Paris, with its glittering lights that mesmerize you, its delectable desserts, and the je ne sais quoi, it’s a city that lures you in. And that’s if you’ve been there or not! I must admit I’m in a bit of a love affair with Paris and have thankfully been able to visit on multiple occasions. But when I’m not visiting I love reading books set in Paris. No matter what the subject matter of the book is, whether it’s a memoir or a novel, one of the lead characters is always the city itself. And if you’re looking for books to read before your next trip to Paris, I have a few you should add to your bookshelf!
So, whether you’ve been and are looking for books based in Paris to transport you back or have never been and are looking for some inspiration for an upcoming trip, I’ve rounded up some of the best books set in Paris. You’ll find everything from memoirs to historical fiction as well as mysteries. No matter you’re literary preference, there are Paris books below that you’ll want to add to your reading list!
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15 of the Best Books Set in Paris
Classic Paris Books
Paris, the city, herself is a classic. If she were a person I’d imagine her with a cropped cut, cat-eye like sunglasses, a delicate pearl necklace, and a chic yet simple outfit. While the list of classic books set in Paris is long, I’ve included below what I feel are the top three.
A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
One of my favourite books is the classic Ernest Hemingway book about Paris, A Moveable Feast. He’s one of my favourite authors, I even stayed in a hotel room that was inspired by him in a charming small town in Ontario called Paris, and wandered the streets of Paris in search of the places he and his fellow literary giants haunted.
A Moveable Feast is Hemingway’s memoir about his time in Paris as a struggling writer in the 1920s. It digs into his love affair with Paris, writing in cafes, and an intriguing lot of characters he calls friends, like James Joyce, Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, and other now famous artists.
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The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
One of the most world famous books set in Paris is The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo. Set in medieval Paris, it’s a dramatic story about a set of vastly different characters, the misunderstood bell ringer Quasimodo, the spirited dancer Esmeralda, and a priest. And another star of the novel is the grand Notre Dame Cathedral. At the time of writing it the Cathedral was in near ruins but thanks, in part, to his book it became quite the attraction and so was saved.
Another classic book set in Paris by Victor Hugo is Les Miserable.
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The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
I still remember the first time I saw the stage performance of The Phantom of the Opera and the thrill when chandelier crashed to the ground. I was seven years old. Since then I’ve seen the play twice more, watched countless film adaptations and, of course, read the book. To me, it’s so much more than a classic love story, it’s about the sad darkness within us all and how many hide from people and the world instead of living in it.
Gaston Leroux’s The Phantom of the Opera was first published in French in 1909 as a serial. The story revolves around a young opera singer, the dark angel who has vowed to protect her, and a budding romance with a childhood friend and takes place in the stunning Paris Opera House. The Phantom of the Opera is the epitome of Gothic horror literature.
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Memoirs Set in Paris
Some of my favourite books I’ve read are memoirs sets in Paris. I’m always intrigued by what draws people to Paris, is it love, food, art, or something completely different from the norm. There are countless Paris memoirs, many set in what the French called Années folles, or the crazy years of the 1920s and others set in the modern city of today. The following are some of my favourite memoirs based in Paris.
Paris Times Eight by Deirdre Kelly
In Paris Times Eight Kelly recounts her multiple visits to Paris, from a young nineteen year old to following trips with family. Kelly’s memoir is that wondrous blend of self-discovery through travel and how Paris can shape you and inspire you. It’s a different take on the coming of age story. But the book is also about mothers, the struggle of the mother and daughter relationship as well as the gift it offers, and how a place can nurture you too.
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C’est la Vie by Suzy Gershman
You may have heard of Suzy Gershman on Oprah as she was dubbed “Super Shopper Suzy”. But in C’est la Vie Gershman recounts her first year of living in Paris. While she always wanted to move to Paris it wasn’t until her husband’s unexpected passing that she finally takes the leap. The book is all about starting over and finding a new normal. It follows her struggles as well as her successes. But it also shares Gershman’s tips on Parisian cooking and of course shopping.
