Lou Jacobs's Reviews > The Paris Novel

A PARIS NOVEL by Ruth Reichl
Published: April 30,2024 by Random House
Page Count: 288



Part fairy tale …and an enchanting journey of personal actualization in 1980 France. This is a delightful feast for the eyes, nose and ears as two mysteries will be investigated and somehow magically be intertwined. The origin and deeper meaning behind the magnificent painting of “Olympia” and it’s model Victorine-Louise Meurent (not its painter Manet) …. her accomplishments at a time when women had no rights, and search for her “lost paintings.” Food will achieve almost mythical stature, in its description , enjoyment and presentation. All your senses will be necessary to explore the interlinked nature of food, culture, and the arts. This is not a book just for women, but for all who can open their minds and enjoy the wonder of self discovery. This will transcend the genre of mystery.
Stella St. Vincent is essentially estranged from her beautiful mother, Cecilia (nee Constanza Vicente of Brooklyn ), who at age fifteen left home and forged a life of privilege based upon her wiliness, and skills of self invention. Upon graduation from Vassar, Stella has settled into a life of routine blandness. She has become a copy editor for the small Vanguard Press, Most of time you will find her at home reading, and on the weekends exploring the halls of the Metropolitan Museum. It has been six months since she last saw her mother, when she receives a phone call telling her of her mother’s death after being struck by a taxi. She is contacted by a lawyer ( and probably a former lover of her mother) and informed she has a small inheritance and a message from her mother. He presents a single sheet of paper, that says: “Go To Paris.” Apparently she will be given a ticket to Paris along with her inheritance.
She arrives in Paris in the 1980s with little in the way of initiative or drive or worldly experience. Her plan is to visit all the sights in her guidebook and continue her frugal life in obscurity without confrontation. However, in one of her overly scheduled walks, she stumbles across a strange little dress shop, enticed by an enchanting black dress in the window. As the shopkeeper helps her into the dress, she seems to transform into another person. Looking into the mirror; the slim, boyish Stella was gone … in her place stood an exotic creature .. she now looked sensual with mysterious eyes, rather than the drab mundane Stella. A deal was struck … she would buy the $4000 dollar dress and follow the shopkeeper’s detailed plan of activity for the day and night … where to go, to eat and what to see … If she wasn’t satisfied she could return the dress in the morning for a complete refund. As a result she embarked on a magical journey fit for a Cinderella. She would make the acquaintance of the octogenarian art collector Jules Delatour… charming and delightful who appears to know a bevy of renown people (most are denizens of real life), at her scheduled first stop at the famous restaurant, Les Deux Magots. He will essentially be her tour guide for the rest of her enchanting journey.
He will introduce her to the literary, culinary and art world of 1980s Paris. She will discover that she possesses a remarkable gift .. the imagination and ability to appreciate food and art. He will provide her introduction to the painting and mystery behind Manet’s painting of “Olympia” and the model, Victorine-Louise Meurent. Suddenly Stella has a purpose: to find out about Victorine and her lost paintings.
Ruth Reicht proves to be a masterful storyteller as she weaves together Stella’s intriguing and convoluted path to self actualization. Along the way, the reader is treated to the delights of Paris… not only its historical and tourist sights, but more its interwoven immersion in the literary, art and culinary worlds. This vivid portrayal of Paris is a testament that the city is capable of savoring the present, while appreciating its past. This charming tale is populated by real life culinary figures (like Richard Oldney and Alain Passard), restaurants and litterary figures like John Ashbery, James Baldwin and even Allen Ginsberg. We will visit the famous bookstore, Shakespeare and Company, and encounter the renown bookseller, George Whitman, and discover what it was like to become involved in its storied past.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House who provided an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review. This gem will be enjoyed by not only foodies, but more so by those who love all things about Paris. A joy to all who have visited that great city in the past, or plan a journey in the future.