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Mrs. 'Arris #1-2
Mrs Harris Goes to Paris & Mrs Harris Goes to New York
From beloved author Paul Gallico, the delightful and uplifting story of Mrs Harris, an ordinary woman whose life is transformed by one beautiful dress -now a motion picture starring Lesley Manville and Isabelle Huppert.
Mrs Harris is a salt-of-the-earth London charlady who cheerfully cleans the houses of the rich. One day, when tidying Lady Dant's wardrobe, she comes across the most beautiful thing she has ever seen in her life--a Dior dress. In all the years of her drab and humble existence, she's never seen anything as magical as the dress before her and she's never wanted anything as much before. Determined to make her dream come true, Mrs Harris scrimps, saves and slaves away until one day, after three long, uncomplaining years, she finally has enough money to go to Paris.
When she arrives at the House of Dior, Mrs Harris has little idea of how her life is about to be turned upside down and how many other lives she will transform forever. Always kind, always cheery and always winsome, the indomitable Mrs Harris takes Paris by storm and learns one of life's greatest lessons along the way.
This treasure from the 1950s introduces the irrepressible Mrs Harris, part charlady, part fairy-godmother, whose adventures take her from her humble London roots to the heights of glamour.
Mrs Harris is a salt-of-the-earth London charlady who cheerfully cleans the houses of the rich. One day, when tidying Lady Dant's wardrobe, she comes across the most beautiful thing she has ever seen in her life--a Dior dress. In all the years of her drab and humble existence, she's never seen anything as magical as the dress before her and she's never wanted anything as much before. Determined to make her dream come true, Mrs Harris scrimps, saves and slaves away until one day, after three long, uncomplaining years, she finally has enough money to go to Paris.
When she arrives at the House of Dior, Mrs Harris has little idea of how her life is about to be turned upside down and how many other lives she will transform forever. Always kind, always cheery and always winsome, the indomitable Mrs Harris takes Paris by storm and learns one of life's greatest lessons along the way.
This treasure from the 1950s introduces the irrepressible Mrs Harris, part charlady, part fairy-godmother, whose adventures take her from her humble London roots to the heights of glamour.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1963
2198 people are currently reading
9528 people want to read
About the author
Paul Gallico
231 books311 followersPaul William Gallico was born in New York City, on 26th July, 1897. His father was an Italian, and his mother came from Austria; they emigrated to New York in 1895.
He went to school in the public schools of New York, and in 1916 went to Columbia University. He graduated in 1921 with a Bachelor of Science degree, having lost a year and a half due to World War I. He then worked for the National Board of Motion Picture Review, and after six months took a job as the motion picture critic for the New York Daily News. He was removed from this job as his "reviews were too Smart Alecky" (according to Confessions of a Story Teller), and took refuge in the sports department.
During his stint there, he was sent to cover the training camp of Jack Dempsey, and decided to ask Dempsey if he could spar with him, to get an idea of what it was like to be hit by the world heavyweight champion. The results were spectacular; Gallico was knocked out within two minutes. But he had his story, and from there his sports-writing career never looked back.
He became Sports Editor of the Daily News in 1923, and was given a daily sports column. He also invented and organised the Golden Gloves amateur boxing competition. During this part of his life, he was one of the most well-known sporting writers in America, and a minor celebrity. But he had always wanted to be a fiction writer, and was writing short stories and sports articles for magazines like Vanity Fair and the Saturday Evening Post. In 1936, he sold a short story to the movies for $5000, which gave him a stake. So he retired from sports writing, and went to live in Europe, to devote himself to writing. His first major book was Farewell to Sport, which as the title indicates, was his farewell to sports writing.
Though his name was well-known in the United States, he was an unknown in the rest of the world. In 1941, the Snow Goose changed all that, and he became, if not a best-selling author by today's standards, a writer who was always in demand. Apart from a short spell as a war correspondent between 1943 and 1946, he was a full-time freelance writer for the rest of his life. He has lived all over the place, including England, Mexico, Lichtenstein and Monaco, and he lived in Antibes for the last years of his life.
He was a first-class fencer, and a keen deep-sea fisherman. He was married four times, and had several children.
He died in Antibes on 15th July, 1976, just short of his 79th birthday.
He went to school in the public schools of New York, and in 1916 went to Columbia University. He graduated in 1921 with a Bachelor of Science degree, having lost a year and a half due to World War I. He then worked for the National Board of Motion Picture Review, and after six months took a job as the motion picture critic for the New York Daily News. He was removed from this job as his "reviews were too Smart Alecky" (according to Confessions of a Story Teller), and took refuge in the sports department.