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Time Was Soft There: A Paris Sojourn at Shakespeare & Co by Jeremy Mercer
If you’re like me and love memoirs that have a connection with literary giants like Hemingway and others from the Lost Generation, then you’ll love this charming memoir by Jeremy Mercer. Time Was Soft There is Mercer’s memoir about his time living in one of the most famous and best bookstores in Europe, Shakespeare & Company. Leaving Canada, Mercer heads to Paris where he ends up living in and working in Shakespeare & Co. It follows his struggles as well as the interesting characters he meets all while keeping it real and not over-romanticizing the experience.
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Are you planning a trip to Paris? Check out my 4 Days in Paris Itinerary that’s chalked full of all the best things to do, where to stay, and where to find the best views! Or for those who can’t get there yet check out these awesome virtual tours of Paris to help feed that desire to visit the City of Lights!
Novels Set in Paris
There is an endless list of novels set in Paris. They range from love stories to historical fiction, many based around World War II. Below are some of what I consider the best Paris novels that I’ve read thus far, there’s everything from sweet reads to laugh out loud ones.
Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George
If you’re looking for a light read, nothing too heavy, then I highly recommend reading Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George. This charming novel is about Monsieur Perdu, an endearing character, who sells books from his barge on the Seine. It’s about love lost, healing wounds, but also adventure as he sets off down to the south of France via its riverways. Little Paris Bookshop is full of fun and interesting characters and shows a completely different side to Paris then is usually seen.
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A Year in Merde by Stephen Clarke
If you’re looking for a fun and witty novel that takes place in Paris then pick up a copy of A Year in Merde by Stephen Clarke. The book takes influence from Clarke’s experiences living and working in France. The story is about a young Englishman who moves to Paris to work. It highlights and pokes fun at some of the charming idiosyncrasies that many of the French have. Clarke has also written follow up novels, the Paul West Series, following the same character on his escapades in France as well as other places, like the United States.
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Paris The Novel by Edward Rutherfurd
If you’re looking for an epic saga of historical fiction set in Paris then pick up a copy of Paris The Novel by Edward Rutherfurd. The story follows one family from medieval times up to the 1960s. It’s full of intriguing characters, secrets, love, and at its core is Paris. Rutherfurd’s book will transport you to Paris like no other with his rich description, vivid characters, and each of Paris’s iconic monuments and neighbourhoods has a role.
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Mysteries Set in Paris
Paris is made for mystery novels. This it’s winding streets, intriguing artsy crowd, and romance, it’s no surprise they’re a ton of mystery novels, and whole series, based in Paris. Below are a few of my favourite, one of which you may have heard of.
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
I still remember the thrill of reading The Da Vinci Code for the first time. It was just before my first backpacking trip across Europe in 2005. And being in Paris after reading it gave a whole new dimension and intrigue to the city. Now there are even tours in Paris based on the famous novel.
If you are one of the few who haven’t read The Da Vinci Code I highly recommend it, along with all of Dan Brown’s books. The book is the second in the series of Robert Langdon mysteries and follows the quirky Harvard symbologist on another whirlwind adventure that spans time and places. It’s about everything from art to religion and finding out one of the world’s most fascinating mysteries. And if you’ve read the book and loved it I recommend getting The Da Vinci Code: Special Illustrated Edition. It’s full of photos of all of the pieces of art he references as well as symbols, architecture, and more.
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Murder in Marais (Aimée Leduc Investigations #1) by Cara Black
I love a good mystery novel and if you do too there are a few great mystery novels set in Paris. Murder in Marais by Cara Black is the first in her Aimée Leduc Investigations series. The series follows the smart and sophisticated private investigator, Aimée Leduc as she tracks down murderers. In Murder in Marais, Leduc stumbles upon a woman dead in Paris’s historic Jewish quarter and in turn, sets off to unravel the mystery.
