The Paris Express

By: Emma Donoghue

Narrated by: Justin Avoth

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

From the bestselling and “soul-stirring” (Oprah Daily) author of Room, a sweeping historical “nail-biter” (People) of a novel about the infamous 1895 disaster at the Paris Montparnasse train station.

Based on an 1895 disaster that went down in history when it was captured in a series of surreal, extraordinary photographs, The Paris Express is a propulsive novel set on a train packed with a fascinating cast of characters who hail from as close as Brittany and as far as Russia, Ireland, Algeria, Pennsylvania, and Cambodia. Members of parliament hurry back to Paris to vote; a medical student suspects a girl may be dying; a secretary tries to convince her boss of the potential of moving pictures; two of the train’s crew build a life away from their wives; a young anarchist makes a terrifying plan, and much more.

From an author whose “writing is superb alchemy” (Audrey Niffenegger, New York Times bestselling author), The Paris Express is an evocative masterpiece that effortlessly captures the politics, glamour, chaos, and speed that marked the end of the 19th century.

Critic reviews

"This thrill ride of an audiobook tells the many stories of those onboard Train 721, which crashes in Montparnasse station in October 1895. British narrator Justin Avoth narrates the drama at a good pace and keeps the story moving. Donoghue brings her plotting skills, eloquent style, and eye for social mores to the cast of fictional people who are on the train. To the group she adds the real-life playwright John Synge and American painter Henry Trainer, among others. Tension mounts as a young anarchist carries a homemade bomb, a baby is born, and, inexorably, the train plows into the station. It’s remembered in a famous photo of the engine dangling out of a parapet."

Outstanding narrator

This book was riveting, heightened by the truly exceptional performance of the narrator. I started it in the late afternoon and ended up staying awake until it was finished. Highly recommended.

Great character building, great plot and a mastery of language

Wow, yet another masterpiece from an amazing seasoned writer. I am always fascinated with the topics that Emma Donoghue chooses to write about. And the most important for me is the author's note at the end of the book, :), where you always learn something new!
Such an enjoyable read!

Good story

Loved the reader. Story was engaging and interesting. I knew nothing of this incident so the tension was effective.

Paris express interesting book about train travel and politics

Very interesting story shared from many perspectives from different social strata cultures and political views. Well narrated but occasionally hard to follow because of the many characters.

Need to be told?

I got to the end of this book and felt that this was a story that did not need to be told. A relatively minor train crash. I would have liked more historical info or to follow the characters more before or after the event. For such a short book too many characters and i felt like the characters were chosen for today’s social causes instead of representative of France at the time.

Boring

One of the most boring books I have ever read. Not one character was interesting.

blah

I wanted to like this, but it was boring and blah. I fell asleep listening to it and had no desire to go back and hear the parts I missed. The narration was just OK.

Cannot recommend

I cannot recommend this book. Although I had difficulty paying attention l kept reading for two reasons: I was hoping it would get better, but the main reason is that I am obsessive about finishing books. Unfortunately, it did not get better, but I did finish it.

Paris Express

Raw, hard to follow, and the characters were hard to relate to. While the context was fascinating, I wanted more depth in the characters, fewer raunchy details, and more about the human spirit.