The Beasts of Paris

by Stef Penney

Enter the world of Haussmann's newly built City of Light: a dazzling, panoramic novel of love and survival set during the Siege of Paris in 1870.

A diverse group of memorable characters find themselves in Paris during the build up to the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. Dreamer Anne is half-Haitian, possessed of incredible gifts, but with a past she tries to bury; Lawrence is desperate to spread his wings, develop his talents as a photographer, and escape the restrictions of his Canadian upbringing; Ellis, an American army surgeon, has lived through the trauma of the American Civil War and will do anything to avoid further violence. We join these characters and others as they live through, and are buffeted by, momentous historical events that will change them forever.

The Franco-Prussian War ends in a devastating defeat for the French after the Siege of Paris, in which countless Parisians die of starvation and cold during a bitter winter. This terrible time is quickly followed by yet more horror: the socialist revolution of the Paris Commune that seizes the government, briefly, until it is brutally crushed by the French Army.

Against this backdrop our characters meet, struggle, grow, fight their demons, lose their hearts, find love. The reader witnesses the ebb and flow of history as the characters confront a changing world around them. And although set in the nineteenth century, the novel explores questions that are uniquely contemporary: issues of gender, sexuality, inequality, and race.

Genres: Historical Fiction, France, Fiction, Historical, War, Literary Fiction, LGBT

492 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 6, 2023

About the author

Stef Penney grew up in the Scottish capital and turned to film-making after a degree in Philosophy and Theology from Bristol University. She made three short films before studying Film and TV at Bournemouth College of Art, and on graduation was selected for the Carlton Television New Writers Scheme. She has also written and directed two short films; a BBC 10 x 10 starring Anna Friel and a Film Council Digital Short in 2002 starring Lucy Russell.

She won the 2006 Costa Book Awards with her debut novel The Tenderness of Wolves which is set in Canada in the 1860s. As Stef Penney suffered from agoraphobia at the time of writing this novel, she did all the research in the libraries of London and never visited Canada.

-Wikipedia

Reviews

[Beata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping and captivating, this novel takes a reader to Paris just before the outbreak of the war of 1870. There are reminiscents throughout the novel referring to the main characters who appear gradually and who bond in many different ways. The theme in the background is the Paris Menagerie with animals become casualties of the war and greed as well. One of the main themes is the role and position of women in the society.
As for characters, they are beautifully developed, each having their own story to tell and dreams to come true. I especially became attached to Anne who has lived a tragic life and whose love for one of the animals kept in capitivity is one of the strongest themes.
The novel kept surprising me with every page and was hard to put down. The period details regarding the life in Paris, especially under the siege, are superbly presented. The Author added authentic materials which allowed her to create historical fiction at its best!
A big thank-you to Stef Penney, Quercus Books, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*

[Paromjit · Rating 5 out of 5]

The award winning Stef Penney's latest offering showcases her historically well researched, atmospheric picture of the Franco-Prussian war, a Paris under siege and its aftermath in 1870-71, through the creation and experiences of her diverse and complex group of characters. She captures the ordinary everyday human relationships and passions, the personal links with the menagerie (zoo) and its 'beasts', where Victor is assistant veterinarian, he has taken care of the majestic Marguerite, a Caspian tigress that has inspired the devotion of Anne. Anne resides at the women's Salpetriere asylum, many of the women there have nowhere else to go. The asylum is run by Dr Jospin who is interested in women's diseases but not in what they have to say, and has no qualms in using them to provide entertainment for other Parisians.

Ellis is a traumatised American medic moving in bohemian circles trying to recast himself as a poet, his uncle is the American ambassador to Paris, we follow the development of his relationship with Lawrence, a Canadian photographer. There is a strong supporting cast that includes Fanny, model and maid, Ernestine who gets engaged to a wealthy widowed butcher because she feels she has no other options, and Papin, the Chief Vetinarian of the Zoo. Outlined are the horrors, stresses and strains of war, the fear, paranoia, the rising tensions, shortages, rising unemployment, the destruction of the woods, the hunger, the freezing cold, deaths and casualties, and the tedium. Needless to say, the animals are not left unaffected, despite efforts to ensure their survival, they are at the mercy of people who can be cruel, try to steal or poison them, and more, raising the question who actually are the 'beasts' of Paris?

