Pure

By: Andrew Miller

Narrated by: Ralph Cosham

By 1785, deep in the heart of Paris, the city's oldest cemetery is overflowing, tainting the very breath of those who live nearby. Into their midst comes Jean-Baptiste Baratte, a young, provincial engineer charged by the king with demolishing it. At first Baratte sees this as a chance to clear the burden of history, a fitting task for a modern man of reason. But before long, he begins to suspect that the destruction of the cemetery might be a prelude to his own.

©2011 Andrew Miller (P)2012 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Critic reviews

"One of the most brilliant aspects of Miller's writing is his ability to question unobtrusively, through style alone, sentimentality about both life under the Bourbons and the creative destruction of revolution...he has an instinctive knack for casting bright similes, never overextended, that ripple suggestively...The writing throughout is crystalline, uncontrived, striking and intelligent. You could call it pure." (Jonathan Beckman, Literary Review)

Every so often a historical novel comes along that is so natural, so far from pastiche, so modern, that it thrills and expands the mind. Pure is one...Miller's newly minted sentences are arresting, often unsettling and always thought-provoking. Exquisite inside and out, Pure is a near-faultless thing: detailed, symbolic and richly evocative of a time, place and man in dangerous flux. It is brilliance distilled, with very few impurities." (Holly Kyte, Telegraph)

"Quietly powerful, consistently surprising, Pure is a fine addition to substantial body of work...pre-revolutionary Paris is evoked in pungent detail...By concentrating on the bit players and byways of history, Miller conjures up an eerily tangible vanished world." (Suzi Feay, Financial Times)

Pure

This book was beautifully written and very descriptive, but also very depressing. I’m not sure how this is part of the romance package.
Jean-Baptiste Baratte, an engineer arrives in Paris in 1785, taking on the job of emptying the cemetery of Les Innocent. The stench is overpowering and is poisoning the air, food, and water.
Jean-Baptiste thinks he is going to bring new life to the city. He starts off pretty well, but soon realizes most people are not happy with him or the work he intends to do.
I didn’t enjoy this book very much. I realize it was based on an important part of history, but just didn’t expect a story labeled as being part of the romance package to be so depressing.

Listened to in a single day! Once I got going!

One would think that any novel you start and finish in a single day would prove to be one that you would reccomend to others, and one would be quite correct in thinking so!
This novel, once I got into the characters and situations was simply not one I could bear to wait to finish... What would seem, at first, a somewhat macabre novel, proves in the end to expose more kindness and sympathy despite the death around its characters than I could have first anticipated...
As someone with an interest in historical novels, it is also an interesting take on 'pre-revolutionary' France, and is remarkably insightful should I ever get the priveledge to actually visit Paris, and its catacombs...
Not without sadness and tragety, it yet contains a tenderness which is uncovered that seems the more real and miraculous in spite of itsself...
Overall, an excelent read! Romantic in its way, fascinating, and compassionate, it is an excelent break from the sappy traditional victorian anxt, while keeping that historic and period correct edge!

A slice of life in pre-revolutionary Paris

Andrew Miller is a masterful story teller and writes superb dialogue that feels completely authentic and contemporary with the era in which he is writing.

Ralph Cosham was the perfect reader. Titian, erudite, great French pronunciation, and droll.

Good Historical Novel

I always enjoy anything to do with the 18th century. This book gave excellent detail about all aspects of life in Paris at that time. I t was definately dark in nature, but fitting to the subject matter. I was sad at the end, but the ending was symbollic and well done.

This book is exquisite

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I enjoyed this book for many reasons. It is beautifully written,a good story, and a vivid description of Paris at the time. I liked the people who inhabit the book, they are good and decent people.