Et cetera : What We're Reading: The Paris Express

I recently read 'The Paris Express' by Emma Donoghue. Donoghue is an accomplished author of fiction, film and theater, and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and other awards for her novel 'Room.' She went on to receive an Academy Award nomination for her screenplay adaptation of the book.

I'm lukewarm on 'The Paris Express' for a few reasons; here is the good, the bad and the ugly.

The good: I love books set on trains! The summary inside the book jacket grabbed me to the point that I let this book budge ahead of many others on my TBR. Also, while reading I learned a lot about actual events in 1890's Paris.

The bad: A lot of characters are introduced so quickly in the beginning of the story I felt as if I was on a train uncomfortably surrounded by strangers, when I longed to be in my own private carriage reading a book in the back.

The ugly: I found the backstories for many of the characters awkward and contrived.

We have this book, along with 'Room' on book and DVD available for checkout at the Vinton Public Library. 'The Paris Express' currently has 3.6/5 stars on goodreads.com.

Happy reading!

~Kelly Henkle, Library Director