Penney's character development is stellar as she highlights the ingenuity of desperation, people at their best trying to support each other, whilst at the other end of the scale is the worst of humanity. At the same time, she skilfully raises issues of animal abuse, race, gender and class inequalities, power, sexual identity, other abuse, a turbulent war whose horrific aftermath leads to a ruthless French government intent on carrying out a war of terror against its own citizens, having no qualms about carrying out non-stop executions. I was completely gripped by the inclusion of animals and the monstrous impact of the war on them, along with the growth and changing perspectives experienced by the likes of Anne and Fanny. A brilliant historical novel that is informative and so engaging that I have no hesitation in recommending it highly. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb. Wonderfully atmospheric,set in a historic period I knew little about. Great character studies, a lovely love story,and of course,Marguerite.

[Suanne Laqueur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy crap, it’s been a minute since I devoured a book in 24 hours. This is like “In Memoriam” with “Night Circus” vibes. I mean, there’s no actual magic, but it feels magical. And it’s war, so it’s brutal and in your face and utterly horrifying, but it’s wonderful.

[Drakoulis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Beasts of Paris is a historical fiction story covering an era of European history barely seen in the genre, and I was really curious to read that story.

Unfortunately I couldn't really connect with the characters. Ellis and Lawrence were the ones I was the most interested in but even they were not really intriguing for me. The historical background was the better part of the story and it was very well researched.

Thank you NetGalley and Pegasus Books for the ARC.

[Francis Collie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tedious. Didn't finish

[Haley Glover · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never read a novel set in Paris during this period so that was an eye opener. The characters were all interesting and I liked how they linked. Not my fav book written by this author though.

[bookclubforme · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐
Atmospheric, captivating and at times utterly harrowing, this is a story of struggle and survival. The aforementioned beasts in this novel, are not the animals kept behind bars of a menagerie, but the humans fighting one another. 🐅

[Daphne Sharpe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in Paris 1871, the Franco- Prussian war is raging and Paris is rioting, and under siege. All farm animals have been brought into the city for protection from the enemy and put into the lush, green parks, but they are soon used up. Then follows a diet of cats, dogs, horses and rats, until the idea is suggested that to prevent starvation of the people , the animals in the city Zoo be sacrificed for the greater good of mankind.
Indeed! The Beasts of Paris could be either two or four legged, in either case, there are awkward questions to be asked about survival and preservation of the species. Only the best beasts will be kept, Marguerite, the Caspian Tiger, Tancur the majestic, but slightly moth eaten lion, Nero the panther and a Lynx. People soon become accustomed to a richer diet of Camel, Elephant and Ostrich, but it only partially solves the problem, rich people continue to eat far better than those on the front line fighting on the barricades, and food stores and butchers are targeted for thefts.
Anne Pettijean visits the big cats regularly, she was an inpatient at the Salpetriere insane asylum, she now works there as a ward orderly.
Ellis Butterfield is a qualified Doctor, but has dreams of being a writer or poet. His Uncle, Emphraim Quine is the American Ambassador to France, he believes that Ellis is wasting his talents.
Lawrence Harper is a Canadian citizen, working in Paris as a photographer.
As the war continues, all these three people become connected by their war work. It is a rousing and terrible read, the medical details are gruesome but well described, the panic and incompetence of the Generals in charge and the contrast between them and the poorly equipped and badly fed soldiers is remarkable in the extreme.
Anne is a mystery throughout this book, you never manage to get under her reserved demeanour.
Lawrence is by turns optimistic and frantic, he tries to keep spirits up amongst his friends, but does tend to lose his temper when he drinks too much, he is loyal to friends and acquaintances. When he and Ellis find themselves in a clandestine relationship, the intensity and the need for secrecy play upon his mind greatly.
The ending was unexpected for me, Anne being inscrutable to the end. The French people continue to be impulsive, argumentative and highly demonstrative, ( June 2023) so no real change over the decades there! I appreciated the inclusion of relevant photographs.
My thanks to Netgalley and Quercus books publishers, for my advance digital copy, freely given in exchange for my honest review. A five star rating. I will leave reviews to Goodreads and Amazon UK.

[Farrah Hale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks Netgalley and the Publishing House for this digital ARC in exchange of my honest review.

I had many moments when I thought I'm gonna cry because this book had so many sad details and a lot of bitter endings. I really enjoyed the historical event and at some point I liked only that as all of the characters didn't stayed with me as much as I wanted it.

