this exceptional woman and gives us an amazing view of the literary scene, both French and American in the Paris of the 1920's, 30's and 40's. You will read the names of Hemingway, Stein, Ezra Pound and others who were frequent visitors of the bookstore.

The bookstore becomes the center of the expatriate Americans and tourists that came for recommendations that Sylvia always provided for.

Don't miss on reading the author notes by the end of the book as they gives inside and wonderful information about the whole period and era where the book is set on.

Kerri Maher has written a remarkable book, with an extensive research, this book will speak to anyone who loves historical fiction and who loves books, especially if you love bookstores, it will stir a longing in you to go an visit your preferred one and immerse yourself in the books in it.

If you enjoy books and historical fiction this is a book that will bring joy to your life. We have Sylvie who is an American and in 1912 opens a book shop in Paris called Shakespeare and Company. There are many authors from that time who end up finding a home in that bookstore. When James Joyce’s address is has trouble finding a publisher Sylvie decides to publish it. What comes afterward makes Sylvie’s life more difficult. Other publishers want to take over after their success. There is also the financial aspects that come with the depression coming on. Throughout the story you see how her love for books helps her get through all of the situation. If you are a book lover the history that you learn through this book is immense. It’s a lovely book that shows you a part of history that you might not have known.

The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher is an absorbing biographical novel that tells the story of Sylvia Beach and her iconic Paris bookstore, Shakespeare and Company. Settling in Paris after the end of WWI, Sylvia is at a loss as to what to do with her life. She then befriends Parisian bookstore owner Adrienne Monnier who introduces her into a society consisting of the great literati of the time. Sylvia also discovers that Paris is a haven for those who prefer same sex relationships which have become illegal in other places. She soon decides to open an English bookstore and lending library catering to the many expats and tourists flocking to the city of lights. Before long her business is thriving and her relationship with Adrienne has developed into a deep love affair. Shakespeare and Company becomes the meeting place for many of the soon to be famous writers such as Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound and Gertrude Stein. Sylvia’s most important client is James Joyce, whose new book, Ulysses, having been banned in other countries; Joyce has not been able to find a publisher. Sylvia decides to champion this momentous novel and its author by publishing it herself despite never having ventured into the field before. Joyce proves to be a recalcitrant client, making changes to his tome even while it is at the publishers; arguing about profit percentages. Sylvia’s work with Joyce is almost her undoing, financially and emotionally; possibly ending the fragile friendship between herself and Joyce.

This wonderful work of fiction is well-researched with a powerful sense of time and place. The Paris of the 1920’s and 30’s comes alive in the author’s skillful hands taking the reader back to Sylvia’s Shakespeare and Company, sitting beside the great writers of the time. I highly recommend this novel to fans of historical fiction, biographical fiction, and the expat world of Paris between the wars.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

Published just in time for the 100th anniversary of Joyce’s Ulysses, THE PARIS BOOKSELLER is a moving celebration of the enduring power of literature and art.

This fantastic historical fiction novel by Kerri Maher, Writer released January 11, 2022.

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for this gifted copy.

𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦: 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘍𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴, 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘍𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘈𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘍𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.

The beautiful cover is an oil painting by artist Terry Miura Studio .

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/

Maher dropped me directly at #8 Rue Dupuytren in Paris, the first home to Beach’s Shakespeare and Company. Her story follows Beach opening her shop and her fraught journey working with James Joyce and publishing Ulysses. Every great book needs a stellar backdrop and Maher delivers just that by illuminating the pages of her book with atmospheric prose that made me experience sitting in Shakespeare’s oversized chair amongst the dusty bookshelves and smoke-filled air. I love how alive Sylvia and the cast of characters felt as they engaged in the liveliest of conversations, drank countless cups of wine, and shared effortless Parisian fare. While Maher’s description of this grandiloquent time period set the overall vibe for this story, it was her portrayal of Sylvia Beach that not only stole the show but won my heart forever.

I was so delighted that Maher introduced her readers to Sylvia Beach the PUBLISHER. Yes, Shakespeare and Company was her first baby, but Joyce’s Ulysses was equally important to her. Beach was an American woman ahead of her time. Instead of marrying young and starting a family like so many women her age, she fell in love with a woman and started a small business in Paris. She fought with every breath in her body for Joyce’s work to be read. She painstakingly worked with him and his uneven personality and diminishing eyesight to make unremitting changes to his book. She went to bat for him countless times with printers, booksellers, and the US naysayers of his work to assure them that his words were truly innovative and worth the read. She drained her account for his mistakes, her personal life with Adrienne took a hit, and like so many of us modern-day women, she struggled greatly to find the ultimate work-life balance. Beach prevailed though and delivered the first published edition of Ulysses to Joyce.

