Book Review – ‘The Paris Wife’ by Paula McLain

I just finished Paula McLain’s historical novel, The Paris Wife.  It’s a fascinating model of fiction– it depicts the rise and fall of the romance between Ernest Hemingway and Hadley Richardson, Hem’s first wife, through Richardson’s perspective.  While the narrative is completely fictional, the stories, events, and characters are known to be accurate.

I found the novel to be a bit slow at first, but once the couple crosses the Atlantic, I became more intrigued, perhaps mostly due to my love for French culture and the early 20th century.  I also found it interesting that the plot presents its formulaic conflict around page 250 out of 300.  But we’re not really in it for suspense, are we?  Any reader starting the book knows how it will end– “first wife” says it all– but we read on to become observers of the hidden discourse of an incredible time in literary history.  F. Scott Fitzgerald, Sherwood Anderson, Gertrude Stein, to name a few, are all accounted for.  Anyone who enjoyed AP Lit will have fun with this one.

Hadley’s narrative lacks the luscious flash we seek from any leading lady, except for the poignant last chapters.  But this only goes to show McLain’s talent as well as her dedication to accuracy.  I respect McLain for this faith, her research, and this clever idea.  I’m sure a wave of before-they-were-famous historical fiction dopplegangers will hit the shelves before we know it.

– Carrie Knific