During his stint there, he was sent to cover the training camp of Jack Dempsey, and decided to ask Dempsey if he could spar with him, to get an idea of what it was like to be hit by the world heavyweight champion. The results were spectacular; Gallico was knocked out within two minutes. But he had his story, and from there his sports-writing career never looked back.
He became Sports Editor of the Daily News in 1923, and was given a daily sports column. He also invented and organised the Golden Gloves amateur boxing competition. During this part of his life, he was one of the most well-known sporting writers in America, and a minor celebrity. But he had always wanted to be a fiction writer, and was writing short stories and sports articles for magazines like Vanity Fair and the Saturday Evening Post. In 1936, he sold a short story to the movies for $5000, which gave him a stake. So he retired from sports writing, and went to live in Europe, to devote himself to writing. His first major book was Farewell to Sport, which as the title indicates, was his farewell to sports writing.
Though his name was well-known in the United States, he was an unknown in the rest of the world. In 1941, the Snow Goose changed all that, and he became, if not a best-selling author by today's standards, a writer who was always in demand. Apart from a short spell as a war correspondent between 1943 and 1946, he was a full-time freelance writer for the rest of his life. He has lived all over the place, including England, Mexico, Lichtenstein and Monaco, and he lived in Antibes for the last years of his life.
He was a first-class fencer, and a keen deep-sea fisherman. He was married four times, and had several children.
He died in Antibes on 15th July, 1976, just short of his 79th birthday.
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May 2, 2023
I first read Paul Gallico only recently when I picked up the expanded version of his story
The Snow Goose which I absolutely loved! My decision to read this book was guided by the fact that I prefer to read the book before watching the movie. These stories are delightful and heart-warming, full of charming characters and enjoyable plotlines full of heart and humor. Originally written between 1950 -60, these stories are timeless in their appeal.
The first story, Mrs Harris Goes to Paris revolves around Mrs. Ada Harris, a sixty-ish London charwoman, as she embarks on a quest to purchase a Dior dress after she is enamored with one she sees in a client’s cupboard. The story follows Mrs. Harris’s efforts to scrimp and save for almost three years and then embark on her trip to Paris, where she meets several interesting characters. A thoroughly enjoyable read!
In the second story, Mrs Harris Goes to New York , we catch up with Mrs. Harris after her Paris adventure. In this installment, Mrs. Harris teams up with her friend and neighbor, Mrs. Violet Butterworthwho is employed as a cook and travels to the United States, hoping to reunite an eight-year-old boy who was abandoned by his mother to the care of an abusive family in Mrs. Harris’s neighborhood, with his father. The boy’s father, an American serviceman who was stationed in London during WWII, had returned to the U.S. after the war without his wife, who refused to leave with him. We also meet a few familiar faces from the first book in this story. A lovely story that will leave you with a smile on your face and a lump in your throat!
I paired my reading with the wonderful audio narration by Juliet Stevenson which I really enjoyed. I loved Mrs. Harris and was immersed in her adventures. I can’t wait to read the remaining books in this series. These stories are perfect for when you crave a read that will leave you with a smile on your face and a warm, happy feeling in your heart!
“Nothing in life ever was a complete and one hundred per cent success, but often one could well afford to settle for less, and this would seem to be the greatest lesson one could learn in life.” (from Mrs. Harris Goes to New York)
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The Snow Goose which I absolutely loved! My decision to read this book was guided by the fact that I prefer to read the book before watching the movie. These stories are delightful and heart-warming, full of charming characters and enjoyable plotlines full of heart and humor. Originally written between 1950 -60, these stories are timeless in their appeal.
The first story, Mrs Harris Goes to Paris revolves around Mrs. Ada Harris, a sixty-ish London charwoman, as she embarks on a quest to purchase a Dior dress after she is enamored with one she sees in a client’s cupboard. The story follows Mrs. Harris’s efforts to scrimp and save for almost three years and then embark on her trip to Paris, where she meets several interesting characters. A thoroughly enjoyable read!
In the second story, Mrs Harris Goes to New York , we catch up with Mrs. Harris after her Paris adventure. In this installment, Mrs. Harris teams up with her friend and neighbor, Mrs. Violet Butterworthwho is employed as a cook and travels to the United States, hoping to reunite an eight-year-old boy who was abandoned by his mother to the care of an abusive family in Mrs. Harris’s neighborhood, with his father. The boy’s father, an American serviceman who was stationed in London during WWII, had returned to the U.S. after the war without his wife, who refused to leave with him. We also meet a few familiar faces from the first book in this story. A lovely story that will leave you with a smile on your face and a lump in your throat!