Maher illustrated everything Beach endured with perfection. Beach’s passion for Adrienne seeped through the pages. I could vividly see her nicotine-stained fingers and teeth. I could feel her heart rate increase every time she met with Joyce. I related to her emotional strain of trying to “do it all” with only finite minutes in a day. I cheered for her taking on a male-dominated world when she was the one DOING ALL THE WORK. But most of all Maher introduced me to Beach’s ceaseless love for all things books and writing. At the end of the day, Sylvia Beach was the ULTIMATE BOOK INFLUENCER, and I am so very thankful for her.

This is the kind of book that can send you down a rabbit hole to learn more about the characters!

I love when I can learn new things about our past! While this book is fictionalized, it is based on some real-life people including bookshop owner and publisher Sylvia Beach, author James Joyce, and many many more. Set primarily in the 20s and 30s, this is a look into Sylvia's life opening a bookstore and deciding that Ulysses by James Joyce needed to be published and since America was banning the book as obscene, it needed to be published in Europe. Imagine typing up the book from someone's handwriting, that could be treacherous work and it was in one case where the husband came home and burned the pages because he considered it scandalous. Needless to say, that caused quite a pickle since there was not a way to recreate the chapter...or was there?

I have to admit, when I first started reading the book it was hard to get into and I'm not sure why. It might have felt a little high brow, but as I settled into the characters and their lives, I became immersed in the lives of the artists, how Sylvia was doing with her bookstore, her life with her lover Adrienne, and a little family drama thrown in to boot. I have to admit to searching online for Sylvia Beach and her life and accomplishments. I love that she jumped right in and started her store, primarily for ex-pats living in Paris, but it because a meeting place for writers, musicians, poets, and more.

James Joyce was a mess in this book. I don't know if this is how he was in real life, but I have to imagine it is loosely based on the truth. He might have had a brilliant mind, but he was hard to deal with on many fronts and it cost Sylvia nearly everything.

This well-researched book will have you dreaming of Paris and the life that was available to many in the early 1900s compared to other countries. The glimpses of well know authors had me wondering what that life must have been like, to meet such great minds before they were just that.

Overall, we give this 4 paws up and will be looking for more books by this author.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to participate in the blog tour. Attached is a link to my 1/11/2022 review:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CYmcvq0raz2/

“An English language bookshop in France?”
Kerri Maher’s The Paris Bookseller is the story of American Sylvia Beach, expatriate living in Paris, who opened Shakespeare and Company in 1921. She subsequently published the Irish author, James Joyce’s Ulysses, though banned in the U.S. and Britain. This novel is especially for bibliophiles who will understand Sylvia’s sentiment to “help them find the exact book they were looking for, the volume they had no idea they needed but that might just change their lives.” This is what led Sylvia to open an English language bookshop and the courage to publish Joyce’s book in France. She wanted “to do something to rebel against the stodgy, censorious forces at work in America,” in the early 1920’s. Maher’s research includes details, accounts of the visits, and sentiments of many famous clientele, from Gertrude Stein to Ernest Hemingway. Readers will sense the angst and lack of confidence that Sylvia feels in her personal relationship with Adrienne Monnier and the extreme difficulty she has separating the feelings for her bookshop from the needy, sometimes annoying Joyce. What would Shakespeare and Company be without the famous author? Maher takes readers on the perilous journeys of finding love, being true to oneself, parental influence, the ins and outs of publishing, legal battles, and finance, all while maintaining sanity. Maher’s goal to “imagine the roller coaster ride of pride, joy, and anguish” is accomplished in The Paris Bookseller.

If there is one thing that I have learned about literature, it’s that every story has a history. Some we learn, some we will never know. What matters is that the story is there, ready to consume, because of the belief of someone.

As a lover of Paris, I opened the pages to The Paris Bookseller, unaware of what it would bring me. Would I feel transported to the world? Would I feel as though it was a story out of place and time? Would it capture what Paris is? What it could be?

Having been to Paris, Shakespeare and Company has always fascinated me. It’s been a place where I felt at home, but I never knew any origins or anything about the original Shakespeare and Company.

