If you were charmed by the movie, you will probably enjoy books like the movie, Midnight in Paris.

Many are surprised to learn that the movie was not based on a novel, but was written for the screen by Woody Allen.  In the story, a nostalgic screenwriter (Owen Wilson) finds himself going back to 1920s Paris everyday at midnight (see the movie trailer here).  He runs into Hemingway, Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Cole Porter and Picasso, among others and joins in their party.

It will make you long to visit the literary sites in Paris where this crowd hung out. Be sure to stop in at these spots as you tour the other great Paris photography locations.

While there is no Midnight in Paris book, many books have been written that capture the glamour and tragedies of the fascinating era shown in the movie, some of them by members of that “Lost Generation” themselves.  Here are some of my favourite books set in Paris during that era. 

10 Best books set in Paris in the 1920s:

(Click on the book covers below for more information on Amazon on any of the books.)

A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway

“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.”  I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I wasn’t much of a Hemingway fan until I read this.  It’s his memoir of life in Paris in the 1920s and it includes some irreverent descriptions of the characters of the day.  It brilliantly evokes the café culture of the time, including many that you can still visit today.  Buy A Moveable Feast on Amazon.

Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Get out the kleenex.  Fitzgerald’s final novel is a tragic love story about an American psychiatrist who marries his emotionally disturbed, but wealthy patient.  Set mainly on the French Riviera in the late 1920s, the couple lives the society high life encountering the temptations available to them.  You’re left to wonder if it’s a classic case of art imitating life.  Buy Tender is the Night on Amazon.

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

It seems that Hemingway was a better writer than he was a husband, at least in this novel.  This is a fictional account of life in 1920s Paris from the perspective of Hemingway’s first wife, Hadley Richardson.  After falling in love, the two live a glittering life amid a lively circle of expatriates.  As Hemingway starts to achieve success in his writing career, he begins to cast off some of the people in his life.  It’s fiction, but it casts an intriguing light on its real-life characters.  Buy The Paris Wife on Amazon.

Sylvia Beach and the Lost Generation by Riley Noel Fitch

In 1919, Sylvia Beach opened the now famous English-language bookstore in Paris, Shakespeare and Company.  It became a hub for American expatriates who were called the “Lost Generation” – – artists who were disillusioned with traditional values.  Beach was also known for publishing “Ulysses” by James Joyce, when no one else would do it.  The book provides a fascinating account of her life and of literary Paris. Buy Sylvia Beach and the Lost Generation on Amazon.

Shakespeare and Company, Paris:  A History of the Rag & Bone Shop of the Heart by Krista Halverson

The bookshop, Shakespeare and Company, was a popular meeting point for members of the Lost Generation.  After a decade of closure, it reopened in 1951 as a home-away-from home for many celebrated writers.  This history of the bohemian bookstore weaves together essays and poetry from dozens of those writers, and includes many photos.  Throughout, it ponders the question, “What is it about Paris and writers?”  Buy Shakespeare and Company on Amazon.

That Summer in Paris by Morley Callaghan

A frequent sparring partner with Hemingway, Canadian journalist Morley Callaghan spent the summer of 1929 living on the left bank in Paris.  Callaghan weaves a story of  tangled friendships with the likes of Hemingway, Fitzgerald and James Joyce into an unforgettable story. Buy That Summer in Paris on Amazon.

Everybody Was So Young by Amanda Vaill

Although they didn’t make it into Midnight in Paris, Gerald and Sara Murphy were known as the “beautiful couple” of the Paris literary scene.  Attractive and wealthy, they left the U.S. to escape societal expectations.   They summered with Picasso on the French Riviera and went to bullfights in Pamplona with Hemingway.  Despite the bright lights, their lives were not all roses, however.  This is a must-read for anyone interested in Paris in the 1920s. Buy Everybody Was So Young on Amazon.

Cole Porter by William McBrien

If you listen closely to Cole Porter’s music, you’ll notice his songs were sophisticated, but the lyrics were often naughty (“Let’s Do It”).  Composer of a string of hit Broadway musicals, Porter hadn’t yet made it big in the early 1920s in Paris.  An intriguing character, he led a dual life.  Porter was gay, but very devoted to the wealthy widow he married, Linda.  This is a well-researched biography that paints a portrait of a charmed life that was also scarred by tragedy. Buy Cole Porter on Amazon.

Paris Was Yesterday by Janet Flanner

Want to read some hot 1920s Paris gossip?  This book is a collection of letters written between 1925 and 1939 by Janet Flanner, a foreign  correspondent based in Paris for the New Yorker magazine.  It covers a who’s who in the arts and fashion scene.  Flanner’s writing is witty, sometimes catty, but always filled with tidbits about all of the celebrities of the day.  Buy Paris Was Yesterday on Amazon.

The Most Beautiful Walk in the World by John Baxter

The Washington Post described this book as a mashup of memoir, travel guide and history of Paris.  John Baxter is a modern day expat writer living in Paris, and tells the story of how he unexpectedly became a guide for literary walking tours of the city.  A master of the anecdote, Baxter tells fascinating snippets of literary Paris (not just the 1920s) as he wanders through his favourite neighbourhoods.  In the end, he reveals his most beautiful walk in the world. Buy The Most Beautiful Walk in the World on Amazon.

Need more Paris?  Enjoy these favourite books set in Paris:

Paris Letters by Janice MacLeod

In this book, Janice tells the story of how she quit her burn-out job in the U.S., and embarked on a two-year trip to Europe.  But, in Paris, she realizes that she can never go back to her work-a-day world and tries to find a way to stay.  Was it the macarons, postcard pretty views or romance knocking at her door?  Get Paris Letters on Amazon.

Delicious Days in Paris by Jane Peach

If you like long walks to discover a city, with frequent breaks for pastries, this is the book for you.  In this guide, Jane presents 14 themed walks where you’ll visit both legendary and little-known cafés, restaurants, and pâtisseries of Paris, and see museums, art galleries, gardens, markets, and other interesting places—all at a civilized pace, with time to daydream. Taste camembert, champagne, strawberry tarts, meringues, and macarons as you go, discovering the best of Paris.  Buy Delicious Days in Paris on Amazon.

Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik

In 1995, Adam Gopnik, his wife and infant son moved from New York to Paris.  He wanted to raise a child that would know what it is like to to romp in the Luxembourg Gardens or enjoy a croque monsieur in a Left Bank café.  The book reads like a love letter to all things Paris, with tender and funny passages on navigating a new city and becoming a parent.  Buy Paris to the Moon on Amazon.
 

Your turn – – what are your favourite books like Midnight in Paris?

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