LoveReading Says
Romantic, wry and fragrant with the intoxicating bouquet of la vie Parisienne, this book will brighten the greyest of days with Gallic charme and enchantement.
Paris, 2017, and Hubert invites a few associates to share a bottle of exquisite 1954 Beaujolais. Among his guests are American tourist Bob, and neighbour Julien. For Julien, 1954 has extra significance, for that was when an ancestor of his experienced “something extraordinary”. Namely, he sighted a flying saucer in a year that became known as “The Year of Flying Saucers” due to the prolific number of sightings.
Next morning, each of Hubert’s guests themselves experience something extraordinary as they realise they’ve been transported to a Paris of the past, to a city in which citizens exchange lighthearted bonhomie on buses, and cafes allow patrons to “smoke with impunity”.
Initially Bob amusingly muses that “despite globalisation, the French had not lost their soul!” Then it dawns on the wine-sharing group how they came to voyage through time: “when the flying saucer flew over, it changed the Saint-Antoine wine and since then whoever drinks it will go back to 1954”.
Despite enjoying a very pleasant sojourn in the past - encountering Audrey Hepburn in a bar, dining with Edith Piaf - the question is: how can they return to 2017? Driven by droll humour and romance, and with a miraculous climax, this is a fabulously full-bodied-book with crisply sweet undertones.
Reviewed by Joanne OwenJoanne Owen’s lifelong love of reading and writing began when she was growing up in Pembrokeshire, and very much wished that witches (and Mrs Pepperpot) were real.
More reviews by Joanne Owen About Vintage 1954
A very special bottle of wine sends 4 neighbors back to 1950s Paris, where they each find the key to a happy future
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Vintage 1954 Synopsis
A very special bottle of wine sends 4 neighbors back to 1950s Paris, where they each find the key to a happy future
"A glorious time-slip caper... Just wonderful" - Daily Mail
When Hubert Larnaudie, chair of the management committee at his Parisian apartment building, makes an out-of-character decision to invite some fellow residents to drink an exceptional bottle of 1954 Beaujolais, he has no idea of its unique properties.
The following morning, Hubert finds himself waking up in 1950s Paris, as do antique restorer Magalie, mixologist Julien, and Airbnb tenant Bob, who's visiting from Milwaukee. After their initial shock, the city of Edith Piaf and An American in Paris begins to work its charm on the time travelers, providing unexpected solutions to the problems they left in the future.
Julien pines for Magalie; but she's too focused on the traumatic death of her parents when she was small to notice that he loves her. Bob's wife Goldie is stuck in a coma, and Hubert is obsessed with the foolish decisions that led his ancestors to lose the family fortune. Through chance encounters and the magic of one of Paris's golden eras, each time traveler will find the key they were looking for.
But, delightful as 1954 is, they need to work out how to get back to 2017 - because how will they live out a happy future if they're stuck in the past?
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781805333494 |
| Publication date: |
24th April 2025 |
| Author: |
Antoine Laurain |
| Publisher: |
Pushkin Press |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
218 pages |
| Primary Genre |
Humorous Fiction
|
| Other Genres: |
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Antoine Laurain Press Reviews
Praise for Smoking Kills
'It has the pleasing weirdness that makes Laurain's novels so appealing.' The Sunday Times
'Hilarious, formidable -- and essential packing for any French Summer holiday' The Daily Mail
'A brisk black comedy... makes cigarettes seem seductive again, even to committed non-smokers.' The Guardian
'A seductively murderous Parisian tale.' The Times Crime Club
'Smoking Kills is one heck of a book ... a romp and a satire and it is a reminder of all that is funny-peculiar about Parisian culture. Read this book. It will be good for your health.' Shots Magazine
'Funny, superbly over-the-top.... not a page too much.' The Times
'This is guaranteed fun' Publishers Weekly
'This dark parody of classic romans noirs is one more reason to love the French.' Crime Reads
'Antoine Laurain is a compelling storyteller. The writing flows effortlessly, alternating action and reflection, the present and flashbacks, the sad and the comical.' Riveting Reviews
'...one of the most savage, most gloriously satisfying endings I've read in ages, I can't help but recommend this book for what it is: a gem.' Pop Matters
'This dark yet comic novel is perfect for readers wanting to enjoy a typically French satirical crime story.' Living France Magazine
'This is a real tonic for the soul (...) Smoking Kills is a very black comedy, it is a lot of wicked fun (...) original and playful and entertaining.' Nudge Books
'Dark and enjoyable . . . You will puff in pleasure.' The Book Bag
Praise for The President's Hat and The Red Notebook
'A hymn to la vie Parisienne...enjoy it for its fabulistic narrative, and the way it teeters pleasantly on the edge of Gallic whimsy.' The Guardian
'Resist this novel if you can; it's the very quintessence of French romance' The Times
'Soaked in Parisian atmosphere, this lovely, clever, funny novel will have you rushing to the Eurostar post-haste... A gem.' Daily Mail