I paired my reading with the wonderful audio narration by Juliet Stevenson which I really enjoyed. I loved Mrs. Harris and was immersed in her adventures. I can’t wait to read the remaining books in this series. These stories are perfect for when you crave a read that will leave you with a smile on your face and a warm, happy feeling in your heart!
“Nothing in life ever was a complete and one hundred per cent success, but often one could well afford to settle for less, and this would seem to be the greatest lesson one could learn in life.” (from Mrs. Harris Goes to New York)
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My Blog
The StoryGraph
October 21, 2022
Some weeks ago the kids decided they wanted to go to a movie. They checked out the available movies and Granddaughter decided she wanted to see Mrs Harris Goes to Paris. Daughter then announced to my wife and me, "Everybody needs to pee. We're leaving for the theater in twenty minutes! "
We all enjoyed the movie and loved Lesley Manville's performance as Mrs Harris. In fact I was so enamored by Mrs Harris that I immediately borrowed a digital book from the San Jose Public library that included two Mrs Harris novellas. Both written by Paul Gallico, an American living in England.
The first novella, of course, was Mrs Harris Goes to Paris. I discovered it was virtually identical to the movie and where the book and movie differ slightly the movie is actually a bit better by virtue of movies being a visual media.
In the second novella Mrs Harris and the whole crew of sidekicks sail away to America where everything comes to a perfectly delightful conclusion after various problems and setbacks are resolved. Then just at the point where you're hoping she'll stay in America... Well, I'll let you find out what happens for yourself.
My only complaint is that twice problems were resolved by totally improbable coincidences. But this is Mrs Harris we're talking about and even the gods are totally enamored by her charms.
We all enjoyed the movie and loved Lesley Manville's performance as Mrs Harris. In fact I was so enamored by Mrs Harris that I immediately borrowed a digital book from the San Jose Public library that included two Mrs Harris novellas. Both written by Paul Gallico, an American living in England.
The first novella, of course, was Mrs Harris Goes to Paris. I discovered it was virtually identical to the movie and where the book and movie differ slightly the movie is actually a bit better by virtue of movies being a visual media.
In the second novella Mrs Harris and the whole crew of sidekicks sail away to America where everything comes to a perfectly delightful conclusion after various problems and setbacks are resolved. Then just at the point where you're hoping she'll stay in America... Well, I'll let you find out what happens for yourself.
My only complaint is that twice problems were resolved by totally improbable coincidences. But this is Mrs Harris we're talking about and even the gods are totally enamored by her charms.
June 29, 2022
Absolutely adored these two short novels. Charming, heartwarming, and fun. Fans of Alexander McCall Smith will love Mrs. Harris.
December 11, 2024
This is a fascinating series by Paul Gallico. The books read like young adult books. They are written in simple prose that should appeal to younger readers.
Yet, the heroine of the series is not a young person. She is a 60 year old charwoman in London, Mrs. Ada Harris. She is a wrinkled old woman with the spirit of a 16 year old. She is forever ready to go off on a new adventure. She gets into frightful muddles, yet survives them to come out on top. This is the London of mid to late 1950s.
What brings her out of her messes is her charm. She never pretends to be anything that she is not. Her dropped aitches, her rough hands and old clothes topped with a battered hat are all a part of her and she does not try to mask herself. She presents herself as she is, and that invariably wins her detractors over. Despite being a charwoman she makes friends with the best of people, the Marquis de Chassagne is a particular friend of hers. The Schreibers, an American couple who employ her, are also in thrall of her.
Her best friend Violet Butterfield lives in a house close by and works as a cook. Violet likes her life as it is, and is terrified by the adventurous spells of Mrs. Ada Harris. She gets sucked into them at times, but mostly she stands on the sideline feeling timorous.
This book has two adventures of Mrs. Harris. The first one is Mrs. Harris goes to Paris. In this book, Mrs. Harris is bitten by the bug of acquiring a Dior dress, when she spies one in the wardrobe of one of her clients.
How she travels to Paris in quest of one, gets into a scrape and how she manages to come out it, constitutes the story of this book.
In Mrs. Harris goes to New York, Ada is trying to help an orphan child in her neighbourhood to look for his father. Little Henry Brown's father is an ex-GI living in USA. Mrs. Harris is determined to find him and end the torture that little 'enry is subjected to by his foster parents.
Again, things do not go as Mrs. Harris planned and she winds up putting her near and dear ones in serious trouble. But it is still the end of 1950's and things are simpler.
I read one more in the Mrs. Harris series when I was young. It was called "Mrs. Harris, M.P." and it is just as charming as the rest in the series.
