Gable, Michelle. A Paris Apartment. New York: St. Martin's Press. 2014. Print
She only wanted to get out of town.
When her boss sidled up and said the words "apartment,' 'ninth arrondissement," and "a ton of nineteenth-century crap," April instantly thought: vacation.There would be work involved, but no matter, she was going to Paris.
Description:
Here's an interesting premise for Michelle Gable's intriguing novel, A Paris Apartment. An residence in Paris has been locked up, untouched or altered, for seventy years. When opened, the apartment' s rooms are found to be filled with antiques and original furniture untouched since the early 1930s.
These were items "considered antiques a hundred years ago," so offer April a fascinating challenge. But she is also concerned with the provenance for the furniture from the 1890s. How did these objects come to this apartment? Who was the owner? How did she afford and collect these items? And finally why was the apartment and its contests closed away for so many years without being touched by family, friends, or real estate agents?
Of course, there are problems for April, including the Parisian lawyer working on behalf of the apartment sellers; her Sotheby's on-site boss; and her boyfriend in New York. She is urged to just get the items appraised quickly and accurately so the auction can take place. But she is transported to another era and only reluctantly deals with the people and challenges of her current situation.
So the novel unfolds between the present evaluation of items and the story of their owner, . Full of biographical details, scandal, social-climbing, theater, quirky personalities, and intrigue, A Paris Apartment pulls readers beautifully from the complications of the present age into an era of wealth, art, and love.
A wonderful book, so interesting and richly told, about a fascinating figure from a bygone age. Highly recommended.
Here's an interesting premise for Michelle Gable's intriguing novel, A Paris Apartment. An residence in Paris has been locked up, untouched or altered, for seventy years. When opened, the apartment' s rooms are found to be filled with antiques and original furniture untouched since the early 1930s.
Seventy years seemed like nothing once she stepped into the Parisian flat. The stench was closer to one thousand, if smells had age. April inhaled the most negligible of breaths and instantly the taste of dust and perfume filled her eyes, her nose, her mouth. The scratchy sweetness would stay in the back of her throat for months. The sight would stay with her for longer.April Vogt, an expert furniture appraiser from Sotheby's, is charged with evaluating the apartment's furniture for auction. What she finds in the apartment's seven rooms is unforgettable: paintings, "a Louis XVI gilt-metal bureau plait, ...George III mahogany armchairs, a Charles X Savonnerie carpet." Also notable were "a six-foot-tall stuffed ostrich and a Mickey Mouse doll," and possibly a previously unknown Boldini painting that is the prize of the apartment.
These were items "considered antiques a hundred years ago," so offer April a fascinating challenge. But she is also concerned with the provenance for the furniture from the 1890s. How did these objects come to this apartment? Who was the owner? How did she afford and collect these items? And finally why was the apartment and its contests closed away for so many years without being touched by family, friends, or real estate agents?
It's incomprehensible that someone knew about this apartment and didn't touch a thing.Then April discovers a diary of the apartment owner, Marthe de Florian, a renowned courtesan of the turn of the century. The diary records de Florian's life, loves, and choices, and April immediately finds herself absorbed into her world. As she is transported to this era, the apartment and its owner slowly begin to give up a few of their secrets.
Of course, there are problems for April, including the Parisian lawyer working on behalf of the apartment sellers; her Sotheby's on-site boss; and her boyfriend in New York. She is urged to just get the items appraised quickly and accurately so the auction can take place. But she is transported to another era and only reluctantly deals with the people and challenges of her current situation.
So the novel unfolds between the present evaluation of items and the story of their owner, . Full of biographical details, scandal, social-climbing, theater, quirky personalities, and intrigue, A Paris Apartment pulls readers beautifully from the complications of the present age into an era of wealth, art, and love.
A wonderful book, so interesting and richly told, about a fascinating figure from a bygone age. Highly recommended.
____________________
If this book interests you, be sure to check out:
If this book interests you, be sure to check out:
Carhart, Thad. The Piano Shop on the Left Bank.
Curious about a small piano shop in Paris that showed only a few repair items in its dusty window, the author tries to see what's behind the curtain in the shop. Eventually he is allowed to see their extensive artisan piano restoration workshop, try out pianos for himself, and even consider buying a classic model. Highly recommended (previously reviewed here)
