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The Paris Architect

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

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.

Background

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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