Emma Donoghue weaves a vivid tapestry with her words so that the train and its passengers come alive off the pages as they speed towards catastrophe in this brief novel. I hadn't realized until the end that this was the story behind the iconic Montparnasse train wreck photo, and I liked it all the more after discovering that in the final pages. While the writing is beautiful (especially in the sections told from the POV of the train) and the author does a great job keeping the pacing moving right along the tracks, I found it difficult to settle into any of the characters' stories or form a real connection to any of them.

Emma Donoghue’s The Paris Express takes readers on an exhilarating journey aboard a train packed with history, drama, and unforgettable characters. The novel is based on the infamous 1895 Montparnasse train disaster,and as always, Donoghue blends both historical anecdotes and fictional characters inspired by real photos and sets an atmospheric ride during the transformative era in France following the Franco-Prussian war.

I love that she was able to bring to life so many passengers, drawn from across social classes all with their own secrets and ambitions including politicians, a medical student, a secretary, and an anarchist with a dangerous plan. Through these evocative descriptions, Donoghue captures the class divides, gender inequality, and the onslaught of the industrial age.

Donoghue easily shifts between characters and narratives but it was many characters to keep track of! Still I loved it very much as it began to pick up pace, much like the train. The Paris Express both an engaging historical account and a testament to Donoghue's mastery of historical fiction. Prepare to be swept away by this unforgettable story

#SimonAndSchuster #EmmaDonoghue #TheParisExpress

Thank you NetGalley for this early copy of the Paris Express by Emma Donoghue.
I really enjoyed this book. Donoghue has taken, from history, a train full of people and the accident that befell them and crafted a well paced story.
This book is a snapshot of a time and place, where people have a place and station they reside in. The story goes carriage by carriage and introduces us to the myriad of riders and how they came to be seating in their seat. Additionally, we meet and learn the responsibilities of the folks who make the train run and the train itself is a character.
The story barrels along until it comes to a complete stop. Well crafted and written I loved learning about this event in the first place and how Donoghue brought it alive for me.

I really wanted to like this book, but it was just okay to me. I enjoyed how apparent it was that the author spent so much time researching the individuals that she placed on the train, as well as the details of what travel was like. However, there were too many characters to keep up with, and not enough back story for me to be interested in them. The train being sentient was a weird choice for a strictly historical fiction book. I didn’t feel it added anything to know the trains thoughts and feelings, and it seemed to be a way to explain the Company’s actions, policies, and responses to prior issues, or at least that was the only information it did convey, other than a metal object having in a personality despite this not being science fiction. The writing style was not my favorite, and added to what felt a bit chaotic, and at times it was hard to place each individual where they were, or really how they appeared in the context of traveling on this train. I think the biggest disappointment I had was although this is based on a real event, and all occurrences of the accident in the book are true to the actual disaster, the premise of an anarchist on the train to bring about the disaster seemed completely unnecessary.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advance copy of this novel that features a diverse cast of characters all traveling to the City of Lights, Paris, for varied reasons, and the accident that will link them forever.

My authors are content to find a niche and to stick to it. Women in jeopardy, a lone cop doing his job and fighting crime, love stories, or stories about fantasy worlds. From these ideas bestsellers are born. The secret is that editors and publishers don't like it much when authors deviate from these niches. Authors in many ways are brand names, intellectual property no different than Marvel Comics or Disney. No one likes to mess with the brand. Which makes authors like Emma Donoghue important to readers and publishing. To brand her or classify her books would be difficult. A young woman growing up in her kidnappers cell. A story of medieval monks in Ireland, two girls growing up in a school in England. A nurse dealing with sick patients in a time of confusion. A group of passengers on a train. Emma Donoghue is not afraid to write about what interests her, and in turn we as readers have learned much about the world, people we might never have known about and ourselves. Donoghue is an author worth following, wherever Donoghue decides to go. The Paris Express is a novel about a train, a day, an incident and those involved, featuring a large cast of characters, and written in a way only Donoghue can.

The Granville–Paris Express is running a bit late on October 22, 1985. 131 passengers are on-board and a crew, all traveling to the city of Paris for a variety of reasons, in a time when things were changing. France was still recovering from the loss of the Franco-Prussian War, and the mix of advancing technology and still a rural thinking was making things difficult for many. There were debates on the rights of people, the growing question about women, economic problems, and problems with political thoughts, that were starting to grow violent. On this train is a varied group of people from all classes and countries. Politicians headed to Paris to approve or disapprove on issues that could effect many. A few leaving bad relationships, and one or two advancing quickly into bad relationships. A woman trying to prove her worth, in a time that women were not only ignored, but devalued. One carriage is full of discussion on film, the uses and money that could be made, if only people made the right investment. Another carriage has a man thinking that violence is the only answer to the problems of the world, as the train speeds closer to its destiny.

The book is based on a real incident, a train not stopping at the Gare Montparnasse or Paris Montparnasse station, which was caught in photos that remain iconic to this day by Studio Lévy and sons. I have seen the photos before, but knew little about the train accident. What could have been a tragedy for many, but only one person was killed, a bystander outside of the station, a case of luck for some, and bad luck for others. The book features both real and imaginary characters, all intermingled, with conversations that have a trace of truth, and a lot of fiction. The story moves well, and has that ability to know when it should move to another character, something only few authors can do. I enjoyed the ensemble cast, and Donoghue does a good job of giving each character a different voice, and a different way of writing in each section. The story moves well, and once it gets going is very much like the train itself, moving fast and hard to get away from, or put down.

Another great read from an author who constantly changes what she offers to authors. A good point for new readers, and one that fans should also enjoy. I hate to end with such a cliche, but enjoy the ride.

