The Paris Novel

by Ruth Reichl

Bestselling author Ruth Reichl takes readers on an adventure of food, art, and fashion in 1980s Paris in this dazzling, heartfelt novel

Stella reached for an oyster, tipped her head and tossed it back. It was cool and slippery, the flavor so briny it was like diving into the ocean... Oysters, she thought, where have they been all my life?

When her estranged mother dies, Stella is left with an unusual a one-way plane ticket and a note reading Go to Paris . But Stella is hardly cut out for adventure; a childhood trauma has kept her confined to the strict routines of her comfort zone. When her boss encourages her to take time off, Stella resigns herself to honoring her mother’s last wishes.

Alone in a foreign city, Stella falls into old habits, living cautiously and frugally. Then she stumbles across a vintage store where she tries on a fabulous Dior dress. The shopkeeper insists that this dress was meant for Stella and, for the first time in her life, Stella does something impulsive. She buys the dress and together they embark on an adventure.

Her first iconic brasserie Les Deux Magots, where Stella tastes her first oysters, and then meets an octogenarian art collector who decides to take her under his wing. As Jules introduces her to a veritable who’s who of the 1980s Paris literary, art, and culinary worlds, Stella begins to understand what it might mean to live a larger life.

As weeks—and many decadent meals—go by, Stella ends up living as a “tumbleweed” at famed bookstore Shakespeare & Company, uncovers a hundred-year-old mystery in a Manet painting, and discovers a passion for food that may be connected to her past. A feast for the senses, this novel is a testament to living deliciously, taking chances, and finding your true home.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Food, France, Book Club, Travel, Audiobook

288 pages, Hardcover

First published April 23, 2024

About the author

Ruth Reichl is the New York Times bestselling author of five memoirs, the novels Delicious! and The Paris Novel, and the cookbook My Kitchen Year. She was editor in chief of Gourmet magazine, and previously served as restaurant critic for The New York Times, as well as food editor and restaurant critic for the Los Angeles Times. She has been honored with six James Beard Awards.

Reviews

[Stacey B · Rating 5 out of 5]

5.0

-Love this book and the premise of the story.
In a meeting with Stella's mother's estate lawyer, she is handed a very short note written in her mother's script that states "Go to Paris". The lawyer explains to her there is enough money to last a little while but Stella needs to be a little frugal.
Stella's thinking out loud... "why Paris" ?
-Love Reichl's stellar job at developing each and every character as well as including current topics. Who is Jules. He gave me quite an education.
- Love the Dior Dress
-Love the art, the museums, the wine, the food, and styles of chefs.
-Love "all" the experiences including outdoor markets, alleys, and side streets tourists would never think to go.
-Love that Stella and Jules could drink so much fine and rare wine with lunch
and dinner without having the repercussions I would have.
-Love watching Stella's reactions tasting Parisian specialties for the first time. The food
is amazing.
*-Love the bookstore "SHAKESPEARE AND COMPANY"
-Love getting to know the "Tumbleweeds"
-Love the "hunts"
-More so, I am grateful to Ruth Reichl for taking me on a spectacular journey that is close to the extreme of envy. For me, the ability to spend a year+ to live as a local
in Paris would be the best!. Reichl did her job.

* SHAKESPEARE AND COMPANY is a real bookstore; it's pretty famous and still operating. I was fortunate to have been there three times. Too many tourists.
"George's bookstore quickly became a center for anglophone literary life in Paris. James Baldwin, William Burroughs, Anaïs Nin, Allen Ginsberg, Richard Wright, Julio Cortázar, and Henry Miller were early visitors and went there to read their work to "invited" guests."
The author's notes explain a bit of the fiction.

[Kasa Cotugno · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh dear. Absolutely my favorite memoir author, so honest when she's writing about her life, such sensuality in her descriptions of food, so knowledgeable about the thing that made her famous. But this, her second foray into fiction, is not her best work.

[Nilguen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Paris Novel is about food, art, fashion, love, companionship, friendship, and yea about food, have I mentioned that already?

Find me on instagram

This is my first novel THE one and only Ruth Reichl, known as a food writer, cook and eater. Naturally, she has embedded her passion and knowledge about food in this novel that makes it even more enjoyable!

