There's an inherently romantic aspect to train stories--you come into them with the expectation that something atmospheric is going to happen, whether it's a murder, a love connection, or some other dramatic or catastrophic event. In this case it's the latter, but in an unexpected way. This story is a mix of historical fact and invention--even more so than just the fictionalization of documented history. In this case, Donoghue took a fair amount of liberty with the occupants of the train. I say this up front because I spent the entire book thinking, "wow, there are a lot of really interesting people on this train," only to discover in the author's notes that a number of them are "they could have been" passengers rather than "they were." There's also an anthropomorphic take on the train itself which I found initially startling but settled into as an acceptable poetic device.
Overall, I think it effectively accomplishes the primary goal of historical fiction--to immerse you in a time and place and teach you a little bit along the way. We get a comprehensive look at the operation of turn of the century railroads, and we get glimpses into the lives of a variety of first, second, and third class passengers. I also learned a bit about the French anarchist movement. The dramatic pacing was effective from start to finish, with a bit of a twist at the end made even more interesting because it's based on actual events.

This work of historical fiction is based on a real life disaster that occurred at a Paris train station in 1895. The work begins jumping between characters - many, many characters. I had a difficult time connecting with any of the characters, and I think this is because there are so many of them introduced in such a short time, and not much time is spent providing depth to them. Less characters with more time spent making them feel like real people would have made this work much stronger.

The plot of this pace is quite slow, maybe even mostly nonexistent. The last half of the book is more interesting as there are more actions occurring and less time introducing characters. I enjoyed the historical details that were incorporated throughout, including details that were introduced related to people's jobs and everyday lives.

Overall, this is an okay historical fiction but wasn't strong enough in any area to really make it excel. My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Did you ever read a story by an author whose previous book you adored, only to discover that you were woefully disappointed?

No wonder it took so long to finish reading…the story was never fascinating enough for me to reach for it eagerly.

The only redeeming quality was that I learned a bit about the late nineteenth century in France — additional factual details were also provided in the author’s note.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC, anyway.

The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue is based on a true event that took place in 1895. There are photographs that show that despite an averted disaster the train was almost destroyed.
The train held an assorted cast of characters heralding from all over the world including an anarchist who has a scary plan for the train and the people in it.
The author has created fascinating stories about some of these characters. She takes you on a terrifying ride

The Paris Express is a well balanced mix of history and fiction. Emma Donoghue obviously did a lot of research to bring together both people who were on the fated train and people who would have been on the train in the time of the accident. Overall, the book is perfectly timed to spotlight the entitlement of the rich and those who are the victims of their actions.

The Paris Express was an excellent novel! I loved the train setting and the structure as well kept the storytelling tight. I loved Donaghue's reflections on class, gender, radicalism, and race. It was fun but I felt that it had amazing character study.

I always enjoy Emma Donoghue's writing and am always impressed with the wide range of topics and styles incorporated in her writing. The Paris Express is an interesting story of a train trip going from the French countryside to Paris in the last decade of the 19th century. We meet a variety of the crew and passengers, and as Donoghue bounces among all the key characters, we develop interest in their individual stories and also in the fate of the train and everyone on it. I really enjoyed the way the book built in issues of that time period and details about technology, medicine, history, art, and more - all without losing sight of the human struggles facing each passenger. The relatively short length of the book suited the nature of the plot. I wouldn't call this an utterly propulsive read, but it did have momentum that kept me reading, and the author's note at the end provided interesting facts and context about the event depicted in the novel.

What a fascinating story. And the author’s notes were excellent background to the inspiration behind this book. I had never heard of this event until now and and this historical fiction account was well done.
Thanks to #NetGalley and #TheParisExpress for advanced digital copy.

The Paris Express is based on the real life disaster at the Montparnasse train station in 1895. The chapters are broken up by the stops along the way and loved getting glimpses of the different passengers and their lives. I loved the epilogue where Donoghue explains which passengers are real, and which lived during this time period but are not known to have been involved in this incident, and those that are fictional. Some of the parts relating to the train and how it works were a bit boring for me but otherwise the pacing of this short novel was quite fast. I love Donoghue's writing, and also love how her books are so incredibly different. While this one won't be an all-time favorite like Room, the Wonder, Slammerkin and The Pull of the Stars, it was quite enjoyable. It is clear she did an incredible amount of research into the time period and actual events. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced digital copy. 4 stars.

