Review of Floating Paris

[Wy_Bertram]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Floating Paris" by Adrian Mallinson.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Floating Paris follows Francis Goodwine, an English journalist who quits his job and relocates to France to pursue his passion for painting. Settling into his new life unexpectedly turns into something of an adventure as Francis has to navigate eccentric characters and new relationships on his journey to becoming a recognised artist.

Adrian Mallinson writes this book – a quaint, humourous look at the City of Lights through the eyes of lovable, well-written characters. Vivid descriptions immerse the reader in the unhurried atmosphere of the story, and the author excellently portrays the main character's life as an artist, even describing the painting process so thoroughly that I expected to find a photograph of the finished piece on the next page.

I went into this book sans great expectations, as character-driven stories without concrete plots tend to fall short most of the time in my opinion, but I was pleasantly surprised to find myself enraptured by the truthfully mundane lives of these characters — all thanks to the author's skilful storytelling. Though Mallinson quotes Floating Paris as his first novel, this book reads like the work of an established professional. The writing subverts suspense and breakneck twists, keeping the reader hooked instead with a genuine exploration of human interactions and a common pursuit of accomplishment. By and large, the writing is the star of this book, and I wonder how well the author's style would play in other genres, though, I would likely still enjoy a similar work to this one.

The masterful pacing of the story is another credit to Mallinson. Though relatively short, the reader is not rushed through the story as it matures organically. Perhaps some wittier dialogue and a bit more direct humour would make this book even better, but it remains a fantastic piece of work as-is.

I encountered a handful of editing errors in the text – a little over this website’s threshold, but besides recommending more thorough editing, I believe a deduction of stars would be unnecessary in this case, hence my rating of this book is 4 out of 4 stars. It was a wonderful read and a welcome vacation from the other more serious genres.

I recommend this book to readers who enjoy casual, easy reads, books about travel and art, and of course, books about Paris. This work is only intended for mature audiences, as it contains some strong language and sexual references.

Enjoy.

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Floating Paris
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Amy Luman]

Pursuing your dream is always a worthwhile thing even if it is not easy. I commend Mallinson for being able to bring this adventure to the forefront.

[Edit_or]

Nothing gives peace more than the pursuit of one's dream. Nice book and review too. Thank you.

[Aisha Yakub]

Seems you had a lot of fun reading this book. I hope I do too. Great review.

[Ikechukwu+12345]

Thanks for an intriguing review. I love the plot of the author. Weldone.

[Itz Savaga]

Having a dream and dropping everything just to chase that dream is really inspiring. Thanks for the splendid review. This book sounds adventurous, I would love to read this book.

[Favour Alade Boluwatife]

This seems to be an excellent book prior your review. Thanks for sharing your thought on it.