The Paris Architect

The Paris Architect is a 2013 novel by Charles Belfoure and the author's debut in fiction writing. Published by Sourcebooks Landmark, it follows the story of French architect Lucien Bernard, who is paid to create temporary hiding places for Jews in Nazi-occupied Paris. The book reached The New York Times best seller list in July 2015.

The Paris Architect
AuthorCharles Belfoure
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreHistorical, thriller
PublisherSourcebooks Landmark
Publication date
October 8, 2013
Media typePrint, e-book, audiobook
Pages384 pages
ISBN1402284314

Background

An architect specializing in historic preservation, Charles Belfoure had written several non-fiction books on architecture, including works on the history of American banks and rowhouse architecture in Baltimore before writing The Paris Architect. He decided to try writing fiction, thinking it might be a break from his everyday work. A direct inspiration was his discovery that during the reign of Elizabeth I in England special spaces were designed in houses as temporary hiding places for repressed Catholic priests.[1]

Release

The novel was first published in hardcover in the United States on October 8, 2013. Unabridged audible version narrated by Mark Bramhall was released that same year.[2] A paperback edition was released in the U.S. on July 15, 2014. The Paris Architect was released in the United Kingdom by Allison & Busby on August 5, 2015[3] and in Australia by Pan Macmillan Australia on January 31, 2017.[4]

The book was translated and published in several languages, including Italian (2014),[5] Hebrew (2014),[6] Hungarian (2015),[7] Turkish (2015),[8] Portuguese (2015),[9] Bulgarian (2015),[10] Polish (2015),[11] Norwegian (2016),[12] Romanian (2017)[13] and Czech (2019).[14]

Plot summary

During World War II Lucien Bernard, an architect living in Paris, France, is offered a large fee to design hiding places for Jews being hunted by the Nazis. He desperately needs the money to make a living, although he knows that if caught, he will most likely be killed.

Reception

The book received generally favorable reviews. It was presented by USA Today in the “New Voices” section and was an American Booksellers Association Indie Pick in October 2013.[1][15]

Malcolm Gladwell of The Guardian chose The Paris Architect his favorite book of 2013, calling it “a beautiful and elegant account of an ordinary man's unexpected and reluctant descent into heroism during the second world war”.[16]

Vicki Briner of Library Journal wrote that Belfoure’s portrayal of Vichy France “is both disturbing and captivating, and his beautiful tale demonstrates that while human beings are capable of great atrocities, they have a capacity for tremendous acts of courage as well”.[17] New York Post picked the novel as a “must-read”.[18]

The Paris Architect was among finalists of the 2015 International Dublin Literary Award[19] and was listed The New York Times best seller list in an e-book category in July 2015.[20] It was also ranked #102 on Best-Selling Books Top 150 list of USA Today on December 6, 2015.[21]

Until the first half of 2020, The Paris Architect has sold nearly 400,000 copies.[22]

Film adaptation

In July 2016 it was announced that StudioCanal and The Picture Company acquired the rights to film The Paris Architect. Chris Salmanpour was hired to adapt the script.[23]

References
  1. Jocelyn McClurg (30 October 2013). "New voices: Charles Belfoure and 'The Paris Architect'". USA Today. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  2. "Audiobook Review: The Paris Architect, by Charles Belfoure". Entomology of a Bookworm. 16 December 2013. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  3. "The Paris Architect". Allison & Busby. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
  4. "The Paris Architect". Pan Macmillan Australia. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
  5. "Il nascondiglio segreto di Parigi" (in Italian). bookrepublic.it. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  6. האדריכל מפריז (in Hebrew). Penn Publishing. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  7. "A párizsi építész" (in Hungarian). libri.hu. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
  8. "Paris Mimarı – Charles Belfoure" (in Turkish). okuryazar.tv. 1 April 2015. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  9. "O Arquiteto de Paris de Charles Belfour" (in Portuguese). marcasdeleitura.blogspot.com. 29 September 2015. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
  10. "Парижкият архитект" (in Bulgarian). helikon.bg. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
  11. "Paryski architekt" (in Polish). znak.com.pl. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  12. "Arkitekten i Paris" (in Norwegian). Aschehoug. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  13. "Arhitectul parizian" (in Romanian). carturesti.ro. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
  14. "Pařížský architekt" (in Czech). Nakladatelství Beta. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  15. "October 2013 Indie Next List" (PDF). indiebound.org. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  16. "Writers and critics on the best books of 2013". The Guardian. 23 November 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  17. Vicki Briner (15 June 2013). "Fiction Reviews". Library Journal. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  18. Billy Heller (12 October 2013). "This week's must-read books". New York Post. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  19. "Longlist of the 2015 International IMPAC DUBLIN Literary Award". International DUBLIN Literary Award. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  20. "E-book Fiction Best Sellers". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  21. "Best-Selling Books Top 150 on December 6, 2015" (PDF). Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  22. "The Fabergé Secret". London 2020 Rights Guide. Adult Titles (PDF). Writers House. p. 6. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  23. Borys Kit (20 July 2016). "Studiocanal, The Picture Company Adapting World War Two Thriller 'The Paris Architect' (Exclusive)". hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
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