I love these books for their old world charm, the simple language and the way it makes small things in our life so important. A good cup of tea at the end of the day makes Mrs. Harris and Mrs. Butterfield happy. A trip to the 'flicks' is how they like to spend their day off.
Notwithstanding Mrs. Harris's grandiose adventures, the tale is told in a very unassuming style which makes it seem like an young adult novel. Mrs. Harris may well be a girl out of Enid Blyton books who has grown old, but not lost any of her zest for adventures.
The books are precious and worth reading.
Yet, the heroine of the series is not a young person. She is a 60 year old charwoman in London, Mrs. Ada Harris. She is a wrinkled old woman with the spirit of a 16 year old. She is forever ready to go off on a new adventure. She gets into frightful muddles, yet survives them to come out on top. This is the London of mid to late 1950s.
What brings her out of her messes is her charm. She never pretends to be anything that she is not. Her dropped aitches, her rough hands and old clothes topped with a battered hat are all a part of her and she does not try to mask herself. She presents herself as she is, and that invariably wins her detractors over. Despite being a charwoman she makes friends with the best of people, the Marquis de Chassagne is a particular friend of hers. The Schreibers, an American couple who employ her, are also in thrall of her.
Her best friend Violet Butterfield lives in a house close by and works as a cook. Violet likes her life as it is, and is terrified by the adventurous spells of Mrs. Ada Harris. She gets sucked into them at times, but mostly she stands on the sideline feeling timorous.
This book has two adventures of Mrs. Harris. The first one is Mrs. Harris goes to Paris. In this book, Mrs. Harris is bitten by the bug of acquiring a Dior dress, when she spies one in the wardrobe of one of her clients.
How she travels to Paris in quest of one, gets into a scrape and how she manages to come out it, constitutes the story of this book.
In Mrs. Harris goes to New York, Ada is trying to help an orphan child in her neighbourhood to look for his father. Little Henry Brown's father is an ex-GI living in USA. Mrs. Harris is determined to find him and end the torture that little 'enry is subjected to by his foster parents.
Again, things do not go as Mrs. Harris planned and she winds up putting her near and dear ones in serious trouble. But it is still the end of 1950's and things are simpler.
I read one more in the Mrs. Harris series when I was young. It was called "Mrs. Harris, M.P." and it is just as charming as the rest in the series.
I love these books for their old world charm, the simple language and the way it makes small things in our life so important. A good cup of tea at the end of the day makes Mrs. Harris and Mrs. Butterfield happy. A trip to the 'flicks' is how they like to spend their day off.
Notwithstanding Mrs. Harris's grandiose adventures, the tale is told in a very unassuming style which makes it seem like an young adult novel. Mrs. Harris may well be a girl out of Enid Blyton books who has grown old, but not lost any of her zest for adventures.
The books are precious and worth reading.
April 17, 2023
Mrs Harris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico
Mrs Harris Goes to New York by Paul Gallico
(Mrs. 'Arris, #1-2)
Synopsis /
Mrs Harris is a salt-of-the-earth London charlady who cheerfully cleans the houses of the rich. One day, while tidying Lady Dant’s wardrobe, she comes across the most beautiful thing she has ever seen in her life—a Dior dress. In all the years of her drab and humble existence, she’s never seen anything as magical as the dress before her and she’s never wanted anything so badly. Determined to make her dream come true, Mrs. Harris scrimps and saves until one day, after three long, uncomplaining years, she finally has enough money to go to Paris.
When she arrives at the House of Dior, Mrs. Harris has little idea of how her life is about to be turned upside down and how many other lives she will transform forever. Always kind, always cheery, and always winsome, the indomitable Mrs. Harris takes Paris by storm and learns one of life's greatest lessons along the way.
This treasure from the 1950s reintroduces the irrepressible Mrs. Harris, part charlady, part fairy godmother, whose adventures take her from her humble London roots to the heights of glamour.
My Thoughts /
Mrs Harris Goes to Paris is written by Paul William Gallico, and if you have taken the time to read his bio, you would realise he has packed a hell of a lot of living into his (short) 79 years on this Earth. Graduating in 1921 with a Bachelor of Science degree (with an extra 1.5 years tacked on because of WWI), he found a job at the New York Daily News as a motion picture critic - from which he was summarily removed because his reviews were "too smart alecky" (but aren't they the most memorable ones??!!). He then worked for the Sports Department of the same paper, becoming Editor of the Daily News in 1923. He became one of the most well-known sports writers in America. Tried his hand at fiction writing, sold a short story in 1936 - then retired from sports writing to devote himself to fiction writing full-time. His novella titled The Snow Goose in 1941 rocketed him to the best-selling author list and many of his works have been adapted for motion pictures.