I will admit that I am not the biggest fan of historical fiction. I do know that history does repeat itself and reading historical fiction is important. The Paris Bookseller is beautifully written, words woven together to pull you in, grab hold of your literature loving heart, and wishing that you were born in a different time.

That being said, even the most beautifully written books aren’t books that we necessarily love.

In the book, as Sylvia and Adrienne set out on their romantic journey, the two are swept up in the ever bustling world of writers in Paris. Sylvia has opened up the first English bookstore and lending library in Paris. It caters to the tourists and ex-pats who are visiting or living in the City of Lights. Adrienne is the owner of another book store in Paris. They have found comfort and love in each other. They are spending time with each other, everyone wrapped up in living their best lives, and finding their way.

Sylvia is entranced by James Joyce and when his book Ulysses is banned in other countries, and Joyce was unable to find a publisher. Sylvia takes on the cost of publishing the book, even going as far to smuggle it to places that it was banned. Taking on the financial burden, as well as Joyce’s demand on her time and money, eventually was a large part of her undoing financially and health wise. But reading The Paris Bookseller, you can tell that Sylvia still appreciated what she had done and believed in her choices.

Even when Joyce went as far to publish with another publisher.

Reading the book, you can understand and see that Maher loved the subject matter. And it’s that care that comes across in the beautifully weaved words that strung together to keep you entranced, like one becomes entranced with Paris. But, my issue with the book is that it felt as though it was bogged down with details and left me feeling like I was in school reading a well written text book.

It wasn’t a book that I could get through in one sitting, it took time. But I don’t regret the time that I took to read it. It gave me a want to revisit books from some of the greats.

For fans of historical fiction, The Paris Bookseller is a must read. Maher’s love for history shines through. Make sure to read the authors note at the end, as it will help to understand the story and Sylvia overall.

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

Historical fiction? ✔
Story about writers, booksellers, or booklovers? ✔
Set in Paris? ✔

How could this not be my first must-read book of the year?

Released today, The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher is an extraordinary novel. In a nutshell, it’s the fictional biography of Sylvia Beach, the owner/manager of Shakespeare and Company, the first English-language bookstore in Paris.

What a life she led!

An American partly brought up in Paris, Sylvia returns to the city she loves to join the American expats congregating there in the 1910s. Her first stop is a shop in the Latin Quarter: A. Monnier, bookseller. There she meets Adrienne Monnier, the proprietor, a woman who is to become her inspiration, fiercest supporter, and love of her life.

Sylvia immerses herself in the artistic and literary culture of early twentieth century Paris. Adrienne’s store is a gathering place and Sylvia is rapidly accepted into the world of Ezra Pound, Gertrude Stein, Valery Larbaud, Jules Romains—great thinkers and writers of the time. Determined to create something of her own, Sylvia realizes that what Paris needs is an English-language bookstore to help the cross-fertilization of Continental minds and English-speaking ones. And so, she starts Shakespeare and Company. Soon the likes of Hemingway and Fitzgerald are added to the mix. She even meets and becomes friends with the brilliant, innovative writer she admires most of all: James Joyce.

This novel succeeds so well because it is not a name-dropping tale of historical greats, but a resurrection of that vibrant community. (I’m so envious of that lifestyle, those conversations, that food!) Sylvia’s gift is her ability to befriend these artists, support their work, and become a part of their lives. (Kerri Maher’s gift is the ability to bring this all into my living room, dissolve the walls, and make me feel I’m in Paris.)

In the free-living Parisian society, no one bats an eye at Sylvia’s relationship with Adrienne, a well-established essayist, reviewer, publisher, and hostess, already beloved by all. Yet Sylvia is still dissatisfied. She wants to accomplish something unique, something lasting. She finds her cause when Joyce’s latest work, Ulysses, is in danger of being banned in the U.S. for obscenity on the basis of a few serialized chapters in literary journals. No one will publish the book. Not in the U.S., England, or Ireland. Sylvia decides Shakespeare and Company will be his publisher.

Joyce is a genius. His work is important. No one in her circle disputes that. He can be charming and even occasionally thoughtful. But the man is a parasite. A needy, greedy, self-centered parasite. And Sylvia is a giver.

The novel is beautifully balanced. As awful as Joyce is, he’s also single-mindedly driven for a purpose. And if we readers, like Adrienne, wish Sylvia would give him the shove, we can also appreciate why she doesn’t.

While the strife with Joyce and Ulysses are central and bound up with the success and struggles of Shakespeare and Company (and Sylvia often feels she and the bookstore are one entity), The Paris Bookseller is more than the story of the conflict between these two. It’s a sweeping story of a time and place, and of a heart-warming community.

