The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain

I'm in love with The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain.  Seriously.  I am smitten with his words, his characters, and his Paris.  His book transported me to a Paris I have always imagined - the cobblestone streets where I would wander, the hot chocolate I would dip my warm croissant in, the tiny book shop crammed full of books that I would never want to leave, the well dressed women whose fashion ensembles I would try to emulate, and the handsome Frenchmen reading Sarte and Modiano outside on a park bench.  All of these things that make up the France I want to visit are within reach when I read Laurain.  I can taste, smell, hear, and see it all.  His words encapsulate a world that I have always imagined.  And the strange thing is that he does not describe the scenarios I have envisioned.  Nope, his book is about a man looking for a woman - and yet, the Paris he lives in comes alive on the pages he's written.  I have to say that when I put the book down I couldn't help but smile and declare it to be "very French" - as if I even know what that truly means.

As for the story, it is absolutely terrific.  A tale of a man searching for a woman he dreams about.  Laurent finds a handbag and decides to look for its owner.  This decision winds up changing his life in so many ways.  The decisions he makes, the people he meets, and the future he envisions make for quite a delightful read.  As for the woman, well, she was mugged (which is how her handbag wound up sitting atop a garbage bin) and is in a coma.  I know! Not exactly what I had thought would happen. Then again, she does wake up and finds out that a stranger has been feeding her cat.  Hmmm...I wonder who? 

However, Laurent decides he can't meet Laure (the woman) after everything he's done (like pretending to be her boyfriend).  So, he leaves her handbag in her apartment with a note of apology for all of his trespasses.  Except, he can't stop thinking about Laure. He dreams of meeting her, kissing her, being with her, and ultimately falling in love with her.  He is enamored by this mysterious woman and her handbag filled with perfume, stones, photographs, and a red notebook filled with her musings (I'm scared of birds (especially pigeons).  I like sleeping on trains.  I'm scared of red ants.)  And when a customer at his bookshop asks him "Do you have La Nostalgie du Possible?", Laurent winds up pondering a different question instead - "Are you nostalgic for what could have been?"  He realizes that he most definitely is. 

I won't tell you whether or not he ever meets Laure, just know that you will be left with a smile once you are finished reading.  The Red Notebook is truly a special read.  Its whimsical, delightful, and just an absolute treat to read.  It was the perfect book to kick off Paris in July.  Of course, now I have to read more of Laurain's works.  I've just ordered his bestselling book, The President's Hat.  I can't wait to read it!

And now, I'm off to read some blog posts - I want some inspiration for Paris in July.  Adieu!