Emma Donoghue's The Paris Express mines the history books to tell the story of an infamous Paris train disaster. We've all seen the photograph (it's included in the novel) and Donoghue creates suspense to hang on the known timeline the train kept on the line from Granville to Paris.

October 1895. The tension is palpable as each chapter gets us closer to Paris. Passengers embark and disembark. Those passengers include fictional as well as real people who were actually on the train. The imagined conversations between these passengers, the dramas that occur when first class meets second class, in the crowded third class carriages, class and racial disparities, staff and customer, educated and other, it all builds up to a train full of people we care about arriving safely in Paris.

I am a big Emma Donoghue fan and enjoyed this journey, the characters, the time capsule

My thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the Advance Reader Copy. (pub date 3/18/2025)

This book was about the diverse passengers on an 8 hr train from Granville France to Paris in 1895; Chapters were divided into stops along the way and the time of arrival and departure. Each passenger was introduced to the reader and their activities on the train were included which brought out the individual characters more fully. To be honest, I got a little tired of hearing about the passengers because nothing much happened, and the chapters were more of a character study in 19th century manners. The reader is privy to the inner thoughts and the interaction of the passengers and the crew as well as their backstories. The author really brought to life the speech patterns, the foods, and the social strata of the time and obviously researched the event and the time thoroughly.
However, the last 3 chapters were heart-pounding as the train sped toward Paris-Montparnesse and the eventual disaster.
The author's note at the end clarified which characters were based on real people and which were fictitious. It started out with a picture of the train that the tore through the station. She also included facts about the disaster as reported in newspapers in France and around the world, and information that she researched. I loved the way she wove their stories into the book because they were, for the most part, unrelated people who would probably never cross paths again.
I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher and am leaving my honest opinion.

Every great invention costs a few lives

On October 22, 1895, an express train left the station in Granville on the Normandy coast of France at 10:04 am, its destination Paris. Its passengers and crew ran the gamut of age and social class, their one commonality their need or desire to get from one destination to another. The train made its customary stops along the way, in places like Vire, Flers and Dreux, before arriving at the Gare Montparnasse at 4:00 pm. Over the course of the voyage the novel details the lives, loves and dreams of many of the passengers and crew, from a member of parliament who is rushing to make a vote to a medical student whose mind is focused on the condition of a patient, from two crew members engaged in a quiet relationship to a young woman unhappy with the state of the world who is plotting a violent act. What should have been a routine voyage by rail would become anything but ordinary when it ends in horrific fashion, and those on board would forever share a bond in the experience.
As I have found to be the case with many of author Emma Donoghue's works, this novel is far more engrossing and involved than the basic plot line suggests. The event described in the novel actually happened and was captured for posterity at the time in several stunning photographs. The author has taken that event, researched it in great detail, and woven fictional characters with real life passengers to form a microcosm of society. The story unfolds in chronological fashion, jumping from character to character, and becomes a portrayal of human drama within the train's walls. Each person is exquisitely drawn, their backstories and plans detailed as their paths intersect; having the train engine itself be one of the voices was a bit distracting for me though, to be honest. The pace starts out slowly but increases speed along with the train itself, the suspense building as the train nears its fateful end. The beauty of the prose and the level of detail offered brings this period of history to life, and themes of class differences, gender inequalities and the wonders and pitfalls of industrialization mix together to form a fascinating read. I found hints of both James Cameron's movie Titanic and Agatha Christie's novel Murder on the Orient Express within these pages, and I recommend The Paris Express to those who enjoyed either of those two works as well as to readers of Sarah Waters, Kate Morton, Anita Shreve and of course of Emma Donoghue herself. Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster/Summit Books for allowing me access to this though-provoking novel in exchange for my honest review.

