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The Beasts of Paris

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The Beasts of Paris

By: Stef Penney
Narrated by: Jessica Alade
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About this listen

 In Paris 1870, three wandering souls find themselves in a city set to descend into war.

Anne is a former patient from a women's asylum trying to carve out a new life for herself in a world that doesn't understand her. Newcomer Lawrence is desperate to develop his talent as a photographer and escape the restrictions of his puritanical upbringing. Ellis, an army surgeon, has lived through the trauma of one civil war and will do anything to avoid another bloodbath.

Each keeps company with the restless beasts of Paris' Menagerie, where they meet, fight their demons, lose their hearts, and rebel in a city under siege.

A dazzling historical epic of love and survival, Stef Penney carries the reader captivated through war-torn Paris.

Praise for Stef Penney

'One of the best storytellers we have' The Scotsman
'Penney works hard to fill her canvas with colour and conviction' Sunday Times
'[Her] prose is cinematic' Independent
'What has marked Penney out from the start is her ability to make her extensive historical research come alive' Sunday Herald

(P) 2023 Quercus Editions Limited©2023 Stef Penney Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Political War Heartfelt Civil War

Critic reviews

Hypnotically readable, suspenseful, romantic and humane, Stef Penney is a mesmerising storyteller
A historical epic that Jessie Burton fans will adore
In its balancing of exhilaration and horror, love and terror, despair and resurgence, The Beasts of Paris is a triumph
A rich portrait of a city falling apart . . . [Penney] draws her main characters - and Paris - with great skill
Enthralling , vivid and utterly original
Paris during the siege of 1870 and the Communard uprising are fabulous subjects and Stef Penney has triumphed . . . It's bold. It's beautifully written and totally absorbing
Brilliantly evocative of Paris under siege . . . I knew almost nothing about this shocking slice of history and now I feel I've lived through it
An exquisite, relevant and immersive novel of humanity and beasts, self-discovery and survival set amid a Paris in flames
A beautifully written story of the best and worst of humanity, of the triumph of love and the human spirit over the degradation and devastation of war . . . the characters will stay with me a long time
A thrilling novel . . . She follows the stories of both humans and animals with an eye for telling detail and a deep understanding of the human heart
What a stunning read! I was immersed in this epic of love and daring . . . The historical background is wonderfully vivid and thrilling. Stef Penney is one of our most exceptional storytellers
A haunting and immersive novel that weaves together the lives of caged beasts and lost souls against a sweeping backdrop of war and revolution, love and loyalty. . . A tour de force
Penney examines social class, gender and sexuality against a vividly imagined reconstruction of historic events. Readers will find much to enjoy in this exploration of love, loss and redemption
Intriguing cast of characters ... their fortunes intertwine in a multi-stranded narrative that highlights the lives and loves of ordinary people caught up in extraordinary events
Engrossing . . . Readers will find much to enjoy in this exploration of love, loss and redemption
All stars
Most relevant
Beautiful narration and absorbing, interesting book. The story brings the events on Paris to life.

Excellent and engrossing

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Having just read a history of the Franco Prussian War, I was intrigued to come across this novel set in the same era.
It is ambitious and well told fiction with some excellent characters and an engrossing plot.
I would loved to have given it five stars but the writer alas did succumb to wokery. It was as though the HR department of the BBC had reviewed the plot summary and ordered the inclusion of every woke cause imaginable (with the exception of “global warming”).
In addition, some readers may find the inclusion of detailed gay intimacy a little too much. The writer should hear in mind that only a very small percent of the public read the Guardian newspaper and share its prejudices.
Naturally, the writer is sympathetic to the cause of the Paris Commune and not to the government which brutally suppressed it. The fact is that the Commune was as ghastly as the government which it sought to overthrow.
France does not come out well with its political extremes causing havoc, just as they did in the previous century during the Revolution and in the next with the Vichy regime.
The portrait of the city of Paris in the period is excellent as is the moving description of the zoo and its superbly described animals.
This is on the cusp of being a great novel but the writer should drop her 2023 causes which have little or no place in a tale of late nineteenth century France. Straight white men can be heroes but, on the whole, not in this work. To be fair, the Head Veterinarian and his deputy are quite heroic but are outclassed by the gay men and, of course, the women.
In any case, that being said, it was an entertaining novel.

An entertaining tale despite a tendency to give it a woke spin

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My first Stef Penney and really enjoyed it. The narration was excellent and really made a difference. The research into the history of 1870s Paris was obviously deep and rigorous and this showed in the clever balance of drama and the banality of daily existence. The story itself pulled together several lines and characters and the last section moves much quicker than the first; it is worth getting through if you feel it is slow.

I won’t spoil the story but you are definitely left wondering who the beasts are! I would like to read it when I get a chance and see how it makes me feel in a different format.

Great Historical Novel

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I love Stef Peeney’s books and this one did not disappoint. Great characters, excellent historical storytelling, and beautifully narrated. Highly recommended!

Very engaging

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