Words leave imprints in your mind like footprints in the sand...
1899: Against such a backdrop of Paris in 1899 when Paris was buzzing on the world stage – theatres and the Vaudeville theatre in particular was alive with energy. See the streets near popular Paris landmarks such as Sacré-Cœur in a whole new (and rather dim) light.
James Norton is sent by his mother from the US to Paris to bring home his wayward brother Raphael and sister Ellie. When he arrives however, Raphael’s lover, Olympe has died under mysterious circumstances and the sister, Ellie, is ill. James looks after her while helping his brother investigate Olympe’s death.
The violent death of Olympe Fabre and then of her sister Judith in the asylum of Salpêtrière, draw Raphael and Ellie into deceit and violence. Is her death part of a macabre pattern of Jewish women being found murdered, and what exactly is this medical research going on at Salpêtrière?
Paris is shown in a whole new light here – gothic in tone and atmosphere, the cover reveals the famous stairs at Montmartre leading up to Sacré-Cœur which is eerie and gives a flavour of the contents of the book. This is the Paris at the time when the new metro was being built, and the centennial Universal Exhibition was about to take place. An exciting time to travel to Paris.
From the very first paragraph we are thrust into the dirty, gritty, raw side of the city –
“Paris sizzled with the spectres of past and future danger. The Gare Saint-Lazare was a hellhole. The air burned. Engines hissed. smoke billowed. Whistles shrieked. Trains clanged and clattered like weary mechanical beasts. Everywhere was heat and noise and the crush of humanity.”
Politics and plot aside, Paris Requiem introduces us to another side of Paris – the colourful world of the theatre compared to the clinical atmosphere of the hospitals. We attend sumptuous dinner parties of the wealthy and influential and then are plunged into the stark horror of the asylum and what goes on there.
Here at the Salpêtrière, our significant number of Jews present us with a unique opportunity to investigate a hereditary pool – not only through our inmates, but their relations.
Part historical novel and part thriller with a generous dose of mystery and gothic leanings with a sprinkling of political background – the infamous Dreyfus affair.
The subject of antisemitism is never far off the radar as once we discover Olympe was Jewish this quickly turns into a whole new ball game given the anti-semitic feeling at the time. Then before you know it, the author pulls out the rug from under you and escalates the danger in a world of human trafficking and a mental asylum.
For more information on the Dreyfus affair then we found this useful –
The Dreyfus Affair – britannica.com/Dreyfus-affair
Susan:
This was a novel with many shocks and twists along the way. To say it is breathtaking would be no lie since the layers of intrigue and mystery are built up little by little with even the mysterious illness of Ellie coming into play.
The layers of the book make this a complex read but it is never hard to follow or to enjoy It makes you think and hold your breath though and I felt quite tired at the end and not due to the length of the book! It’s a novel with meat on it that’s for sure and it is a very satisfying and intense read.
This book really packed a punch! This was a novel with many shocks and twists along the way. To say it is breathtaking would be no lie since the layers of intrigue and mystery are built up little by little with even the mysterious illness of Ellie coming into play
The layers of the book make this a complex read but it is never hard to follow or to enjoy It makes you think and hold your breath though and I felt quite tired at the end and not due to the length of the book! It’s a novel with meat on it that’s for sure and it is a very satisfying and intense read.
2024: It’s a doorway to the past through the miracle of delicious food.
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