The only characters I actually cared about and I was slightly invested in was Ellie and Lawrence love story. I liked the LGBT+ involvement and how accurate their story was to that time. But other than them I couldn't care less about the rest.

I didn't liked neither the fact that Victor went from one of the good guys to the bad guys for a whimp. And neither Anne's character didn't help me feel bad for Victor even if what he did was wrong. I don't know but I really couldn't vibe with her and I really liked Victor and I feel he suffered for the author to make a point which she wasn't obligated to do. The book had enough of points established and for once it wasn't necessary all that drama involving one of the most basic characters that I've seen in all my life.

But I was 100% invested in the plot and the drama and the war and historical elements involved. I found out so many new things I didn't knew before and I loved how vividly the descriptions were and how awful and sad that time was.

I didn't cried after all but I feel like my soul was dragged out by this book. I don't recommend it for people who are weak of heart as there are many scenes that will make you cry a river. So much death and despair and loneliness and I was 100% there for the animals.

I like how the title is the beast of Paris put it's not entirely about the animals and more about the beast on two legs that devastated a whole country.

I liked the ending a lot.

[Stephen Goldenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very claustrophobic but compelling novel set during the siege of Paris in the Franco-Prussian War. There’s a varied set of characters whose lives are skilfully interwoven and the use of the Paris Zoo as a setting makes a suitable metaphorical comparison between the enclosed animals and the trapped Parisians. As starvation begins to take hold, various zoo animals as well as pets start to be eaten with the growing threat that the glorious tigers and lions will be next.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stef Penney is a fantastic writer. She has a way of weaving fictional storytelling within historical context. Although this novel moves away from the colder climates of her previous books, this nonetheless is an elegant and magical novel that weaves multiple characters’ lives against a backdrop of real events.

What stands out the most for me is the atmosphere Penney manages to create. The exotic and mysterious period of French history that differs from other writers’ interests - like Kate Mosse’s languedoc novels for example. I found myself intrigued and hooked throughout.

Naturally there are moments of differing pace within the book which works well between the story telling parts and the sections which focus more on character development. I was particularly interested in the themes of gender and sexuality as it made it feel quite modern and current but set in a time quite different from our own - the late 1870’s.

And Penney handles mood exceptionally well. The lighter parts feel needed when things get particularly dark and engulfing.

I was lucky enough to read a pre-release copy of the Beasts of Paris.

[Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was always going to love this book because it’s Stef Penney and I adore her writing.

Set in Paris in 1870, it tells the intertwined stories of Anne, Lawrence and Ellis, who each visit the menagerie’s fearsome animals as a way of escaping heartache and war. Anne is a patient of a women’s asylum trying to pave the way for a new life. Lawrence is trying to escape his strict Canadian upbringing. Meanwhile, Ellis is trying to come to terms with the sights he saw as a surgeon during the American civil war.

The Beasts of Paris is superbly written, as you’d expect from Penney, invoking both emotion and anger as Paris is held under siege. A beautiful historical setting, with a (then forbidden) love story, it will certainly tug at your heart strings in more ways than one. Loved it!

[Jamie Dawes · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s not that I didn’t like the book… it just wasn’t for me.

I was definitely more expecting a book based around the menagerie, but that was not the case.

The war was just too heavy for me, especially not expecting that to be the main focus of the book.

However, I really loved the character relationships and their own personal developments and stories, one of the best written in that aspect that I’ve ever read.

So great job Stef 👏🏼👏🏼

[Nancy Barber · Rating 2 out of 5]

Long suffering and boring. Did not enjoy this book. It seemed to go nowhere

[Lady Fancifull · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disturbing, absorbing Franco-Prussian war and Paris Commune set novel 4.5

Stef Penney seems often to be drawn to characters who are outsiders in their society, somehow on the margins. In prior books, such characters are also placed in landscapes which are indifferent, or hostile, to the curious biped struggling to survive. Her characters are often loners, also finding a harsh beauty in such landscapes, not to mention being free from close engagement when too many people at any one time.

The Beasts of Paris shifts from a landscape of isolation, from small, tight, sometimes restrictive communities, to one of teeming population and a different kind of being an outsider. Here, groups may be pitted against, or pit themselves against, other groups. First, there is the looming war between France’s Second Empire and Prussia, moving towards the formation of a United Germany. So, as so often, nations unite to make other nations ‘outside’ What happened at this time, was the siege of Paris. In times of famine and hardship, both ‘humanity’ – whatever that means, and its shadow, bestiality, may come to the fore.

