Paris, He Said Paperback – February 2, 2016

In this compelling exploration of love and desire and the murky region in between, Christine Sneed gives us a glimpse of the Paris art world through the eyes of two flawed but likable characters, Jayne Marks and her older lover, Laurent. In many ways it's a novel of rumination and self-analysis, rather than action, and it never shies away from its characters' more sordid motivations: Jayne accepts an invitation to live with Laurent in Paris in order to pursue her art (an exceedingly uncomfortable arrangement for a modern feminist) while Laurent shows no interest in mending his philandering ways. One of my favorite details in the novel involves a minor revelation about Jayne: a birthday card for her neighbor was once placed in her mailbox by mistake. Opening it and finding that it contains $10, she keeps it. It's an extremely minor piece of backstory--seemingly incidental, even throwaway--but I think it's actually a brilliant bit of characterization. The novel revels in such unsparing, supremely human moments. We sympathize with these characters, we wish them well, but we must know them in all their compromised complexity, carried forward by the steady, quiet momentum of Sneed's clear and unflinching prose. It's a deceptively pleasurable, unsettlingly provocative read, and I thoroughly recommend it!

How many of us are ever truly content with the choices we make in our lives? That is a question at the heart of Christine Sneed’s novel, Paris, He Said, which is both evocative and provocative in its telling of a relationship between a young New York painter and her Parisian lover-mentor-benefactor.The He Said in the title of this adult coming-of-age story refers to the wealthy, handsome, but older Laurent Moller, who strikes up a relationship with Jayne Marks at the opening of his New York art gallery and eventually invites her to follow him to his home in Paris.When Jayne says yes, it is in part driven by adventure but more by pragmatism. Since graduating college, she has struggled just to pay the bills and been unable to focus on her art. Laurent is her ticket to a new life, one where she has a chance to actually achieve her ambitions to make it in the highly competitive art world.Sneed captures Paris in all its beauty but paints it not just in romantic pastels but oftentimes in a much darker light, where love takes a backseat to ambition, beauty and desire.Changing its points-of-view from Jayne at the beginning, to Laurent in the middle, and then back to Jayne at the end, we sense that happiness for these characters is and will always be fleeting.Sneed uses the full palate to bring this home vividly in a scene where Jayne has just received a sizable check from Laurent, her cut from the sales of her paintings that had been sold at her first gallery showing. As she rides in a cab with her lover and benefactor, Jayne wells with conflicting emotions. “I had tears in my eyes, joy washing over and through me. It was a temporary state of grace, this upswelling of suspense and happiness, but I knew that every feeling I’d ever had was and would be temporary.”It is this depth of character that makes Sneed’s story so rich and one that will surely stick on more than a temporary basis.

While not the most plausible plot, the book had a cast of characters that had, with a couple of exceptions, some depth and nuance. The plot revolves around the relationship between a middle-aged art gallery owner and a young aspiring artist he decides to invite to Paris to live with him (one of the factors working against plausibility). The young lover is of course attractive and, like many characters in the book, she is artistically gifted. The plotting and story telling are good enough to carry it off and some of the artistic references and Parisian scenery help to hold the reader's interest. The will they/won't they stay together drama is a bit forced, but it matters little to the overall arc of the story. A nice escape for young, single, female readers. An amusing diversion for everybody else.

I loved this book -- a perfect summer read if you're looking for a thoughtful romance with a strong touch of reality. Sneed is an award winning writer and her prose is impeccable -- New York, Paris, and the faithless human heart all deftly rendered. I loved the surprise change in point of view in the last section of the novel, which shows Sneed's ability to know all her characters inside and out. If you want to be in Paris this summer, but forgot to buy your ticket, PARIS, HE SAID, is the book for you. And when you finish, check out Sneed's other two books -- especially PORTRAITS OF A FEW MEN I'VE MADE CRY which is one of my all time favorites.

A very engaging story. In some ways, a classic Bildungsroman -- a novel of education, growth and change; in this case, a young protagonist, Jayne Marks, keen to become a significant painter. In other ways, a tale of romance; or even more, many romances, skillfully told tales of several characters. Sneed's writing is exceptionally graceful. She's able to cut back and forth across time and place, smoothly moving from actions of the moment to a character's deeper thoughts and memories. There is also a comfortable sensuality in this book, at once evoked by the beauty of Paris and the desires of Sneed's characters. Was particularly fun to read this book as I'd just spent several weeks in Paris.

This is a lush, evocative novel about an artist and the people she loves, the decisions she has to make as she embarks upon the career she always dreamed about, and Paris, which becomes a character in its own right. A romance, drama, and comedy all at once, Paris, He Said features Sneed's typically elegant writing and rich characters, especially Jayne.

A very well-written novel set in my favorite city, Paris. It was filled with just enough intrigue to keep me interested, and it made me look forward to my nightly reading.

Easy book to read. Not sophisticated reading but good when needing something light

I bought this book because it was on Oprah's summer reading list. The first part was so long-winding and boring that I was close to giving up and I kept wondering why on earth it had been recommended. Once the perspective changes in the second part it becomes more interesting and actually quite a good story to read. So I don't regret having read it, but I only recommend it for readers with time and patience. Then it is a good vacation book.

Its hard to warm up to these characters -- while the premise of the story is interesting, as are the reflections on art, the key characters are self-centred and shallow and their concerns are explored in repetitious depth.

I don't usually give up on a book but I found this very boring. I got a quarter of the way through hoping it would get better but it failed to hold my interest.