My first read of 2022 and I’ve already found this year’s favorite.

Just please don’t say I should now try to tackle Ulysses.

First of all, let me get two things out of the way. First, I found a very bad mistake show up early in the book, which sadly wasn’t caught (and appeared more than once). The mistake is regarding the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. This story starts out in 1917, and Maher has Sylvia taken there by Adrienne to see a particular painting. The problem is that this museum was only founded in 1986, and opened in late 1987. In 1917 it was still a railway station, so they couldn't have gone to see a painting there back then. Second, I have a particular pet peeve regarding name dropping in historical fiction novels. Yes, I understand that biographical books like this one will have quite a few mentions of other real-life personalities. However, if these names show up too much, for me, it can detract from the essence of the story at hand. Maher came dangerously close to frustrating me in this respect (I actually DNF two books last year because of too much name dropping). Thankfully, Maher was able to pull some of this back, and allow Sylvia to remain the main focus here.

That said, my first reason for wanting to read this book is because I enjoyed Maher’s two previous novels. My second reason is because – hello! The Shakespeare & Co. bookstore! I’ve been to the "new" shop, dedicated to the original one, and it is a truly wonderful place. So, to read about the woman who established the original one was just fascinating. Obviously, Maher decided to focus her story on the time in Sylvia's life prior to the outbreak of WWII, starting from the very humble beginnings and the majority of the years this shop was open, which I think was very wise of her.

There are four parts to this novel. The first and last parts focus mostly on Sylvia; her opening the shop, her relationship with Adrienne, and the difficult times for booksellers between the world wars. The second part, however, has a greater emphasis on her work to get James Joyce’s novel “Ulysses” published, which was no small feat, together with the aftermath of that release in the third part of this book. Some of the problems arose when it was initially banned in the US for being “obscene.” Remember, this was a time when American was dealing with some very conservative people in government (heard of Prohibition?), and they actually enlisted the post office to help them censor banned books. That this book shop would go so far as to undertake publishing this controversial book was fascinating to read about, and Maher allows us to get to know more about Sylvia as well as become familiar with this iconic Irish writer. Now, I’m not going to go out and read that book, even though I enjoyed his short stories, mostly because I had a hard time with his Portrait of an Artist, so I think a brick like this isn’t for me.

This made me realize that the middle two parts had a different feel to them than the first and last ones did. Now, I don’t mean this in a bad way – the whole book is really nicely written, and exactly what I expected from Maher. However, it felt like all the “action” came during the second part, and that the tension faded away a bit too slowly until the end of the third part. This also meant that the last part felt like a conclusion that was a bit longer than necessary, although no less interesting – just… calmer – sort of like a cool down after a hard workout. All told, I really enjoyed this book, and it brought back my memories of visiting there myself. So, I will warmly recommend this novel with a very healthy four out of five stars.

The store Shakespeare and Company is a bucket list destination for this reader even though the store in existence now is not the store originally established by Sylvia Beach. Although I am not the reader for The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher, I so appreciate the introduction to the history of the store and its intriguing founder. I honor the book and the author in words from the book itself.” And I feel nothing but gratitude for the writers who make the sentences. Sentences have changed my life."

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2022/01/the-paris-bookseller.html

Reviewed for NetGalley and a publisher blog tour.

I gasped with joy when I received this ARC from Berkley Publishing. How could any book lover not?

So beautifully written, so deftly described, the story introduces readers to American Sylvia Beach who opened Shakespeare and Company in Paris in 1919.

Soon home to such literary lights as Hemingway and Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald, T.S. Elliot, and Ezra Pound, the now iconic bookstore became a beacon of freedom when Sylvia decided to publish James Joyce's banned ULYSSES.

What a compelling read as we learn the emotional and financial fallout, and also feel the impact of the global Depression when many of Sylvia's author friends returned home. Equally poignant is her personal story as a lesbian who found community and love in the City of Light.

Highly recommended for anyone who adores books, histfic novels you just can't put down, and Paris, which as Audrey said, "Is always a good idea." Out January 11.

Thanks to the author, Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley, and NetGalley for the ARC; opinions are mine.

#TheParisBookseller #NetGalley

https://mauriceonbooks.wordpress.com/2022/01/10/the-paris-bookseller-by-kerri-maher
Maher brings Paris and books vividly to life. Loved this book. Screaming to the rooftops about it.