Emma Donaghue bases this novel on an actual train derailment that happened in 1895 Paris. I always like historical fiction so I was excited to read this! However, there are a lot of characters and I had a hard time connecting with any of them. It was an interesting read but I do wish there were fewer characters.

Emma Donoghue’s novel about the Paris Express train derailment of 1895 offers an intriguing glimpse into a historic tragedy, bring together themes of survival, fate, and the interconnected lives of its characters. This historical fiction pulls together facts and fiction that allows you to vividly image the setting and immerse yourself in this fascinating drama of late 19th-century Paris.

However, the large cast of characters can make it a bit hard to follow at times. While their individual stories add a lot to the story line, the sheer number of people to keep track of can be a bit confusing at times. Despite this , the overall story line is well laid out and fascinating.

Even though this is not my personal favorite by this author, The Paris Express is an intriguing and worthwhile read for fans of historical fiction. It’s compelling story line and Donoghue’s strong storytelling skills make it a book you don’t want to miss. I will be eagerly awaiting the next book by this author.

The Paris Express is based on the true story of the tragic train derailment in Europe in 1895. This book features a huge array of characters with diverse backgrounds. We learn about some of the passengers, their hopes, dreams and ambitions. Donoghue writes with such emotion that you almost feel like you’re riding The Paris Express with these mostly likable characters.

I enjoyed the book but found it, at times, a bit long-winded. Nonetheless, I will recommend this book because the story is intriguing and the writing is lovely. Thank you, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the eARC.

I struggled with this one. The lives of the characters on the train were perhaps too many. I would have liked more depth with fewer characters.

Based on a real train derailment accident in 1895 at Montparnasse Train Station in Paris, I was intrigued by the novel’s description, and of course, since it was written by Emma Donoghue, knew the writing would be excellent. Ms. Donoghue did thorough research into the incident, and her novel includes both real and imaginary characters. I am glad I did not know the story of this accident, because it would really have affected my enjoyment of the book. No spoilers, but readers should avoid looking up the history of this book before reading it, keeping in mind that it is historical fiction, not straight history.

My only quibbles are that there are way too many characters, and much time is spent on their various histories, reasons for being on the train, personalities, etc. I found myself skimming through parts to get to the “good stuff.” But I invariably had to go back and find out something that I missed by skipping over it…

Thanks to NetGalley and S&S/Summit Books for the ePub ARC and the opportunity to read and review this book.

Emma Donoghue’s new historical fiction novel, based on the real 1895 accident, follows a cast of characters on the doomed train from Granville to Paris. The book provides the perspective of many different characters on the train, including employees and occupants of all three train classes. While some of these characters have interesting backstories, there were so many of them, at times it was difficult to keep them all straight.

The first half of the novel moved slowly for me, but there is a big reveal about half way through that peeked my interest. While readers know the train is headed for disaster, it was not exactly the disaster I anticipated. I found the afterward that provided historical context to be interesting.

Donoghue’s earlier works, Room and The Wonder are two of my favorites. While I will always continue to read what she’s published, I do sometimes find her writing to be hit or miss with me.

I suppose it's hard to top a book like ROOM. I liked the Paris Express but didn't love it. Donoghue's writing is terrific and she gives us fully fleshed characters all boarding the express train to Paris - a mere seven hours - from the Brittany coast in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd class. The incident that the book revolves around is true and some of the characters are real. There was little she could glean so she was able to make up stories about them all as they rode and made stops and got closer to Paris. There is intrigue and suspense but I found myself wanting to jump ahead at times. The ending was lovely and I suspect at another time, I will have another go at it.

I was absolutely addicted to this story It takes place in 1895 in France, as a train bound for Paris has an interesting assortment of characters riding along. I really thought these characters were fabricated but they were mostly not. The author does an incredible job bringing to life a historical event along with the social complexities of the time. The protagonist is a brilliant creation and creates the necessary tension to the story. Also I enjoyed the detailed descriptions of the functions of a steam train. Well done!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC.

I was not familiar with the actual event this was inspired by which I think is beneficial in reading so as not to know the end result.

It took me a good 50-60% of the book to actually get into the story and still then I wasn’t quite as gripped as I hoped. Some of the characters and their stories shine more than other. The sheer number of characters brought into the story in quick succession was a trouble point for me. I don’t mind stories following multiple characters but they were thrown in a little too quickly without any major identifying/captivating stories at the beginning to keep them straight.

From the 60%ish on I enjoyed the story and how it all unraveled.

With the number of books I read, I am surprised when I read a truly unique story, and this one is a case in point! I really enjoyed the structure of the book that had us stopping at train stations around France, and told the interesting stories of several people who were aboard this real-life historic train ride to Paris in 1895. Refreshing and difficult to put down!

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a strong historical fiction novel, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed in the time-period. It uses the disaster perfectly and brought characters in that felt like they were supposed to. Emma Donoghue has a strong writing style and was hooked from the first page.

The Paris Express was a typical train with people from all walks of life and all around the world. Everybody was trying to get to Paris for one reason or the other. Some had business there. some had more sinister plans for the trip.

I really enjoyed the variety of the characters in this train. No two people were the same. Their interactions were something you can only experience on a public transport. People who wouldn't be looking each other's ways where exchanging stories only to end up in the same tragedy.

It's based on 1895 disaster and I have to say I spent more time in the back of the book looking at the photos and reading about victims than in the front. That does not mean that story was not captivating, but the photos of the disaster were even more captivating.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this book!!

What a great book!! It had me hooked from page one! I couldn’t put this down. I finished it in one sitting. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters. This was a first for me by this author but it will not be my last!!

What a marvelous work of historical fiction based on a true event. I felt as if I was riding with the passengers on this trip to Montparnasse. The train’s speed, the potential interactions with the passengers made for a thrilling and exciting and informative read.