56 pages • 1 hour read
The Mysterious Bakery On Rue De Paris
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Important Quotes
Content Warning: This section includes discussions of death, racism, and the German death camps during WWII.
“A recipe for disaster doesn’t require that many ingredients. An unhealthy amount of wishful thinking, mixed with a large dollop of devil-may-care when it comes to reading maps. Add a sprinkle of desperation distilled from wanting so badly for things to change, and you had the perfect recipe for my current situation—barricaded inside a toilet cubicle at the Gare du Nord with only my shame and embarrassment for company.”
(Chapter 1, Page 3)
The opening lines of Chapter 1 introduce the protagonist and first-person narrator, Edith, and showcase the self-deprecating humor with which she tells her story, establishing the tone of the narrative. Beginning with a baking metaphor, points to the novel’s primary setting and highlights the significance of baking in the plot.
“I thought back to all of the old films I’d watched with Mum. The storyline never did run smoothly and the good people didn’t always get what they deserved, at least not until the end. I had to believe that, no matter the bumps along the way, the journey would be worth it.”
(Chapter 1, Page 14)
The movies Edith used to watch with her mother, such as Breakfast at Tiffany’s and other Audrey Hepburn films contribute to her fanciful images of life in Paris, highlighting the novel’s thematic interest in Dreams Versus Reality. Edith imagines herself to be the heroine in one of these movies, which heavily inspires the idealized image of France she has. She has built an elaborate dream of finding herself in France, which will shortly clash with the reality of the experience.
“I’d watched enough films to know what should be happening when you chase after your heart’s desire, but none of that big-screen magic seemed to be happening here. It was just boring, lonely and a bit scary.”
(Chapter 4, Page 34)
Edith’s fantasy of an adventure in France, built upon the films she watched with her mother, comes immediately into conflict with the reality of the situation, which she finds boring and lonely. Though her disappointed dream does not initially deter her, it does make her more cautious about her hopes later in the novel.