Set partly in and around the Zoo, with its collection of rare and exotic animals, include those already heading for extinction, Penney does not need to labour the point – nor does she – that those creatures human beings term as ‘dumb beasts’ or simply ‘beasts’ may display behaviour of little, if any, ‘bestiality’ whilst the human biped may show, time and again, little or no ‘humanity’

‘Outsiders’ in this complex, multi-character novel may be so because they have at some point been transported or displaced from their original homes, whether this is non-human animals in zoos, or humans displaced through war, invasive territorial grabs, empire, human trafficking and the slave trade. More widely, individuals and groups may become outsiders or others due to class, political beliefs, gender, sexuality, race, nationality or any of the other depressing myriad of reasons why humans do this to each other, individually and collectively.

My reason for not quite going full 5 star is that initially it is a little difficult to follow the trajectories of too many people’s stories. Though almost everyone within its pages are somehow outsiders, or feel themselves to be so, the major players whose development and growth are followed, is a woman who belongs to that special category of ‘outside’ – those deemed ‘abnormal’ as mentally ill. Anne is a mysterious woman with clearly some terrible past trauma. A former patient, and now ‘employed’ for cleaning duties at the Salpetriere asylum for the infirm, aged and insane, she is the character whose strength and fortitude the reader most invests in. Lawrence is a Canadian, working as a photographer in a fashionable, upmarket photographic business, which has its own dark secret. Lawrence too, has come to Paris because of his own secret, drawn as many were, by a certain accommodation of individuality which Europe – France in particular, seemed to allow. Ellis, an army surgeon, already damaged by his experience of the carnage of the American Civil War, has come to Paris to escape that profession, and yearns to become a poet. He too is a man with a past, and is initially the least sympathetic of the three, the one whose mask, whose hiding of his most tender and vulnerable side, has damaged him most.

As the collision between individual lives and historical events ratchet up, making almost everyone an enemy for someone else my appreciation for the book began to rise. And, as much as we care for the human characters we meet we readers become desperately invested in the community of animals in the zoo, yet more individuals caught as victims in mankind’s wars between themselves

A recommended read, this, which I received as an ARC from the publishers, via NetGalley

[Lynne Gosbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this as I have loved all of Penney's other books but it wasn't my favourite. I found it harder to connect to her characters for some reason - there were a lot of them and lots of different perspectives, so maybe that was it - and found the last 100 pages or so a bit of a slog. It probably didn't help that I know very little about this period of history and some background knowledge might have been helpful. Others who are bigger fans of historical fiction might well love it.

[Nino Meladze · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very much enjoyed the book, the vivid characters and the dynamic storyline. I missed a bit of a stronger conclusion at the end. While I like leaving space for imagination, some more help from author would have been great.

[Deby Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took a while to get into this story with so many different characters. Interesting reading about Paris during this period of its history.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting story and what happens to people during a war..

[Lisa S · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't at all sure what to expect from this book, set in Paris during the siege of 1870. I was not very familiar with this period of history, but the author has done a fantastic job of blending historical fact with fiction.

We meet several characters and follow how their lives intertwine during this period - Anne who is an inmate of the infamous Salpetriere hospital where women considered insane are housed and some are chosen to be showcased in front of a public audience.

Lawrence is a Canadian photographer's assistant who works in a local studio and aswell as the formal work also helps with producing erotic pictures and postcards. He has a fascination with Paris Zoo and arranges to capture the animals housed there, which is where he initially crosses paths with Anne. Lawrence is comfortable in his sexuality, but yearns for romance and a partner who feels the same which at the time the story is set is fraught with danger.

Ellis is an American Army surgeon, he has experienced civil war already and suffers PTSD from his experiences which has led him to Paris to pursue his dreams of becoming a poet - with the support of his Uncle who happens to be the American Ambassador.

All the characters are well developed and the cast of supporting characters are also well defined so they seem like fully rounded people even when we only meet them briefly. Everyone has their own secrets and challenges, the different POVs really help to build the story and when war breaks out I found it useful to help keep up with what was happening. The different perspectives really helped to show the human impact of war as the people of Paris become frustrated and tensions rise between friends and neighbours.