A little bit of history. Charwoman is a British term for a domestic servant, a woman hired by the day who does house cleaning and odd jobs around the house. The term dates as far back as the late 16th century and is derived from an old medieval word 'chare' meaning an odd job or task. Charlady is perhaps the more respectful term to use when referring to a paid part-time worker who comes into a house or other building to clean it for a few hours of a day or week, as opposed to a maid, who usually lives as part of the household within the structure of domestic service.
Mrs Ada Harris lives at number 5, Willis Gardens, Battersea, London. She was a small, slender woman with apple-red cheeks, greying hair and shrewd, almost naughty little eyes. She dressed in somewhat shabby clothes, but they were immaculately cleaned and pressed. She loved nothing more than visiting the 'flicks', having a tipple (or two) at the pub on the corner, or an evening at the music hall with her best friend Mrs Violet Butterfield. Set in London during the 1950s, Mrs 'Arris, as she referred to 'erself, worked as a London charlady, which basically means that it is her job to clean up the messes made by her employers. Mrs 'Arris moved from one mess, slop, and untidy house to the next a half a dozen times a day, only leaving when the place was immaculately neat, clean, and sweet smelling. And the next day, she'd to it all over again; all for a payment of three shillings an hour.
While cleaning for one of her wealthy clients, Lady Dant, Mrs Harris regularly admires the beautiful Dior dresses that fill her walk-in wardrobe. Only today, Lady Dant brings them out and shows them off to Mrs Harris and tells her that the dresses cost upward of 450 pounds. Never in her life has Mrs Harris seen anything so beautiful and is completely and utterly enamoured. Paying no heed to the vast sum needed to purchase such a divine dress, Mrs Harris decides right there and then that she will buy herself a Dior dress to have for her very own.
Fast forward three years, and Mrs Harris has scrimped and saved the 450 pounds for her dream Dior dress, plus enough for the airfare to Paris and return (she was only intending to stay for the day). When Mrs Harris finally arrives at the House of Dior, she has no idea that her dream is about to be turned upside-down.
The writing is colourfully descriptive and easily read. The story, although a little hard to believe at times, has a wonderful Mary Poppins magic about it. Whilst this fairy tale plot may be a little fanciful, the themes underneath are not. Always be kind. Always be cheery. Sacrifice and hard work can make your dreams come true. Even though you might come from humble beginnings you can rise to heights of greatness. Full of wonderful secondary characters, and some not so wonderful, it all makes for a very charming and delightfully fun read.
But did Mrs Harris get her Dior dress I hear you ask? Well, this is the indomitable Mrs Harris we're talking about, even the Gods are totally enamoured by her!
Mrs Harris Goes to New York by Paul Gallico
(Mrs. 'Arris, #1-2)
Synopsis /
Mrs Harris is a salt-of-the-earth London charlady who cheerfully cleans the houses of the rich. One day, while tidying Lady Dant’s wardrobe, she comes across the most beautiful thing she has ever seen in her life—a Dior dress. In all the years of her drab and humble existence, she’s never seen anything as magical as the dress before her and she’s never wanted anything so badly. Determined to make her dream come true, Mrs. Harris scrimps and saves until one day, after three long, uncomplaining years, she finally has enough money to go to Paris.
When she arrives at the House of Dior, Mrs. Harris has little idea of how her life is about to be turned upside down and how many other lives she will transform forever. Always kind, always cheery, and always winsome, the indomitable Mrs. Harris takes Paris by storm and learns one of life's greatest lessons along the way.
This treasure from the 1950s reintroduces the irrepressible Mrs. Harris, part charlady, part fairy godmother, whose adventures take her from her humble London roots to the heights of glamour.
My Thoughts /
Mrs Harris Goes to Paris is written by Paul William Gallico, and if you have taken the time to read his bio, you would realise he has packed a hell of a lot of living into his (short) 79 years on this Earth. Graduating in 1921 with a Bachelor of Science degree (with an extra 1.5 years tacked on because of WWI), he found a job at the New York Daily News as a motion picture critic - from which he was summarily removed because his reviews were "too smart alecky" (but aren't they the most memorable ones??!!). He then worked for the Sports Department of the same paper, becoming Editor of the Daily News in 1923. He became one of the most well-known sports writers in America. Tried his hand at fiction writing, sold a short story in 1936 - then retired from sports writing to devote himself to fiction writing full-time. His novella titled The Snow Goose in 1941 rocketed him to the best-selling author list and many of his works have been adapted for motion pictures.