The story is about an endearing protagonist, Stella St. Vincent, who is on her journey to find herself by breaking free from her deceased mother’s past. But it’s also her mother’s will that inquires her to leave everything behind in New York and take a trip to Paris.

Hence, I loved striding through Paris in the 80’s with Stella whilst she discovered the meaning of fashion with Yves St. Laurent dresses, indulged in French food and made friends for the first time in her life. Stella’s obsession with Manet’s painting “Olympique» has made me also appreciate this piece of art.

I was positively overwhelmed by the erudite information Reichl provided about the famous Shakespeare & Co. bookstore in Paris in the 80’s, the history of the Arrondissements as well as the sociocultural hierarchy of women in art in Paris in the 19th century. Thereby, Reichl has masterfully narrated an enchanting story that appeals to all six senses of her readers as she stimulates your imagination with her impressive writing style.

Can’t wait to read more of Ruth Reichl!

Easy 5 stars 😍

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Ruth · Rating 1 out of 5]

My review is based on the advanced reader copy of this book in Oct 2023. Heads Up/Warning: not given in the blurb - an upsetting and very explicit child sexual abuse takes up most of the second chapter. I'm no prude but I found this highly upsetting! It could have been alluded to or toned down and the reader still would understand the impact it had on the primary character. I had nightmares about this chapter and have decided not to finish the book because I don't want any more nasty surprises at bedtime. Because of this, this new novel gets one star from me.

[Amina · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Paris Novel opens with a story about a neglected girl and her narcissistic mother. With a sensitive trigger warnings for sexual abuse---the story suddenly takes a completely unexpected and different direction.

The guests cooed over the adorable child, but as she grew older, she faded into the background, and by the time she was a teenager, Stella felt like little more than hired help

Stella's mother dies, and she is given a small amount of money and told "Go to Paris." She tries and fails to find a place in Paris. Living a neglected life, she doesn't feel comfortable in herself, or her ability to thrive in a foreign country, until she meets a shopkeeper. She tries on a vintage Dior dress and makes an impulsive decision to buy it, the shopkeeper tells her this dress will change her life, and if not, she can return it. She meets an older man--has a unique conversation (I was still vested) then, without warning, I started to cringe:

All her senses were concentrated in her mouth as her teeth crashed down again and again. She felt the skull crackle and tasted what must be brain. It was hot, it was primitive. It was exciting

It's giving Dexter vibes.

After this moment, the story fell and never picked up. I couldn't get Cinderella meets Beauty and the Beast, meets Tangled out of my head. A fairytale with James Baldwin, The Shakespeare Company, and other big wig Chefs I wasn't familiar with--- overwrought with fine dining and travel.

Stella was not a likable character. She kept shooting herself in the foot even when she found her clan. I get that she was insecure and unsure, but her behavior felt stilted and repetitive. Damsel in distress.

The plot hole of her mother was confusing. Here was a woman Stella hated, but as her journey continued, she kept thinking of her mother and reveling in the experiences she might have had. Also, what happened with the abuse? It’s never discussed again—it was unnecessary, left unresolved.

Overall, the story was tossed together with too many ingredients; wine, travel, fine dining, and a very unnecessary trigger, unresolved.

2/5 stars

[Ann Sumner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ruth Reichl is a brilliant food critic and cook, but she is less than competent when writing novels.

Stella, the unloved daughter of an ambitious harridan of many talents, is required to go to Paris in order to collect a small legacy following her mother’s death. She dutifully tittles off to the City of Light and spends weeks complaining, whining and squandering her time in the glorious city. Then she buys a gown, meets an intriguing old man, learns to eat divine food and viola! All is well in Stella Land.

The saving grace is the detailed descriptions of the incredible food and drink to be found everywhere in Paris. Reading these made me long to return just to dine.

So predictable. So strained and mundane. Not a favorite at all.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly a disappointment. I expected more. Too many coincidences and story holes to be enjoyable. And a quick, abrupt ending. I just wanted to be done. Sigh.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

“When fortune smiles, you immediately start to worry about how it will end. Why not just enjoy the moment?”