I enjoyed The Paris Bookseller very much. It's not my usual read, and I'm not sure where I got the recommendation. But I'm glad I read it.

The Paris Bookseller is Sylvia Beach, an actual historical figure. Sylvia moves to Paris in the 1910s, mostly because it is a more tolerant environment for a lesbian. She ends up opening a bookstore, Shakespeare and Company, which is the first in Paris to sell English books. She gains quite a clientele of ex-pats, including famous names such as Gertrude Stein and Ernest Hemingway.

James Joyce becomes one of Sylvia's best friends and when his book, Ulysses, is banned in the United States, Sylvia decides Shakespeare and Company should publish it. Sylvia works very hard and sacrifices much to see this book published.

The story moves slowly but is written well, so I enjoyed getting to know Sylvia intimately. She also develops a romance that gets her through many trials. I enjoyed getting to experience Paris during the twenties and into the thirties, with the difficulties of the Depression. I wanted to know about Ulysses and even read the first three (of eighteen) sections. It is very "stream of conscious" and contains so many allegories that I didn't understand that I quit. I get the idea, although didn't read enough to understand why it was banned.

It helped me to know that The Paris Bookseller is basically a true story. Only a few characters are fictional. Everything that happens really happened, although the timeline was altered slightly in a few spots. Beach is a fascinating character, flaws and all. Honestly, I'm not sure I would have been very interested in this book if it weren't based in truth.

If you are at all interested in Sylvia Beach or the Paris literary scene during the 20s, pick up The Paris Bookseller.

Sylvia Beach moves to Paris, to her mind the most fabulous city in the world, with plans to become a writer. Instead, inspired by Adrienne Monnier’s bookstore, in 1919 she opens Shakespeare & Company, an English-language bookshop and lending library.

Her store quickly becomes a meeting place for ex-pats including Ezra Pound, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and T.S. Elliot, as well as the first stop for Americans visiting or moving to Paris. When James Joyce’s ULYSSES is deemed obscene and unable to find a publisher, Sylvia decides to publish the book herself—and arrange for copies to be smuggled into the United States. Joyce, though, is demanding emotionally and financially, and Sylvia vacillates between protecting her favorite writer and maintaining her other relationships, not to mention the well-being of herself and her bookstore.

THE PARIS BOOKSELLER is a fascinating portrait of the early publication history of ULYSSES, none of which I knew, including the impact of America’s Comstack Act and the heroism of women who championed the manuscript but who were often derided by men. It asked the question whether the art and artist could be separated—Joyce was such a frustrating figure despite his importance to literature!

The novel also provides an interesting look at the romantic relationship between Sylvia and Adrienne as well as a window into the acceptance of gay and lesbian relationships in the 1920s and the vibrant night life Paris had to offer.

For historical fiction readers, particularly those who like books about books, bookstores, and libraries such as A PERSONAL LIBRARIAN.

I loved this book. It’s the story of Sylvia Beach, an American who arrived in Paris ready to love all things French. It’s based on a true story which makes the book even more fascinating. The book covers the opening of the original Shakespeare and Company bookshop, which carried books in English and acted as a lending library.

Soon after her arrival, she met a woman named Adrienne Bonnier, who owned a bookstore and became her lover. They were together for 35 years. Adrienne encouraged her to open a store that carried English language books, and Shakespeare and Company was born.

Sylvia and the store attracted the writers who frequented Paris in the 1920s that Gertrude Stein called “the Lost Generation “. Writers like Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Stein, Eliot, Pound, and others used the store as a meeting place, and received messages and mail there. Sylvia supported them financially, and carried their books.

Sylvia also met James Joyce, the Irishman who wrote “Ulysses”. The book was banned in the US and UK, and Joyce couldn’t find a publisher. Sylvia became the book’s champion and publisher. She had the book smuggled to locations in Europe and the US, and supported Joyce financially, which almost led to her losing the store. Sylvia stayed open briefly during the occupation of Paris by the Germans during WWII, but she eventually shut down and never reopened.

The Shakespeare and Company bookshop in Paris today is in a different location and opened in 1951. It’s a fascinating place to visit and has become a gathering place for writers of a new generation.

The book is vibrant and shows what the Paris of the 20’s was like - the food, the people, and the city. One interesting thing was the contrast in attitudes between France and the US, homosexuality and alcohol were viewed differently between the two countries.

Reading this book was like being transported to another time and place and I highly recommend it. 5 stars. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.