A little bit of history. Charwoman is a British term for a domestic servant, a woman hired by the day who does house cleaning and odd jobs around the house. The term dates as far back as the late 16th century and is derived from an old medieval word 'chare' meaning an odd job or task. Charlady is perhaps the more respectful term to use when referring to a paid part-time worker who comes into a house or other building to clean it for a few hours of a day or week, as opposed to a maid, who usually lives as part of the household within the structure of domestic service.
Mrs Ada Harris lives at number 5, Willis Gardens, Battersea, London. She was a small, slender woman with apple-red cheeks, greying hair and shrewd, almost naughty little eyes. She dressed in somewhat shabby clothes, but they were immaculately cleaned and pressed. She loved nothing more than visiting the 'flicks', having a tipple (or two) at the pub on the corner, or an evening at the music hall with her best friend Mrs Violet Butterfield. Set in London during the 1950s, Mrs 'Arris, as she referred to 'erself, worked as a London charlady, which basically means that it is her job to clean up the messes made by her employers. Mrs 'Arris moved from one mess, slop, and untidy house to the next a half a dozen times a day, only leaving when the place was immaculately neat, clean, and sweet smelling. And the next day, she'd to it all over again; all for a payment of three shillings an hour.
While cleaning for one of her wealthy clients, Lady Dant, Mrs Harris regularly admires the beautiful Dior dresses that fill her walk-in wardrobe. Only today, Lady Dant brings them out and shows them off to Mrs Harris and tells her that the dresses cost upward of 450 pounds. Never in her life has Mrs Harris seen anything so beautiful and is completely and utterly enamoured. Paying no heed to the vast sum needed to purchase such a divine dress, Mrs Harris decides right there and then that she will buy herself a Dior dress to have for her very own.
Fast forward three years, and Mrs Harris has scrimped and saved the 450 pounds for her dream Dior dress, plus enough for the airfare to Paris and return (she was only intending to stay for the day). When Mrs Harris finally arrives at the House of Dior, she has no idea that her dream is about to be turned upside-down.
The writing is colourfully descriptive and easily read. The story, although a little hard to believe at times, has a wonderful Mary Poppins magic about it. Whilst this fairy tale plot may be a little fanciful, the themes underneath are not. Always be kind. Always be cheery. Sacrifice and hard work can make your dreams come true. Even though you might come from humble beginnings you can rise to heights of greatness. Full of wonderful secondary characters, and some not so wonderful, it all makes for a very charming and delightfully fun read.
But did Mrs Harris get her Dior dress I hear you ask? Well, this is the indomitable Mrs Harris we're talking about, even the Gods are totally enamoured by her!
July 30, 2022
Not even going to try and lie; I wanted to read this because we saw the movie the other night and I had to know if the book was just as good as the film, and it was!
It was charming, wonderful, such a feel good read, and
It was charming, wonderful, such a feel good read, and
May 5, 2023
Mrs Harris goes to Paris: 5 stars
The perfect comfort read: heartwarming, uplifting and helping you escape the stark and gruesome world around us.
Despite the unlikely scenario and the light, romcom-ish story, the writing and the characters deeply resonated with me, made me smile and tear-up several times and filled me with pure joy.
Mrs Harris goes to New York: 3,5 - 4 stars
Still lovely and heart-warming, but pales in comparison with the Paris book.
Full review to come later.
Also, delightfully narrated by the wonderful Juliet Stevenson.
The perfect comfort read: heartwarming, uplifting and helping you escape the stark and gruesome world around us.
Despite the unlikely scenario and the light, romcom-ish story, the writing and the characters deeply resonated with me, made me smile and tear-up several times and filled me with pure joy.
Mrs Harris goes to New York: 3,5 - 4 stars
Still lovely and heart-warming, but pales in comparison with the Paris book.
Full review to come later.
Also, delightfully narrated by the wonderful Juliet Stevenson.
September 25, 2022
Two delightful and heartwarming stories in one book— what more could you want? I was totally enchanted by Mrs. Harris' characters and her adventures have been very entertaining.
The only thing that was a bit bothersome about the book was that the characters spoke with a thick, strong accent, especially Mrs Harris's words were spelt according to her Cockney accent. I couldn't help but ponder the original spelling.
The only thing that was a bit bothersome about the book was that the characters spoke with a thick, strong accent, especially Mrs Harris's words were spelt according to her Cockney accent. I couldn't help but ponder the original spelling.
May 18, 2023
“want something hard enough and work for it, and you’ll get it, but when you get it it will either prove to be not wholly what you wanted, or something will happen to spoil it.”