Emma Donoghue’s The Paris Express takes a historical event—the infamous 1895 Montparnasse train wreck—and turns it into an immersive, character-driven novel. Though the reader knows the disaster is inevitable, Donoghue masterfully maintains tension, making the journey as compelling as the destination.
The novel follows a diverse and engaging cast of passengers, each boarding the ill-fated train with their own stories, ambitions, and secrets. Some of their backstories are particularly gripping, while others feel more like supporting pieces in the larger tapestry of the narrative. Yet together, they create a richly layered and dynamic portrait of the era.
Donoghue’s writing is, as always, sharp and evocative, bringing to life both the physicality of the journey and the emotional stakes of her characters. The novel’s structure, leading inexorably toward the crash, gives it a sense of tragic momentum, but it never feels predictable or stale. Instead, The Paris Express offers a thoughtful exploration of fate, human connection, and the randomness of disaster.
Overall, this is a well-crafted historical novel that blends fact with fiction seamlessly. While some character arcs stand out more than others, the novel remains a gripping and rewarding read.

The Paris Express centers on the passengers on a train ride in 1895 that ends in disaster. Emma Donoghue paints a vivid picture of each character based on people who were on or might have been on this train. The train itself has a voice. All the characters, from the poor to the wealthy, are well developed. It is a riveting book, made all the more real in the author’s notes.

Great, detailed historical fiction about the passengers on a doomed French passenger train in 1895. Wonderful writing and amazing characterization.. I felt as if I were on the train, observing and speaking with the other passengers. It was completely immersive. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

On October 22, 1895, a train leaves the station on the Normandy coast, her crew and passengers unaware that less than 7 hours later, the trip will end in disaster.

THE PARIS EXPRESS tells the story of a real-life collision — it took 260 pages for me to put it together when a photo was included that *I know about this train!! I’ve seen this photograph before!* Having that info, even at the very end of the story, took this to a new level for me.

This is such a tiny slip of a book but it packs a huge story. There’s a LINCOLN IN THE BARDO-size cast (I’m VERY MUCH a ‘the more, the merrier’ kind of girl when it comes to POVs!), from the crew to passengers, to — MY FAVORITE — the train herself. She knows something is wrong from the start and her passages absolutely shined.

As for the cast, Donoghue included actual passengers on the train that day along with other historical figures who were in the area at that time and could have feasibly held a ticket. Political figures, a young anarchist, an American painter, a model who sat for Mucha and Gauguin, the now-forgotten Mother of Cinema whose work included the very first full-length feature. So many extraordinary lives came together on this day and I was held captive by them all.

While THE PARIS EXPRESS might not be as buzzy as others out right now, it’s a novel that quietly snuck up on me and sunk its teeth in. Its short length and constant bouncing between characters made this a quick read — but it’s one that will linger in my thoughts much longer. This is exactly the kind of book written just for me and I loved every moment.

This was one of my most anticipated books of 2025 by a fav Irish Canadian author but sadly it was just okay for me. I liked that the author wrote a fictional account of the 1895 disaster at the Paris Montparnasse train station (something I'd never heard of). However, the story has a large cast of characters from different races, genders and classes and while that does provide great diversity and depth of experience, it also made it a bit challenging to follow along for audiobook listeners (this might have worked better as a print read). Overall still a good read that I'm sure many will enjoy (myself included) - it just didn't wow me like I had hoped it would. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Fun fact: this was one of the first major catastrophes to be caught on film and there is a shocking photo included at the end of the print book!)

