Despite being one of the most lauded books in history, A Tale of Two Cities has a lot of contradictory features. It is nonlinear and disconnected; it is a "narrative," but a very lengthy one at that; it is historical drama, but ignores much of the history; and, given the source material, it runs multiple dangers of being derivative. Under the touch of a master, though, the work becomes a classic.

A Tale of Two Cities is a high-quality historical fiction by Charles Dickens, set amid the horrific turmoil of the famous French Revolution. It reduces an event of tremendous complexity to the size of a family saga, with a group of characters that encompasses a vicious ogress and an anti-hero - who are as believable as any in contemporary literature.

Even though A Tale of Two Cities is the least conventional of the author's works, it highlights many of his persistent themes, including incarceration, injustice, social chaos, resurrection, and the sacrifice that produces rebirth. It is not surprising that even to this day, this novel is still regarded as one of the best novels set in Paris.

Author: Charles Dickens

Year of Release: 1859

Goodreads Score: 3.86 stars (from 877,986 reviews)

The protagonist of "The Count of Monte Cristo", Edmond Dantes, is imprisoned in a dreary castle after being falsely convicted of a crime. There, he hears about a vast fortune buried on the Island of Monte Cristo, and he becomes motivated not only to flee from the castle, but also to find the gold and then use it to plan his revenge on the men who made him get imprisoned in the first place.

In the 1840s, "The Count of Monte Cristo", an epic narrative of agony and vengeance - which was inspired by an actual, real-life example of unjust incarceration - was a major popular triumph. Alexandre Dumas's greatest work is a magnificent whirlwind of fascinating characters and intertwining plot lines that left people stunned and craving a closer look into this land of treachery, passion, adventure, and mystery. This novel is as deceptively clever as it is charismatic, and it holds a particular place in many people's hearts as one of their all-time favorite works of fiction.

Author: Alexandre Duma

Year of Release: 1844

Goodreads Score: 4.27 stars (from 825,885 reviews)

In "Les Miserables", the protagonist is an escaped prisoner named Jean Valjean, who is committed to putting his criminal background behind him. But his efforts to turn into a respectable member of the society are repeatedly thwarted: by his own guilt when, due to an instance of mistaken identification, another man is punished in his place; and by the persistent investigations of Inspector Javert. Valjean must remain free not just for himself, but also to safeguard Fantine's daughter, who has been forced into prostitution by poverty.

Les Miserables contains many similarities with "Bleak House" by Charles Dickens and other social satire books. Hugo, like Dickens, vehemently voiced his concern for poor people. In addition, he leaned into his political soapbox, ranting about absolute monarchy and Napoleonic themes that were of tremendous significance in his day but are now only cemented over the narrative's antiquated style.

Hugo also enjoyed demonstrating his historical knowledge, as seen by the several chapters dedicated to the histories of Parisian nunneries, the Waterloo battle, and the urban topography of Paris. With all these fascinating facets combined, Les Miserables is one of the best novels set in Paris.

Author: Victor Hugo

Year of Release: 1862

Goodread Scores: 4.19 stars (from 738,563 reviews)

"A Moveable Feast" entails Hemingway's recollections of his ventures as an anonymous writer in Paris during the 1920s. It is highly intimate, loving, and witty.

Looking back at his younger days - as well as at some other authors who breathed the same air of Paris as him, Wyndham Lewis, James Joyce, Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald - Hemingway recounts the period when, destitute and content, he found his calling while writing in Paris cafés. In the second half of Hemingway's life, he penned a memoir that is both vibrant and dramatic, expressing his creativity and the enchantment of the city.

It is not an exaggeration to claim that "A Moveable Feast" by Ernest Hemingway is one of the most exquisite depictions of Paris. It is a must-have book for everyone who loves Paris. Reading this book in conjunction with your vacation to Paris will make it more memorable and lovely. Walking down Paris while reminiscing about the great author who used to live there in the 1910s will completely transform your experience and feelings about this city!

Author: Ernest Hemingway

Year of Release: 1964

Goodreads Score: 4.02 stars (from 134,062 reviews)

In the early 1960s, Irene Nemirovsky - a writer of Ukrainian descent residing in Paris with her husband and daughter - started working on Suite Francaise, the first two sections of a projected five-part book. It is a dazzling depiction of a fictional/historical drama where Irene turns herself into a victim. Suite Francaise is a great, tremendously emotional piece of art that evokes life and death in Paris in a way that is both delicate and harsh, sincerely empathetic and furiously sardonic.

At the time, she was a very accomplished author already. However, she was a Jew, too, and in 1942, she was imprisoned and sent to Auschwitz; she died a month later at the age of 39. Her completed, handwritten manuscripts were placed in a suitcase that her children would carry into concealment, and finally, freedom. After sixty-four years, it was released in 2004, and the world could finally have the chance to read Nemirovsky's literary masterwork.

Author: Irene Nemirovsky

Year of Release: 2004

Goodreads Score: 3.83 stars (from 71,355 reviews)