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris is a 1958 comic tale about a London charwoman who sets a goal to purchase a Dior dress in Paris. During her adventure she meets a few French people whom she helps in various ways. It’s a simple yet heartwarming story about the underdog obtaining a dream.
To start off, I’m an outlier with my rating. So many people found this story more appealing than did I. Can’t deny it is a lighthearted, feelgood tale, but it felt quite superficial to me and not that humorous. The aid that the charwoman brings about felt contrived and that made it quite predictable.
And I believe much of my enjoyment of this book came from listening to an audio narrated by Juliet Steveson more than had I read the book myself. Hearing the English and French accents elevated the mere words to a livelier state.
This seems to be the type of story that was best suited for visual pleasure, so I watched the 2022 historical film. Surprisingly, I liked it less than the book. I didn’t find the charwoman’s personality nor accent as appealing as I did while listening to the audio. But it was the Hollywood spin the film had that made the story fall short. In the film, they changed the storyline so that the help the charwoman brings about feels even more improbable.
Don’t let my negative feelings sway you from giving the book a try, especially if you just want an easy-to-follow audio that won’t take a lot of time to finish.
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris is a 1958 comic tale about a London charwoman who sets a goal to purchase a Dior dress in Paris. During her adventure she meets a few French people whom she helps in various ways. It’s a simple yet heartwarming story about the underdog obtaining a dream.
To start off, I’m an outlier with my rating. So many people found this story more appealing than did I. Can’t deny it is a lighthearted, feelgood tale, but it felt quite superficial to me and not that humorous. The aid that the charwoman brings about felt contrived and that made it quite predictable.
And I believe much of my enjoyment of this book came from listening to an audio narrated by Juliet Steveson more than had I read the book myself. Hearing the English and French accents elevated the mere words to a livelier state.
This seems to be the type of story that was best suited for visual pleasure, so I watched the 2022 historical film. Surprisingly, I liked it less than the book. I didn’t find the charwoman’s personality nor accent as appealing as I did while listening to the audio. But it was the Hollywood spin the film had that made the story fall short. In the film, they changed the storyline so that the help the charwoman brings about feels even more improbable.
Don’t let my negative feelings sway you from giving the book a try, especially if you just want an easy-to-follow audio that won’t take a lot of time to finish.
March 3, 2021
Two books in one: Mrs Harris Goes to Paris and Mrs Harris Goes to New York. I LOVED them. I think these two books have filled me with the most delight and genuine enjoyment of all the books I’ve read in 2021 so far. Both novels are filled with laugh-out-loud humor, lovely descriptions of place, wonderful characters, a sense of the goodness and even nobility of ordinary people, and plain good storytelling. Mrs Harris is a crackerjack character. She gets hilariously in over her head with her glittering Ideals and only manages to get out with her sheer gumption and plain speaking, some well placed help from her many and varied friends, and, as another Cockney said, a little bit o’ luck.
June 14, 2022
What a wonderful surprise!
I absolutely loved this heartwarming story of a charwoman on an adventure to get herself a Dior dress! Gallico draws her with such fondness that the rest of the cast, as well as the reader, cannot help but be charmed by her. Although they are different stories, this reminded me Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day.
Imagine my happiness when I found out that a new film adaptation is going to be released mid July. I cannot wait! :O)
I absolutely loved this heartwarming story of a charwoman on an adventure to get herself a Dior dress! Gallico draws her with such fondness that the rest of the cast, as well as the reader, cannot help but be charmed by her. Although they are different stories, this reminded me Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day.
Imagine my happiness when I found out that a new film adaptation is going to be released mid July. I cannot wait! :O)
March 28, 2023
Audiobook (narrated by Juliet Stevenson)
I was unaware of the Mrs. Harris books (first published 1958 and later) until a friend told me to see the movie, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris. I saw the movie and loved it. And thus I bought the audiobook for it and its sequel.
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris: The movie and book are quite different (from the way she gets the money to buy a Dior gown to how she gets into the exclusive Dior establishment to her relationship with the noble Frenchman to what happens after she is back in England). But both are charming. I suppose the way things transpire is more realistic in the book. What is the same in both is the indomitable Mrs. Harris. She is simply a delight. I fell in love with her as completely as did the Paris characters at the House of Dior.
Mrs. Harris Goes to New York: A couple of familiar faces from the first book join Mrs. Harris as she travels to America. This time, Mrs. Harris is rescuing an abused 8-year-old boy, and the adventures that follow are delightful. I remained under the charwoman’s spell for the entire story.
