Sylvia calls her shop Shakespeare and Company. Discuss the second part of that name, and Company, and the way it arises as a theme throughout the book. Maher ( The Girl in White Gloves) offers an alluring look at the history of Paris's Shakespeare and Company bookstore." - Publishers Weekly The Paris Review Interviews, II: Wisdom from the World's Literary Masters (The Paris Review Interviews, 2) When bookish young American Sylvia Beach opens Shakespeare and Company on a quiet street in Paris in 1919, she has no idea that she and her new bookstore will change the course of literature itself.

The Paris Bookseller - Kindle edition by Maher, Kerri The Paris Bookseller - Kindle edition by Maher, Kerri

Well. There was simply no concentrating on her Spain essay after that. Sitting at her little desk in the Palais, Sylvia kept catching the scent of dust and lavender that reminded her of A. Monnier—the shop and the woman, both—and every time she buried her nose in her sleeves to find the source of it, she found it was always elusive. Ulysses of James Joyce was an interpretation of Homer's Odyssey—a 'modern' parallel; a scaffolding for Ulysses. Most scholars regard Ulysses as a masterwork of Modernism, while others hail it as the pivotal point of Postmodernism. No work of literature can be fully appreciated or understood without historical context. What may seem nonsensical or even offensive to contemporary sensibilities, might actually be interpreted in a completely different manner by considering the era it is from. She couldn't help thinking that this distraction was just one more sign she was not destined to be a writer, despite the fact that after all the reading she'd done in her life, everyone around her, from her parents and sisters to her oldest friend, Carlotta Welles, just assumed she would be one. If you ever dreamed you could transport yourself to Paris in the twenties, to Sylvia Beach’s famous bookstore where Joyce, Hemingway, and Pound wandered the aisles, this story’s for you. Maher’s magical touch brings to life a woman whose struggles resonate in today’s world, while also examining the intricacies of friendship, fortitude, and the love of the written word.”

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The woman clapped her hands together and exclaimed, "Les États-Unis! The home of Benjamin Franklin! But he is my favorite! I am Adrienne Monnier." I knew nothing about Sylvia until I read this book. She met James Joyce in 1920, and offered to publish his controversial and banned masterpiece, Ulysses. Sylvia struggled financially thanks to Joyce and his willingness to drain her dry with his demands for Sylvia's time and more money and eventually abandoning all that Sylvia did for him, when he signed on with another publisher. But it's very clear that Sylvia still thought that her sacrifices were worth it, that she thought her reputation and the success of Shakespeare and Company owed much to the work of James Joyce.

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A] fascinating, deeply researched novel of the extraordinary Grace Kelly...establishes Maher as a true force in biographical fiction.” I was half way through this book before I realized it is essentially an accurate and lengthy biography of Sylvia Beach and her English language bookshop. Beach and her Paris shop, “Shakespeare and Company”, hosted many of the writers and thinkers of the early half of the 20th century. She came to fame with her publication of James Joyce’s Ulysses when no one else would publish it. In fact, America had declared it pornography and prevented it from being published or sold in the US. The novel also covers her relationship with Adrienne Monnier and Monnier’s French language bookshop. Both women were sponsors of American, French and British writers. I'm also the author of THIS IS NOT A WRITING MANUAL, under the name Kerri Majors - it's an advice-y memoir for young people who might want to be writers, or live a creative life and it's full of commiseration and practical tips. The Paris Review Book: of Heartbreak, Madness, Sex, Love, Betrayal, Outsiders, Intoxication, War, Whimsy, Horrors, God, Death, Dinner, Baseball, Travels, ... Else in the World Since 1953 In a novel exuberant, bittersweet, and reflective by turns, Maher explores the life of Sylvia Beach…readers will emerge with sincere appreciation for the artistic spirit and courage of a remarkable woman.”

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What was telling was how Slyvia's life changed forever for having dared publish such a narrative. Risking ruin, reputation and her business. It was a really beautiful romance between Sylvia and Adrienne Monier (another ground-breaking single female bookshop owner, this time French), who were drawn to each other through their love for books and literature, and their beliefs that women capable of so much more than the traditional roles of wife, mother, servant …They both believed that people should be free to love whom they choose, and write what and how they will. Censorship was rife in the USA at the time (hence the banning of ‘Ulysses’), prohibition was in full swing, and homosexuality illegal, whereas France was much more liberal on all counts. So, no wonder Sylvia – and many fellow Americans – were drawn to an exuberant Paris that sparkled with culture old and new. That Paris was also inexpensive at the time, added to the appeal.

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A captivating look behind the scenes at the life of the iconic Grace Kelly...as she searches for authenticity in a world clamoring instead for a picture-perfect princess.”Joyce's time in Paris, his publication issues with Ulysses and his relationship with Sylvia has been thoroughly researched by Maher. She describes the effort Sylvia put in dealing with Joyce, who could be difficult and demanding, in getting his manuscript ready for the printer as well as the strain on her finances that resulted from Joyce's negligence of his own financial affairs and nearly bankrupted 'Shakespeare and Company'. Through it all Sylvia held on to her unwavering belief that Ulysses was a book that must be published. Maher's bio-fic feels as if it was written by Kelly herself. The novel spins a fascinating version of the Philly native's life, from princess of Hollywood to Princess of Monaco.” Lulls you into an interwar Parisian dream where love – be it romantic, friendly or even for a book – can be found on a quirky little street in the 6th”

The Paris Bookseller: A sweeping story of love, friendship The Paris Bookseller: A sweeping story of love, friendship

Maher fills her story with quite a few of the “names” of the day - Gertrude Stein, Hemingway, Ezra Pound and especially Joyce. She captures the personalities and makes it easy to see these great names as real people. The Paris Bath and Beauty Book: Embrace Your Natural Beauty with Timeless Secrets and Recipes from the French A PopSugar Much-Anticipated 2022 Novel ∙ A BookTrib Top Ten Historical Fiction Book of Spring ∙ A SheReads’ Best Literary Historical Fiction Coming in 2022 ∙ A Reader’s Digest’sBest Books for Women Written by Female Authors ∙ A BookBub Best Historical Fiction Book of 2022 If you’re looking to travel to Paris in the 1920s; if you loved Midnight in Paris; or if you’re interested in literature and the history publishing, then this is the book for you. You don’t even have to have read Ulysses. I came to appreciate many of these artists more after reading the story. At the same time, suicide is a running theme in the later part of the book, both among the artists and their families. Some suicides aren't mentioned in the book but are part of the later lives of the people we meet in the story. Be sure to read the author's notes at the end of the book. I always enjoy knowing how an historical fiction author may have taken liberties with dates and fact, to make a story flow more smoothly. I thought these author notes were especially interesting and I appreciate getting to read them.

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I was just thinking how interpretation of literature by other authors, as well as in film, can render the original story almost unrecognizable, minimize or replace the historical context, and totally redefine the original intent of a story, or even misrepresent the original context. Does one writer really have the right to rewrite or alter another writer's work and claim freedom of expression, or even claim the right to freedom of interpretation? This is a charming, interesting book about the origins of a famous bookshop in Paris, Shakespeare and Company and how it came to be in 1918. Sylvia Beach is a young American, visiting Paris with her family and falls in love with the City of Lights. So begins her journey to create a new English speaking bookshop and lending library and her long time relationship with Adrienne Monnier. After it was established, many famous authors frequented the bookshop, such as Ezra Pound, Ernest Hemingway and his wives, and Gertrude Stein. Sylvia became good friends with James Joyce, who was a large presence in the novel. Sylvia Beach is a delightful character, especially knowing that she existed. The Paris Bookstore was a slow read for me. I found myself struggling to get into the novel even though I understood and appreciated Sylvias position as a new bookstore owner: The process it took for her to open Shakespeare and Company and the many hats she wore once it was up and running. The times that I did enjoy The Paris Bookstore were when her lover Adrianne was mentioned, famous authors were introduced, or when she discussed her ideas and the process of opening Shakespeare and Company. When at last it was time for her to return to the rue de l’Odéon, Sylvia took the metro and then paced the cobblestone courtyard in front of the Odéon Theater up the street for half an hour, chain-smoking and rehearsing possible topics of conversation to have with famo