AMAZING! I love everything about this book! I can't wait to share this story with my students and friends.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting access to this book.

This is another book where I should've checked the reviews before requesting. Unfortunately this book did not work for me. I thought it was a little long and therefore boring.

I love many of Emma Donoghue's novels so this ARC was a treat to receive. However, this is not a plot-driven novel and at times I found it difficult to stay engaged. There are numerous characters to keep track of, possibly too many, and not the drama you might expect from a book about a train wreck. I would recommend this for readers interested in this period of time and who enjoy character building over suspense. Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC. Pub Date: Mar 18, 2025

#TheParisExpress

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with an advanced review copy of #TheParisExpress by #EmmaDonoghue. Emma Donoghue is a great writer and I love when she comes out with historical fiction books. This book is highly character driven and is focused on the lives of people on the train that crashed through Montparnasse station.
I think this was a well written book, but I am a plot reader so this was a slow one for me.

What a ride this was (pun definitely intended!)

I am so glad I didn't look up the actual details of this train incident before reading this book and if you don't already know, I highly recommend going in blind. It will result in a delicious tension build up towards the end as the train rushes on to its final destination.

At first I was overwhelmed by the number of passenger and crew POVS we were getting, but that is the sheer brilliance of this book. As a regular train rider myself, its a good reminder how many lives and stories are boarding for a regular commute every single day.

The research that was required to write this book was executed perfectly as well. Highly enjoyable read!

Like strangers on a train. There are those for whom this book is not. If you want a main protagonist with a linear plot, a love story, and fast paced action with an obvious conclusion and theme, this is not that and may explain some of the lower ratings in previous reviews. If, like me, you enjoy deeply drawn characters, incredibly nuanced and meticulously detailed historical recreations, thematic tie ins between society then and now, and subtle political commentary across incredibly varying socioeconomic belief systems, then you will love this book.

I have read almost all of Emma Donoghue’s previous books, so I thought that I knew what to expect with this one, but the depth and eye for detail was unsurpassed. The speeding train, the different classes, the mini plot lines and characters in each train car, the personification of the locomotive herself, the nuance of the societal parallels… It is oddly comforting for me to understand through works like this one that today’s struggles are not new or unique or even nearly as insurmountable as they currently seem. This book accomplished that for me and left me out of breath at the end and anxious to delve more deeply into the breadcrumbs of historical allusions that were littered throughout.

A deep thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this Advance Reader Copy.

I’ll read anything that Emma Donoghue writes. The Paris Express took longer to engage me than her other books down to the sheer number of characters. It is based on a real train derailment in 1895 as the train pulled into the Montparnasse station in Paris.
The reader is introduced to numerous characters, in first, second and third class, the workers and even the train itself. This last part was a big miss for me as magical realism rarely works for me. Donoghue does a good job of introducing the reader to the time period - social divisions, the rise of anarchists, railroad company practices, even medical theories. We are even given quite an education on the actual mechanics of running the train. We get a glimpse into each of these characters’ lives. The problem is that with this many characters, it’s hard to keep track of them, let alone become truly engaged with any of them. The two who truly registered with me were Bronska and Mado, on opposite ends of the age and philosophical spectrum. The writing is, as you would expect, poetic. “She liked to drink in the atmosphere of burning zeal flavoured with rage.”
It’s very much a slow burn with little action for the first 90% of the story. There is some tension involving an anarchist on the train. The reader knows the bare bones of what will happen. The question is, how will it play out for each of these individuals. Don’t read this expecting some sort of thriller. Those that rush through hoping to get to the actual train wreck will be severely disappointed. Make sure to read the Author’s Notes to discover how many of these individuals truly lived, what they accomplished and which were actually on the train.
My thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an advance copy of this book.

A fantastic historical thriller. The train is full of characters so well written that you will think you are there with them.

This is very different from other Emma Donoghue books but then all her books are very different from each other. I probably would not have read it if it were not for the author. Even though that time period or subject is particularly interesting to me, she made the book compelling through the different characters. I can see some readers have a problem following the large number of POVs but if you like Emma Donoghue, give it a try.

this book was a bit too historical and in the past for my liking. It was hard to get through. I was not the biggest fan

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

All aboard, we are taking a train to Paris.
A very interesting train ride from Granville to Paris. We meet many people from various places, who are traveling in different classifications on the train, two of them have their own carriage.
This story is based on a true train accident in 1895 at the Montparnassee train station.
The writing was very descriptive, of the many people on the train and why they were there. I thought there were too many characters. I just wanted to get the story of what happened.
Emma Donoghue does a wonderful job of weaving the characters onto the social issues of the time. Extensive research went into writing this book. There are members of Parliament rushing back to Paris to vote, a young anarchist making plans to change the world, an American painter and the lives of the train crew.
I enjoyed the journey to Paris. I learned a lot about France at the time and history of trains.

Thank you to NetGalley and S&S Summit Books for this advanced readers copy.

There is a well known 1895 photograph of a train bursting through the wall of the Paris Montparnasse train station. This story was inspired by that photograph. We join the Paris express train at the beginning of its journey. The passengers and crew are all part of the story - their concerns, lives, plots! - make up the tale of the hours of the ride to Paris and the startling climax.

I’m not sure why but I had a hard time connecting with this one. There wasn’t anything wrong it just didn’t work for me personally.

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.