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Death in the Louvre (A Paris Booksellers Mystery Book #2) by Evan Hirst
Another fun mystery series set in Paris is Evan Hirst’s A Paris Booksellers Mystery Book. The series follows Ava Sext, a Brit living in Paris, who sells books from one of Paris’s outdoor stalls along the Seine. And she always seems to find herself wrapped in a murder mystery. The series is what you might call tea-cozy mysteries, which are light and easy to read without the horrid details. In Death in the Louvre, Ava Sext is left a clue by an artist right before he dies. With the help of a fellow bookseller, Ava goes on the hunt to solve the mysterious death.
Non-Fiction Books about Paris
I always recommend reading about the cities and countries you visit before you go. Learn about their history, their people, and discover what help shape it into the place you want to visit. There are countless non-fiction books about Paris, I’ve mentioned a few above in the form of memoirs but below are a few other books you should read before your trip to Paris.
Notre-Dame by Ken Follett
Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is one of my favourite buildings and you can read all about why I love it here. But if you’re looking to dig deeper into this grand cathedral, its past, and the people who have shaped it to what it is today then I recommend you read Ken Follett’s Notre-Dame. Follett is widely known for his New York Times bestselling book, Pillars of the Earth, the first in a series of books that also revolves around a cathedral. He’s even said that Notre Dame was one of his inspirations.
In Notre-Dame, Follett recounts the history of the cathedral, its fall and rise and sadly its recent fire. While the book is petite it packs a lot of information about the cathedral, the people who built it, as well as endearing stories of Follett’s visits both before and after the fire.
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The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris by David McCullough
If you are fascinated by the allure of Paris to many as you are Paris itself then you’ll love The Greater Journey by David McCullough. In this book, McCullough details the lives of some of the many Americans, both artists, doctors, and others, who set off to Paris between 1830 and 1900. He tells the adventurous tales of these interesting people, including Oliver Wendell Holmes, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Mark Twain, and Samuel Morse. And how they travelled to Paris, their ambitions, and the mark they made on history – perhaps thanks to their time in Paris.
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Paris 1919: Six Months that Changed the World by Margaret MacMillan
In Paris 1919 by Margaret MacMillan you’ll learn about the aftermath of World War I and what happened in Paris in the months after the war ended. In 1919, the Paris Peace Conference was held and brought together diplomats from around the world, and a new world was mapped and created.
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Are you looking for more books set in Paris?
Other must-read books set in Paris include; Suite Française by Irene Nemirovsky, Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell, The Room on Rue Amelie by Kristin Harmel, The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, The Only Street in Paris: Life on the Rue des Martyrs by Elaine Sciolino, Paris for One and Other Stories by Jojo Moyes, The Paris Wife by Paula McLain, The Painted Girls by Cathy Marie Buchanan, and The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff.
Are you looking for the perfect coffee table book? A few great coffee table books of Paris are Paris in Color by Nichole Robertson and Paris in Bloom by Georgianna Lane.
Books Set in France
If you have an interest in Paris, you’ll probably love reading more books based in France. Below are a couple more of my favourite memoirs set in France, as well as a list of other notable books set in France.
Tout Sweet by Karen WheelerIf you’re looking for another memoir about a woman looking to find herself then consider reading Tout Sweet by Karen Wheeler. Wheeler has a series of memoirs about her time in rural France, including Tout Soul and Toute Allure. In these fun memoirs she regales in stories, both exciting and sad, about her move from city life in London to rural life in the west of France.
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Finding Me in France by Bobbi French
Another lovely memoir is Finding Me in France by Bobbi French. This fellow Canadian leaves her career in medicine behind in Newfoundland and moves to a small village in France. Finding Me in France is French’s story about making her dream come true with all the joys and awkward moments in between.
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Are you looking for more books set in France?
Here are a few more must-read books based in France; My Life in France by Julia Child, A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle, The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, Chocolat by Joanne Harris, Almost French by Sarah Turnbull, and The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure.
Are you looking for more books to transport you around the world? I’ve got a list of travel reads that will take you everywhere from China to England and nearly everywhere in between. For those looking to read more about my beautiful country here are some of the best books based in Canada.
Do you have any favourite books set in Paris?
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