THE PARIS EXPRESS
BY: EMMA DONOGHUE

I've read and loved every single one of Emma Donoghue's novels, and this latest one is a fascinating character study of a lot more characters than she usually endeavors when she writes historical fiction. At least in the last seven, or eight years to my recollection. In her latest historical fiction she has really outdone herself with blending very interesting facts about the meaningful lives of a large cast of characters' by bringing them to vivid life. We get to know them each one by one by her giving us an intimate glimpse into their inner musings, how they interact with each other with her striking character development making each one unforgettable as they go about their lives in a single train ride. Her narration of brilliantly describing what went into getting a train to its destination by including anecdotes of what could happen to the characters who devoted their lives to the characters responsible for getting their passengers to their destinations is stunning, informative and intriguing. The sheer amount of details that are woven into the narrative about both the lives of the crew who worked for the railroad, along with a day in the life of its passengers aboard reaching their destinations was intimate, and the scope of knowledge that went into crafting this novel impressed me. It also highlights what an astute, and erudite author Emma Donoghue is and why she is one of my top favorite authors. Creating this historical novel is a huge undertaking, and its results are breathtaking and highlights her as one of the best writers that exist in today's era who creates artistic literature. To have crafted this beautifully written novel with all that went into doing so she has proven to me again how she is a writer at the top of her game with genius subtle storytelling that reflects how gifted she is. This novel is powerful in an understated way that I'm sad that some reviewers got bogged down simply because there are a lot more characters' that are easily expanded upon the more you read, how identifiable they become. I'm afraid, and sad that they failed to appreciate the bigger picture that this talented author has done her due diligence with the meticulous amount of research Ms. Donoghue obviously has done that shows dedication, and ambition on her part that few authors' writing today incorporate in their work. I appreciate and truly loved every detail presented. This author educated me so much so, while I was also moved emotionally in the nuanced minutia of each of the characters' musings about what it was like to exist in 1895, aboard engine 721, that until reading this was a historical unknown day. Its refreshing to be able to be informed of, and inspired by a truly unique different narrative writing style that this author accomplishes making both her characters' and a historical slice of life back then that by being able to slip into these characters' skins across the class division that this totally original medium illuminates. What a hugely magnificent acumen that this author accomplished. To have undertaken this engaging subject matter shows courage by this author's ability to keep the flow of the information interesting, while educating readers of an obscure event in history that inspired the magnitude of what appears to be simple, but is filled with a large scope of unknown details. Here she has more characters' in her latest historical fiction novel called, "THE PARIS EXPRESS." It starts out on October 22, 1895 when there was a disaster that had made history at the time for the train called the 721 referred to by the first two characters introduced while they lovingly call their steam engine, coal fed train lovingly in the feminine pronoun as she or her. The two men who are responsible for leaving the train station at the very end of the line, and are hoping to make it to Paris within a certain timeline. They refer to the train they are responsible for getting to Paris with many stops on the way in certain provinces, towns, and cities. I was wondering why call train number 721, the title, "The Paris Express," since it's not an express iron horse since it stops at different intervals after leaving at 8: 30 AM at the last stop in it's route, but it certainly is headed for Paris, just not in what today we would refer to an "Express," capacity way of travel. I LOVED THE INNOVATIVE WRITING STYLE and loved so many characters' that are so easy to keep track of.

Some of the other reviewers' had a hard time keeping all of the characters' straight, which I didn't have that problem at all. There are vivid descriptions of the various characters' that get on the train once it leaves the station which as I've said already, that it goes into great detail about the two gentlemen working together to run this train which its last stop is supposed to be Paris in between seven and eight hours in a single day. They spend more time away from their wives than they spend at home with them, but it's evident that they like being married. They don't spend any time when they're both at home getting together socially, even though they live within one Kilometer of each other since their wives don't get along. When they leave at 8:30 AM, that morning there is one passenger who is a girl with close cropped hair to her head that at first impression many assume she's a boy. She is an anarchist, and her metal lunch bucket or pail that she carries with her is described in great detail down to which layer is filled with screws, etc. She doesn't want to call the attention to her metal lunch bucket from anybody else on the train for obvious reasons by the crew or passengers and keeps it between her body and her fellow riders by placing it in the upper luggage compartment where most of the characters' automatically just store their bags overhead. Finally she acquiesces and complies when the man she's sitting next to complains since the passengers are crowded together. You do manage to notice that her plans could be devastating, but she has a consciousness that is depicted of her humanity alternating with her desire to make headlines.

There's a lot of narration about where people sit. There are first, second, and third class seats, and compartments on railway train 721, and the narrator tells the reader how much it costs and the differences in price in each class division. There is an artist named Henry Painter who studies people, and various other items that he tries to commit to memory so he can create his artwork later when he's not on a moving train. At each time interval depending on which stop the train makes the chapter headings tell you what time of day it is with an anecdote, or short verse, which are powerful and the area they are stopping at. Various characters' get off at each stop or get on the train. At the second stop a well dressed secretary gets on board with her boss and she tries to explain the camera and how moving pictures are made to Henry Painter. He seems interested in how a camera can snap a photograph committing to memory what he has tried to do in his mind for his replicating whatever impressed him to create in his medium of art at sometime in the future. I think she was trying to interest Henry Painter in buying a camera. At the third stop it's mid to late morning and Henry Painter sees a woman who he thinks looks exquisite, and its evident that she's potentially a subject that he might later use, but he loses sight of her in the crowd temporarily, and then finds the back of her on the train platform. The dangers of what I as a reader never realized in railroad work back then are just one more facet that kept me riveted. Also the character that has an incentive to get to Paris get highlighted in the gentleman who is driving the train are brought to the readers' attention by his frustration of the extra stop keeping him from reaching Paris both ahead, and on schedule showing his impatience.