[Helen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt this book was setting up all the characters to be placed for the inevitable end to the siege. This was about 400 pages and then it happened. I thought the zoo parts were like part of another book altogether. It did not work for me sadly as I have read other works by this author and really enjoyed them. I was interested in the history as I had not known anything about this time in Paris before.

[Lucy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dropped. It had too slow of an intro and dialogue was clunky.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in Paris in 1870 during the four-month siege of the city, part of the wider Franco-Prussian war, ‘The Beasts of Paris’ by Stef Penney tells this 19th century wartime story through the eyes of three young people. Each is an outsider, each is in the process of finding out who they are.
Canadian photographer Lawrence Harper works at the Studio Lamy taking saucy pictures of naked women, in his own time he visits the nearby Menagerie and focusses on wild beasts. He is particularly drawn to the large cats, a lion Tancred and lioness Irma, Nero the panther and particularly Marguerite the Caspian tigress. Anne Petitjean, former inmate at the Salpêtrière asylum, is also drawn to the animal cages, especially Marguerite. The animals are special, indulged, worshipped, but when war comes to Paris even the animals go hungry, even the tiger is in danger. No-one is immune. Ellis Butterfield, an American in Paris and nephew of a US diplomat, is a surgeon with experience of the American Civil War a decade earlier. The last thing Ellis wants to do is operate again, to sever limbs, to see death at every turn.
Each of the three sees and does things they never dreamed they would. There are awful choices, hardships, separations and bereavements awaiting them and they must find the strength and wits to survive. As the city falls apart and the political classes and working-class Commune fall out, scores are settled, new laws introduced. And then the denunciations, arrests and shootings begin.
Penney’s three lead characters are so believable, distinct, each infuriating at times but always drawing our understanding. The supporting cast are convincing too, particularly assistant vet Victor Calmette and studio model Fanny Klein. Before the war, everyone has a job, a role, a place in society. But as the city descends into the chaos of siege, with no food, bombarded by shells, afraid to go out and afraid to stay indoors, everyone becomes equally imprisoned. War is a great leveller and the siege is cruelly intense as people strive to go about their ordinary daily lives as guns fire on the streets they know and love.
The knife edge of daily fear is sharpened by the lack of reliable information. The city is surrounded. There is no news, no communication, no mail service from outside. Scandal sheets spring up, written and printed inside the besieged city. They publish ‘news’ stories which are factually unproven. Rumour and gossip – such as the Amazons of the Seine, said to be a ladies battalion armed with hat pins dipped in prussic acid – not unlike unverified rumour on social media today. Distrust of anyone different, the colour of their skin, their accent, their behaviour dominates daily life and any journey outside the home. Besieged Paris is a microcosm of human’s best, and worst, attributes. A petrie dish for rebellion fuelled by emotion, anger, misinformation and wishful thinking. In the centre of this, Penney has placed a relationship, a romance that begins with friendship.
Not a thriller despite its wartime setting, this is a high-quality character-led drama. The best novel I’ve read so far this year. I loved ‘Under a Pole Star,’ but this book is way better.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-revie...

[Jeannine Healy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is set in late 19th century Paris where tensions are high just before the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian war. We meet Anne, a meek young woman who lives and works in an asylum who has had a terrible start in life  Ellis, an American war surgeon who is battling daily with the effects of PTSD and Lawrence, a photographer's assistant who is trying to come to terms with his sexuality.

We also meet Victor who is the assistant veterinarian working in Paris's menagerie, where the proverbial beasts of Paris reside but the question is, who really are the beasts of Paris?

I found this to be a very enjoyable piece of historical fiction. It becomes a small bit heavy on the military history towards the last third but this is not a criticism as its incredibly well researched, vital to the story and also, accessible. I found it not only an enjoyable book but also very informative as it was a part of history that I've not read a lot about and Penney as a writer really draws you in to the story.

The standout though are the characters, so brilliantly written and multi dimensional. I disliked Victor from the outset and loved Lawrence, so wonderfully and empathetically written. I was thoroughly invested in their stories. Even the side characters, Louise, Serge, Fanny were all well rounded. You felt totally drawn in to their world. Penney provided great social commentary on how it was to live as a young person in the middle of war and also deloves into the hot topics of the time. It was a lot to pack in a book which isn't even 400 pages but it worked.

A very vivid and atmospheric read which is a highly commendable skill in a writer, I never had trouble picturing the area at the time despite not ever being in Paris. The writing was lush and descriptive. I enjoy a densely written book with a lot of descriptive detail but doesn't feel heavy and this was it.