Readers learn immediately that Stella’s estranged mother has passed. She has left her a note, a paid for plane ticket and some money. The note says, “go to Paris.” So, if you received a note, some cash and a ticket to Paris, what would you do?

Perhaps we can hitch a ride with Stella? And, possibly participate in her own life-changing personal evolution?

There is much to appreciate about this little adventure that Stella takes us on. French cuisine. Wine. The museums. The cast of characters. Maybe even a mystery-to-solve about who her father might be.

Which makes this story particularly engaging, even if slightly predicable with a few twists thrown in. I might suggest that you not read this while hungry.

“Stella was tasting the flavors in her mind as he described them.”

Most likely so will readers.

There is much to read here and salivate about with the richness of the culinary cuisines introduced throughout the book. Not surprising considering Reichl’s own resume, having once been part-owner of a restaurant in California, being a food critic for the New York Times and some magazines; and, a regular judge on TV’s “Top Chef.”

Be sure and read the ‘Author’s Note’ at the end.

4.5 stars

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the aspect of this book and the rich descriptions of Paris. I really struggled with some graphic child abuse scenes that were very unnecessary to the book. It felt salacious and caught me off guard. I think that the author could have skimmed over it without the graphic scenes and it would’ve worked better. The characters were interesting and I truly enjoyed the setting. This would’ve been a four-star for me if not for the unnecessary child abuse scenes.

[Donna Nelson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I will be brutally honest here. I have read everyone of her books. I waited with great anticipation for this one. I was so repulsed by the second chapter that I literally stopped reading. Why was that necessary? And there should have been some kind of warning about it. The description sounded so exciting and then you start reading and I wanted to throw up. Terribly disappointing.

[Callie · Rating 4 out of 5]

After some time of sitting on what my review would be for this read, I can definitely confirm this was enjoyable. If you enjoy the show Emily in Paris, you most likely will enjoy this book! There are so many similarities when it comes to food, friendship, and finding one's purpose in life.

Although it is slow in the beginning, once Stella gets to Paris, that is when the real story begins! After Stella's estranged mother dies, she finds that she is willed money to take a trip to Paris with no reasons or context. After so contemplating, Stella decides to go on a trip that little does she know changes her life. I truly enjoyed the plot because even though Stella touches on her childhood traumas, the story still has a "feel-good" vibe to it.

I loved how Reichl described the food in this book!!! She has such descriptive writing that makes you feel like you are really there, breathing in the aromas and tasting all the various foods she tells. This was overall an easy read that brings a certain type of joy and appreciation that we all must feel at some point in our lives whether it's in our careers or travels. This isn't a 5 star read for me but I have definitely thought back about it many times!

[Katy O.]

As much as I love Reichl’s other work, this is not for me ~ the writing is so stilted that I just could not engage with it. And I’m so glad I read another early review that mentioned the graphic description of the sexual abuse of a child that occurs in chapter 2 so that I knew it was coming. I DNF’d after realizing it’s just as descriptive and unnecessary to the story as the other reviewer claimed. I’ll always have a special place in my heart for the author’s food writing, but this is not her best work.

Source: digital review copy via Edelweiss

[Mary · Rating 1 out of 5]

Warning- sexual assault involving a minor early in book

The sexual assault in the very beginning of this book completely ruined this story for me. This was a shame because otherwise, the luscious descriptions of food were typical Reichl style and the rest of the story was decent. Probably my least favorite book from this author.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh boy. Saying anything critical of this novel feels like being mean to a kitten.

Look, I knew what I was getting into because of Reichl's earlier foray into fiction, 2014's Delicious. If anything, The Paris Novel, yet another Cinderella-Come-Lately foodie romantasy, piles on the saccharine even higher until Reichl's dreamy world feels like a Rapunzel Tower floating on a pillowy bed of confectioner's sugar. It's just too, too much. But because it's Ruth Reichl, whose memoirs Tender at the Bone and Comfort Me with Apples are all that, and a bag of chips. And because this Francophile can't resist a book set in Paris. And because I'm in a reading phase where I really do want Calgon moments (am I dating myself here? If you don't get the reference, well, Duck Duck Go-it).

For all this, I'm not going to trash this novel for its utter implausibility and shallow characters and predictable plot. Read it for the soft-glow descriptions of Paris, a Paris sans traffic, crime, Metro- or trash-handler strikes, graffiti or vagrancy. No rudeness, no poverty, no racial tension, no protests. Just dewy sunsets, creamy cafés au lait, and lovable shopkeepers, everywhere. Read it for the evocation of historical figures: the chefs and writers who make cameo appearances, from James Baldwin to Richard Olney to George Whitman. It's a tender ode to the creative oddballs, outcasts and geniuses who embraced, and were beloved by, this country that celebrates food, literature and art and those who devote their lives to creating the best of it.

A lovely piece of travel-and-food writing somewhat marred by silly story. But if you want a respite from reality, this should be on your menu.

[Aimee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC of The Paris Novel. As someone who has read other Ruth Reichl books and loved them, I was so excited to read her new novel. I could not have been more disappointed. This book was a struggle for me to even finish.
First of all, the child molestation that occurs at the beginning of the book is a HUGE trigger for so many people and it, clearly, was supposed to indicate why the main character has so many issues with having friendships or, even, a life while living in New York. The fact that this was made a part of the story, yet never addressed later seems like a big miss.
Second, the main character is someone who has never had an interest in food and specifically says she eats the most basic meals. Then she goes to Paris, where she meets an older man who pays for all of these expensive meal. Within one meal, she suddenly has the most incredible taste buds known and can pinpoint specific ingredients. HOW?!?! This felt ridiculous. I love the descriptions of the food, which felt like the only reason this book was even written. If this is what the author loves writing about, it shouldn't be in the form of a novel.
Finally, everything in the book just seemed to always fully right into place for her. Goes to Paris, meets people, is gifted free apartments to stay, meals to dine on, couture clothing and, as it seems, leading to romance. There is no struggle. You just knew it was going to go her way and it made the book boring.
While it pains me to give such a low review for a talented author, this book did not show her off in the best way possible.

[Elaine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have loved Ruth Reichl’s previous books but this one fell flat in every way. The plot in no way gripped me and it was a struggle to finish

[Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why did her mother want her to go to Paris?

Stella liked her quiet, solitary life and her predictable job at the publishing house.

She wasn’t a spender.

She wasn’t one to be extravagant, and she definitely wasn’t someone that liked to socialize like her mother did.

After her boss forced her to go on a vacation, she decided she might as well head to Paris. She didn’t like it at all.

Or she didn’t like it until she was enticed by an eccentric woman to buy a very expensive dress created by Dior that made her feel amazing in all ways.

She didn’t know this dress would make her see things differently and meet wonderful people or was it just Paris itself?

Is this what her mother wanted her to feel and where she wanted her to be?

Besides loving how Stella is able to find herself you will love all the name dropping of fashion icons, famous artists, places in Paris, and the mystery Stella was trying to solve and a mystery she was not trying to unravel, but so happy she did.

You will love the characters - eccentric, sweet, and loving. And of course you will fall in love with Paris.

A delightful, breezy read, but don’t read this book if you are hungry. 5/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stella’s estranged mother passes and leaves Stella a strange note. “Go to Paris” with a one way ticket. Stella and her mother had a strained relationship. Stella never knew who her father was. Who wouldn’t want the change to go to Paris? Stella doesn’t really want to go. Her employer advises her to go. Upon arrival in Paris, Stella encounters a vintage dress shop. She finds a beautiful black Dior dress that is perfect for her. She buys it on impulse despite the exorbitant cost.
She puts the dress on and off she goes. Her first stop is Les Deux Magits where she tastes her first oysters. She eats them with exuberance. She meets an art collector at the restaurant who introduces her to a world she never knew existed. Stella even discovers a mystery in an old Manet painting.
Wouldn’t you like to join Stella on her adventure.
This book was a wonderful journey of self discovery, food, art and fashion.
If you adore food you will love this book. But please don’t read it if you are hungry.
Do read the authors note about why she wrote this book.
Thank you to Goodreads and Random House for this copy of the book.

[SusanTalksBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

**** 8/4/24 **** I'm a Ruth Reichl fan, but am embarrassed to say that I did not realize this was a fiction book when I picked it up at the LA public library. Realizing this was an adult coming of age fiction story I was hopeful, but I didn't love several choices Reichl made in her writing, and decided to DNF about 60% in. Reichl's food history shines, but in a way that felt like the food happened to the protagonist, instead of the protagonist being in control of the food exploration. Ultimately I was just not bought into this character or storyline, so I had to let it go, as is my 2024 resolution. Other readers may fall in love with the French- and food-centric story. 3-stars.

*** 7/21/24 *** Snagged a hardcover of Ruth Reichl's new release at the library. I didn't realize she wrote fiction?! Quick thoughts at about 40% through: the novel is about Stella, an adult book editor, whose negligent and uncaring mother recently passed away, leaving her a small sum of money with instructions to "Go to Paris." She does so and seems to be blessed to find the most iconic and interesting people fairly easily! A woman selling a designer dress (who sewed for said designer and agrees to let Stella basically borrow a $6K dress), a wealthy widower who takes her to incredible dining experiences (the descriptions of which is where Reichl really shines), the owner of the famed Shakespeare & Co Paris bookstore, and more.

The story about Stella's mother and Stella's upbringing was fairly painful to read in the beginning, but the oft-mentioned-in-reviews sexual abuse scene near the beginning of the book was unnecessary and distasteful for an otherwise 'luxurious' book. I also didn't love that Stella ate and drank so much in southern France that she fell asleep at the table and had to be carried to the car and also to bed by her wealthy friend's driver. Made me uncomfortable.

But we'll see how this "adult coming of age" novel turns out - review coming soon.

[marisa :) · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was too predictable for me! i knew how it would end within the first 50 pages, was able to guess every plot point, and was left wanting more. the food descriptions were gorgeous though ! felt like i was reading the script for ratatouille

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I could not have been more excited for this one, and yet I thought it was just terrible. I almost DNF'd it, but I plowed through. And now its been a few days since I have finished it and I can barely remember a thing about it. Who doesn't love Paris. There is a mother search in there, and Sally (maybe?) is trying to find clues about why she was sent these tickets from her estranged neglectfu; mother who has passed away. She gets sent to various sites that a dressmaker/shop vender sends her to. There was supposed to be a mystical piece to this, that she was maybe drawn to the shop and had to wear this dress and go to some various sites and eat oysters, something she apparently did well. There is an older man who guides her and has a handsome son, and she visits a church, perhaps finds something new to write about and research. Maybe she was a writer in search of a new topic? A hidden woman painter perhaps? I am perhaps mixing this all up with two other books. She probably lands with the handsome scowl faced son. How could I not like a book with a mysterious journey set in Paris? This book should have had EVERYTHING!!!! But Sadly, it did not have me.

[Taury · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl
is a novel which explores the culinary, art and cultural world of Paris. This novel captures the deep feelings of the city through the food, love, and personal transformation.

Stella moves to Paris after her estranged mother dies, to get away from failed relationships, career which is going no where and to heal from childhood trauma. It becomes a destination in which she can heal and discover what she wants from her life. Paris with its delectible cuisine offers Emma a chance to find herself. The descriptions of food are lovely, taking readers to Parisian culinary traditions. Paris offers Stella not only a place for self discovery but finding new friendships, romance and challenges living in a foreign country.

I read this for a book club. Though I enjoyed reading about Parisian cuisine and the descriptions of Paris,it was not a novel that really appealed to me.

[Holly R W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Take a trip to Paris, with author Ruth Reichl as your guide. The city will come alive for you as you eat fine food in renowned restaurants; shop for hand-stitched designer dresses with personal labels (for a mere $6,000.); learn about art masterpieces and a little-known artist/model named Victorine; and spend time in a historic bookshop called "Shakespeare and Company." This is a Paris that Ruth Reichl knows well - so well that she set her novel there with a main character named Stella, time-frame 1980's.

We first meet Stella just after her mother dies. She is living a small life, working as a copy editor in NYC. She is in her late 30's, solitary and has no friends. Her childhood had been troubled, living with a self-indulgent, cold mother. In fact, Stella was surprised by her mother's will. Stella was bequeathed money that could only be spent on a trip to Paris.

I can only say that experiencing Paris opens Stella up to a way of life that she has walled herself off from. It takes her awhile to start breaking out of her protective shell. She starts meeting people, going out, trying new things and trusting. This is a fairy tale for adults - charming and light like a savory souffle.

The novel made me want to visit Paris for myself.


Additional Note: I was touched by Ruth Reichl's last sentence in her acknowledgements. She wrote, "Finally, my love and thanks to my family... What would I do without you?"

My father used to always tell me that! And then, I would say the same thing back to him.


Experiencing the book is not complete without listening to author Ruth Reichl discussing it. Here is the link to the video. https://www.google.com/search?client=... Among other things, Reichl explains why she decided to give Stella a background of enduring sexual abuse as a child.

[Victoria Klein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this advance readers copy, in exchange for an honest review. The Paris Novel is a story about Stella, who’s let life pass her by and is semi-haunted by memories of her estranged mother. But, when her mother passes away and leaves her with a ticket to Paris, her life takes a fun turn and she has fantastical new experiences, meets a host of exciting people, and takes some wonderful leaps of faith.

This is a beautiful story about the unexpected pleasures of life and what happens when you open yourself up to new experiences. I am a sucker for any book set in Paris and Ruth Reichl really brings the reader straight there. I appreciated the many references to actual locations and the fleshed out Parisian characters she encounters. We were very much in Stella’s shoes throughout this trip and I was rooting for her to find some fresh meaning and excitement in her life, despite her initial reluctance. I also think it’s worth mentioning how absolutely spectacular the author describes Stella’s newly discovered passion for food and just the overall thoughts that she has while eating these dishes. I’ve never read a book that places so much emphasis on describing a characters culinary experience but, it is so well done here and I think appropriate for a book set in Paris! This book was well written and enjoyable to read, I was able to finish it quickly!

I would recommend this book to any Paris lovers or fans of self discovery fictional novels! If you’re in need of a trip abroad, this novel will certainly give you a visceral feel of Paris and will make you feel like you’re living vicariously through Stella!

[Nivi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this novel. We follow our main character, Stella, on a journey of self-discovery through the streets of Paris. She meets famous people, tries a lot of fancy food, and indulges herself in a life of adventure and luxury.

There was a plot, but it felt like filler. When I was reading the book, it felt like the author just wanted to write descriptions of delicious food and beautiful clothes, and decided to make that a story. I later found out it was actually exactly the truth--an editor had read a previous novel of Ruth Reichl's and fixated on a paragraph about her trying on a dress and wanted her to make a novel with more just like it.

And I'm not going to lie, she delivered on that front. The prose WAS good. I was mostly reading this on an empty stomach and there were at least seven different pages-long eating experiences that were written deliciously well. I also loved all the descriptions of art, literature, fashion, and French culture. The writing was so good, I was completely immersed in all of those scenes and it honestly kind of made me long for a trip to Paris.

But the rest of it....

The characters were meh. Stella was honestly a pretty good character and I loved her development from a rigid wallflower who always has a plan for everything to confident, ambitious, and free. But she was also, unfortunately, written as a complete Mary Sue.

She'd never cared about food before in her life, but suddenly she's discovered to be a food connoisseur who can identify every ingredient in a dish with a taste and all of the fancy high-class French people think she's the shit! She's never cooked before, but suddenly she's the best chef in the world and even people raised on caviar and escargot say she's fucking amazing, a prodigy. And why does everyone around her love her or say she's special immediately after meeting her? The woman in the boutique. Jules. George Whitman. All of the chefs, artists, writers, and famous celebrities that the author name-dropped throughout the novel that Stella met.

Everything about her personal life either resolves too quickly or is left with loose ends. The romance at the end came out of nowhere. Daddy issues brought up and resolved immediately in the last 20 pages. And let's not forget the extremely graphic childhood trauma written in at the very beginning of the story that served NO purpose for the rest of the book and was only referenced once. Why, why???? At least the mommy issues were handled somewhat okay, but like. Stella felt more like a lens for the readers to view the story through than an actual character.