There are several other memorable characters' that they are making observations along with conversation with each other that further cements their identities in the readers mind with some of them interacting with each other, or not depending where they are sitting, or who strikes up a conversation building on what has already been described by this talented author who is among my favorites. What was what I could picture in my mind's eye since it sounded rather peculiar is the man who goes around saddled with the coffee on his body offering it to the characters' riding the train. A particular scene that was heartwarming is how a mother is traveling with her daughter who is now a young lady. How she might be the eldest child, but because her daughter is sleeping snuggled up to her mother evoked in me a connection of the deep love we mothers' have for our children is universal. How the mother refers to her daughter as her baby even though she's far from it. I could relate to the thoughts of love, and contentment a mother always feels no matter how old the child gets. I could relate to this particular mother's musings since we always have that yearning of keeping our children close, even when it's time for the child to move away since it's a fundamental task to not impede my children who are both young adults now. It reminded me that it's better for our young adult child to individuate from us for their own best interest, so they can complete one of their live's fundamental task that's essential for our children's development not to get arrested and stay dependent on us. Children grow up. They leave home and they're healthier even if we mothers' instinct is to want them to see us more often than they are prepared to see us. I've long made my peace with it, and my acceptance of it. But I connected to that mother's emotions for that scene with an agreement with my own nostalgic feelings of how it took me some time, and no matter how old our children get we still have that commonality of always remembering them as our babies in our memories forever.

Emma Donoghue sure did extensive research in writing this latest piece of historical fiction that I'm reiterating now since this novel shows courage to have crafted it the way most writers don't have the ambition or lack the artistry to write as masterfully as her approach at telling this story. In the back of the novel there is a section separating which characters' were fiction, and it is so much appreciated by me when an author gives the real peoples names, as in this case who was aboard the train that day, and what happens to them. That way I enjoy knowing which characters' are fictional where she used her imagination to bring this large cast of characters' so brilliantly to life. Make sure you read her Author's Note, which I value when an author does that because it enhances what I just read to be unforgettable. As usual, she has created another beautifully written story inspired by facts that I hadn't known about before reading this excellent novel. I was so excited to be granted an early ARC, even though it was very close to its Publication date. For that act of generosity I will always be grateful to this gifted author, and the Publisher. I'll be recommending this to everyone I know since this SPECTACULAR novel deserves to reach as wide of an audience as possible.

Publication Date: March 18, 2025

Thank you so very much to Net Galley, Emma Donoghue, and Simon & Schuster/S & S/Summit Books for generously providing me with my fantastic ARC, in exchange for a fair and honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.

#TheParisExpress #EmmaDonoghue #Simon&SchusterS&SSummitBooks #NetGalley

Gripping histfic about the 1895 disaster at the Paris Montparnasse train station by the author of Room. You won't be able to put this one down!

The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue is a historical novel about the infamous 1895 disaster at the Paris Montparnasse train station. Originating in Normandy, on the morning of October 22, 1895, The Paris Express is packed as it heads to its final destination. From individuals from French citizens to foreign visitors on a normal, every day train to Paris. From members of parliament in a hurry for an important vote, a medical student who suspects a patient is dying, a secretary trying to convince her boss to see the future in motion pictures, and a young anarchist who plots a terrifying plan. What they don’t know is that this train ride will not end well and change their lives forever. Who will survive? Who is to blame?
While I have heard of Ms. Donoghue’s novel, Room and the subsequent film, she is a new author to me. The Paris Express is touted as “an evocative masterpiece that effortlessly captures the politics, glamour, chaos, and speed that marked the end of the 19th century.” I hadn’t heard of the 1895 disaster and was curious to read about it. However, I was quickly disappointed. I was bored and I could not connect or care about any of the characters, which there were far too many to keep track of (and I take notes for my reviews)! The Paris Express is more about the characters as they travel on the train than the disaster itself. The build up to the disaster didn’t work either and when it happened, it was underwhelming. I do not recommend The Paris Express.

The Paris Express is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook