Comment

Jul 20, 2013rakusa88 rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
A pleasant and well-written foray into the quotidian, intersecting lives of a colourful cast of Parisians in the early 20th century. Ideal for patient reading over a short period of time. Slow pacing but packed with culture, history and sentiment. What this book excelled at was its attention to detail. The descriptions of the beautiful venues, specific tasks (painting, baking), personal stories, thoughts and memories, allow readers to envision and embody the characters with ease. I also appreciated the theme of the importance of storytelling, as a means of connecting people in a fortuitous and meaningful manner throughout the tale. My misgivings with the novel are mostly directed at its structure. The Emperor of Paris flits between characters and sporadically leaps around in time. I read it continuously over the long weekend and still had a hard time properly immersing myself into the story.