Review of THE PARIS EXPRESS by Emma Donoghue (New Release)

 4 Stars

The events in this novel take place in a single day (October 22, 1895) on an express train from Granville on the Normandy coast to the Montparnasse station in Paris.

The author populates the train with actual people who were part of the crew or on the passenger list, real people who could plausibly have been on the train, and fictional characters. The passengers include people from various classes of society: government officials, a priest, a female scientist, a cabaret performer, an Irish playwright, a black American artist, a Russian immigrant, a coffee seller, a pregnant woman, a young boy travelling alone, a young anarchist, a fisherwoman, etc.

The novel begins at a leisurely pace as the various crew members and passengers are introduced, but then we learn that a young woman named Mado Pelletier, an anarchist, has fatal plans for the train. As the journey progresses, because the engineer tries to make up time to keep the train on schedule, the train’s speed towards disaster increases and tension builds. Will Mado change her mind when she considers the collateral death of innocent people? Will a fellow passenger who guesses Mado’s intention be able to stop her? The writer effectively adds suspense by shortening the scenes devoted to characters: at the beginning several pages focus on each person but as the train gains momentum, the scenes become shorter and shorter and there are constant shifts among characters, thereby adding to the impression of speed and impending doom.

And then there’s the ending. Yes, a disaster does occur, though there is a twist. I knew nothing about the historical event and I would advise readers to go in blind. At the end of the book, there is a lengthy explanation about the train and the fate of her crew and passengers. Knowing beforehand what actually happened would, I think, lessen the novel’s impact.

The book provides a snapshot of the times. Political and social conditions and technological advances are described. For instance, classism, racism, and misogyny are evident. And references are made to typewriters, automobiles, the development of films, and the building of a subway.

The book also provides a snapshot of the intimate lives of people. There is a large cast of characters, but I found it not too difficult to differentiate among them. Everyone has a pre-occupation or secret or regret or hope unique to him/her.

The plot could be summarized as a train journey, but there are mini-plots. For example, there’s a sexual encounter, a possible romance, Mado’s internal conflict, friction between a boss and his ambitious female secretary, and a quarrel over a young woman’s health.

I found I learned a great deal from reading this book. Donoghue clearly did considerable research. I also appreciate when a book adds to my vocabulary: glacis, dynamitard, bourdalou, demimondaine, and dandling are words with which I was not familiar.

When travelling, I like to imagine the intimate lives of my fellow travellers, and this book is a writer’s imaginative creation of the interior lives of travellers, albeit those on a specific historical train journey. I enjoyed the novel and definitely recommend it, though some readers might find the sheer number of characters daunting.

Note: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.