I would have liked to hear more about the asylum and I feel like Anne's story could have been fleshed out a bit more. The asylum conducted horrendous experiments on the women who resided there and I would have liked to have seen some retribution. Maybe there will be a sequel? I would hope so as I feel like there is more to be told from many of the characters.

If you enjoy historical fiction, military history or LGBTQIA+ rep, this book combines all three very eloquently.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Vivienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

My thanks to Quercus Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Beasts of Paris’ by Stef Penney.

I had read and enjoyed her ‘The Tenderness of Wolves’ in 2010 and was also drawn by the striking cover art of this novel.

Opening in Paris, May 1870, this work of literary historical fiction follows the fortunes of three wandering souls, who find themselves in a city about to descend into war and revolution.

Anne Petitjean had formerly been a patient at a women's asylum and is now trying to carve out a new life for herself. Lawrence Harper has come to Paris from Canada and is desperate to develop his talent as a photographer and to escape the restrictions of his puritanical upbringing. Finally, army medic Ellis Butterfield, the nephew of the American Ambassador, has aspirations to be a poet. Yet having lived through the trauma of one civil war, he is now about to face another.

Each are drawn to the beasts of Paris' Menagerie, where they had first met. As the siege of the city by the Prussian forces begins, they all will face challenges. Even after the French forces surrender, there is still danger as revolution breaks out and the radical Paris Commune takes control of the city for several months.

This certainly was an epic novel in its scope. I feel that Stef Penney was wise in focusing on her three protagonists with a strong supporting cast that allowed for a number of personal stories against the backdrop of events. She made the effective point that in the midst of war people were seeking not only to survive but to find their paths to the future.

I found that I related to Anne the most given her experiences at the Salpêtrière Hospital as well as her sense of connection to the animals of the Jardin des Plantes Menagerie. Her special devotion is for Marguerite, the Caspian tigress.

I will caution that there were some upsetting themes in the novel, including the fate of the animals when the keepers could no longer feed them due to food shortages. Then there were the unscrupulous individuals who sold the exotic meat to the affluent. However, I appreciated that Penney didn’t include any graphic details on page even though the inference was there.

Overall, I found ‘The Beasts of Paris’ a powerful novel that combined beautiful writing, strong characterisation, and an immersive sense of time and place. I consider Stef Penney an excellent storyteller and I would expect this novel to be nominated for this year’s literary prizes.

[Oliver]

When the country is at war, what happens to those who are left behind and forgotten?
This is a story of struggle and survival, of people leaning on each other when they are all that is left. The Beasts of Paris was a very deep and thought provoking novel, and since I finished reading it nothing else has been on my mind.

The book follows a variety of characters in the duration of their time in Paris in the duration of the Franco Prussian war. We mainly follow Anne - a woman trying to forget her past while simultaneously adjust to the anxieties of a new one, Lawrence - a man trying to come to terms with his sexuality in an unforgiving era and Ellis - previously a surgeon in the army, his life is once more thrown into turmoil with the war and he struggles to cope with his PTSD. There are many other characters that are important throughout the book, but these are the ones whose stories struck me so intensely. Their stories intertwine in regular, subtle ways that are so lovely to experience and their stories also all intertwine with those of the animals residing in the menagerie of Paris.

I'm not usually one for reading books predominantly about war and I was worried that once the fighting was underway I would lose interest. I discovered the opposite however - this is a book about people and their struggles, the way that people band together when they need help, and also when they need change. I was fascinated the whole time, fearing for the fate of the characters but also that of the beasts of Paris.

The novel starts out with a sense of calm as we get to know the people of Paris and their ways, lulling you into a false sense of security before the war begins and everything spirals into insanity. It was heart wrenching to explore the desperate measures that we have to take when other options are no longer available. With both people and the animals of the zoo starving and cut off from the rest of the world, what else is there to do? With the fates of everyone hanging in the balance, this story keeps you on the edge of your seat and nervous what the next chapter will bring.

I would definitely recommend exploring this novel, and experiencing the highs and lows for yourself - what a treat!