So yeah. Food was definitely the highlight of this story, and it was good. And I DID learn a lot about art history, cuisine, literature, and France in general which was really interesting. Definitely still going to plan that trip.

[Debbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruth Reichl is one of my favorite food writers and memoirists. I have read all of her books. Although The Paris Novel is fiction it transported me to Paris in the 1980's. In this book she incorporates the most important artists, writers and culinary figures of the time, their characters spring to life. I loved feeling like I was in the famous Paris bookstore Shakespeare and Company. I was charmed.
The book begins with Stella and her lackluster life in New York. Her self absorbed single mother has died and left a conditional will that sends Stella to Paris. I have only one complaint, very close to the beginning of Stella's backstory is a description of her experience of child molestation, an incident that was overlooked by Stella's mother. I am not sure why this was included, it didn't seem relevant, but if this is a trigger it is disturbing. In spite of this issue I grew to love this book and Stella's adventure.

My thanks to Random House and Netgalley for an advance copy

[Amanda Beverly · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have been a huge fan of Ruth’s since I first read Garlic and Sapphires ages ago. I received an advance copy of this from Netgalley and the publisher and I was beyond excited to get started. Unfortunately, I had to stop reading very early into this as a major trigger warning happens in a flash back to the main character. As this is brought up in detail at the start of the 2nd chapter, most likely it will be brought up again later in the book and I really can’t get past it. I couldn’t finish this. This was not a book for me.

[☮Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
I've read a number of Ruth Reichl's memoirs and she knows a lot about food, Paris, and being an editor. I always enjoy a foodie book, although I wouldn't call myself a foodie, or a good cook either, by any means. But I do enjoy good food as much as anyone, I guess!

Anyway, when this book started out, it really didn't do much to grab my attention. Stella was pretty much a naive, boring young woman. She went to Paris reluctantly and spent all of the inheritance from her mother on a dress, nothing left for trying out any restaurants or doing much else. It took getting to know a wealthy old guy to convince her to try some gourmet dishes, some pretty weird, but she seemed to have a knack for knowing what flavors went together well. After all the usual Parisian topics were covered -- fashion, food, and art -- the book started to pick up and was unmistakenly what I know Reichl loves to write about. The creation of art and food remain prevalent, but also creating the family she never had from the strangers she meets in Paris.

If you need a warning about such things, there was one chapter, Chapter 2, about a creepy boyfriend of Stella's mom who sexually abused her. There was very little description, or consequence, so readers have questioned why it was included at all. To me it was just a statement that when a mother isn't paying much attention to her daughter and brings creepy men back to their home, bad things can happen. It happens more than you might know, so it didn't feel out of place to me.

[Karina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was it only oysters? She took a sip of wine and once again experienced the sensation of a brook rushing down a mountain. She thought of all the exotic foods she had banished from her life and had the sudden urge to know the taste of caviar and lobster. (PG 40)

Trigger Warnings:::
Narcissistic Mother
SA of a Child

This is not a SPOILER so chill.........

This was a strange novel in regards to the important issues being brought up like the main character's SA and her mother's contempt towards her. It was ultimately brushed under the rug and nothing was accomplished or dealt with. It seemed the author wanted to give Stella adversity and a reason for her personality but she came off boring and wooden.

Her adventure in Paris was not believable. And then everything is wrapped up nice and neat and perfect! Woohoo! Nope. I only liked the author's Paris descriptions of the places she went and some of the food but even then it took up pages. We went for the first time in Aug of 2024 and we loved it. Would go back to explore again when we hit the lottery. Those euros are no joke!

Anyway, the ending is predictable and I skimmed a lot of it.

How is this a contender in anything? It was SO boring, NOTHING happens!! There must not be better competition. I will forget it once I give it away so probably would not recommend it.

[Jude (HeyJudeReads) Fricano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruth Reichl has outdown herself. And that sure is saying a lot. Each book of hers is a gift through story that allows us to feel, taste, experience her world. I don't know if I could say it any better, "Bestselling author Ruth Reichl takes readers on an adventure of food, art, and fashion in 1980s Paris in this dazzling, heartfelt novel." I fell in love with Stella, Paris, Jules, art, fashion, and most of all food. This book make me laugh, cry and cheer for Stella!