A big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Paul Wagenbreth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm guessing most readers will be as unknowledgeable about the Franco-Prussian War as I was before I read Stef Penney’s ‘The Beasts of Paris,” a fictional rendering of the 1870 Prussian encirclement of Paris which made for famine so bad that one character in the novel suspects his landlady stole his cat in order to eat it. And at the city's zoo, officials fear they’ll have to end up slaughtering their animals to supply food for the citizenry – a particularly traumatic prospect for a zookeeper who has come to feel a special affection for a majestic Caspian tigress.
It's an affection shared by another of the novel’s four main characters, a young woman who along with the others survives the privations of the encirclement only to have to face still worse in the siege’s aftermath, when a revolutionary government is put down in a week-long bloodbath that proves even more traumatic for the characters than the encirclement.
Reminiscent in that way the novel was for me of the movie version I recently saw of Laura Hillenbrand's “Unbroken,” in which crashed Allied fliers survive an awful ordeal at sea only to have to endure an even worse ordeal in a POW camp when they’re picked up by Japanese forces. Not a bad comparison, indeed, the fliers’ POW experience with that of the siege survivors, with how in both cases one horrific experience was followed by an even worse one, with the death toll from the latter considerable – an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 or more, in the case of the siege aftermath, which even for its horribleness is probably even less well known than the encirclement.
It’s an ignorance gap that Pen's novel fills with great vigor, especially in its last 100 pages or so, when events pick up steam after earlier stretches of the novel which, frankly, I found somewhat tedious with their depictions of a love affair, which, though viscerally depicted (especially striking was a female author's dead-on depiction of the male sexual experience), paled for me against the larger historical canvas.

[The Northern Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the backdrop of the Franco-Prussian war of the 1800s and still with some legacy of the revolution, The Beasts of Paris follows the lives of Anne (a former patient of the women's mental hospital who has suffered much abuse at the hands of those who should have offered her protection), Victor (the shy assistant veterinarian who helped to save one of Paris' big cat star attractions and will do anything to ensure her safety), Lawrence (a Canadian photographer's assistant who helps to produce erotic postcards and while comfortable with his sexuality, seems unable to find a partner who feels the same) and Ellis (an American who while trained as a doctor wishes to be a poet and doesn't feel any shame at using his uncle - the American Ambassador - to help him out of the various scrapes he experiences).

Each character has their own secrets and challenges to overcome, in addition to being in Paris when war breaks out and it is interesting to see how their stories become more tightly weaved together as the story progresses, with each seeming to achieve contentment, albeit at different costs and in different forms.

Blending fact and fiction perfectly together, I enjoyed how, as the story progressed, extracts and photos - which I assume were really from the time - were included in the text. Adding context and atmosphere. The many interesting supporting characters also helped to capture the frustration and tension of the period, as neighbours often became pitted against each other, as the war and the battle for self preservation endured.

I really enjoyed how many of the characters were allowed to be truly human. Displaying flaws or traits that were annoying and/or testing, while also being allowed to seek to address or improve these e.g. Ellis and his alcoholism. I liked how it also didn't shy away from difficult topics, while handling them sensitively and in keeping with the time period.

[fearnot · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

I enjoyed Penney’s vivid and descriptive writing, immersing you in the setting and emotions of the characters. However, the characters themselves are a struggle to keep tabs on.

While this book had its charm and definitely kept me tuned in, I personally think there are too many characters than the book really needs. Victor and Anne are main characters that lack vibrancy, with no real story coming out of them individually or together outside of Victor continuing to work at the zoo and Anne struggling with her identity - neither has any real growth during the story as Victor stays at the zoo the entirety of the book and Anne is still struggling with her identity by her last chapter. Fanny, the Lamys, and Ernestine are easily forgettable and the middle/end of the book really starts honing in on Fanny specifically, with no real straightforward story for her. She is constantly fighting an internal battle that has no resolution outside of death and prison. Additionally, characters are added and removed left and right (examples include Yves, Michel, Seraphine, etc) and there stories end either with a quick death or no proper following of what happens to them. Some minor characters share the same names as the major ones which was also confusing at times.

The main standouts in the book are Lawrence and Ellis. If the story focused on their journey as foreigners, outsiders, and the specifics in their life within Paris as they navigate a relationship, self-identity, troubled backstory, societal norms, and the war all at the same time, it could have made for a more direct and streamlined story without flipping back and forth between a multitude of characters. We get to see both Lawrence and Ellis grow as individuals and as a duo gradually throughout the book, which makes for more connection and interest into their intentions, goals, and difficulties.

Otherwise, a good book that showcases multiple lives and obstacles during Paris’ most historic times.