Robin’s Ratings
5🌟 = Out of this world. Amazing. Unforgettable. A personal favorite.
4🌟 = Enjoyed/loved it. Couldn’t put it down. Will recommend to others.
3🌟 = Liked it. Glad I read it. Engaging/entertaining/interesting.
2🌟 = The book was okay, but I’ve enjoyed other books so much more.
1🌟 = For whatever reason, I didn’t like it and can’t recommend it.
I was unaware of the Mrs. Harris books (first published 1958 and later) until a friend told me to see the movie, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris. I saw the movie and loved it. And thus I bought the audiobook for it and its sequel.
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris: The movie and book are quite different (from the way she gets the money to buy a Dior gown to how she gets into the exclusive Dior establishment to her relationship with the noble Frenchman to what happens after she is back in England). But both are charming. I suppose the way things transpire is more realistic in the book. What is the same in both is the indomitable Mrs. Harris. She is simply a delight. I fell in love with her as completely as did the Paris characters at the House of Dior.
Mrs. Harris Goes to New York: A couple of familiar faces from the first book join Mrs. Harris as she travels to America. This time, Mrs. Harris is rescuing an abused 8-year-old boy, and the adventures that follow are delightful. I remained under the charwoman’s spell for the entire story.
Robin’s Ratings
5🌟 = Out of this world. Amazing. Unforgettable. A personal favorite.
4🌟 = Enjoyed/loved it. Couldn’t put it down. Will recommend to others.
3🌟 = Liked it. Glad I read it. Engaging/entertaining/interesting.
2🌟 = The book was okay, but I’ve enjoyed other books so much more.
1🌟 = For whatever reason, I didn’t like it and can’t recommend it.
August 30, 2019
Yes, it's sentimental, old-fashioned and occasionally unrealistic; but who cares? Fun, escapist reading at its best.
October 4, 2024
An absolute delightful read…
October 14, 2022
5*s for 'Mrs Harris Goes to Paris'.
4*s for 'Mrs Harris Goes to New York'.
4*s for 'Mrs Harris Goes to New York'.
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May 21, 2023'<...> for the first time Mrs Harris realised that she was leaving England behind her and was about to enter a foreign country, to be amongst foreign people who spoke a foreign language and who, for all she had ever heard about them, were immoral, grasping, ate snails and frogs, and were particularly inclined to crimes of passion and dismembered bodies in trunks. She was still not afraid, for fear has no place in the vocabulary of the British char, but she was now all the more determined to be on her guard and not stand for any nonsense.'
I was enjoying the book, but the ending of the first story was such a disappointment that I don't think I want to read the second one - at least, not now. It is light and funny in the beginning and heart-breaking in the end; the film adaptation, curiously, is the other way round: very sad in the beginning, but with an ending that's much less depressing.
Now I can see by the other reviews that most other readers manage to ignore the heart-wrenching part and find this book lovely, charming, heart-warming etc; all of these epithets apply, too, especially if you don't think that the ending is more important than the rest of the book.
I was enjoying the book, but the ending of the first story was such a disappointment that I don't think I want to read the second one - at least, not now. It is light and funny in the beginning and heart-breaking in the end; the film adaptation, curiously, is the other way round: very sad in the beginning, but with an ending that's much less depressing.
Now I can see by the other reviews that most other readers manage to ignore the heart-wrenching part and find this book lovely, charming, heart-warming etc; all of these epithets apply, too, especially if you don't think that the ending is more important than the rest of the book.
July 21, 2022
Innocuous story from the late ‘50s that has me pondering the difference between characters vs caricatures in writing. 2.5 stars because of the continued references to “the value of femininity” and “feminine” reactions/responses to things like dresses and flowers; as though there are no other words to describe womens’ emotions.
I’m so glad the 60s happened.
I’m so glad the 60s happened.
March 20, 2021
Mrs Harris is a London cleaning lady aged about 60 who sets her heart on buying a Christian Dior dress, which she has to go to Paris for. That's only the start of her adventure because the purchase turns out to be more complicated than she expects. Along the way she cheers the lives of everyone she meets.
The New York story is the same kind of thing, only this time she is invited to go to work for an American couple who employed her in London, and takes the opportunity to smuggle an 8-year-old boy onto the boat so she can track down his GI father.
These are intended to be very lighthearted books, with a simple style that mirrors Mrs Harris's childlike nature, so I wouldn't knock off a star for lack of depth, but I did wonder why the Paris one is on Boxall's 1001 list. It's hardly up there with Dostoevsky and Proust. But it was only in the first edition of the list, so the selectors must have had second thoughts.
The New York story is the same kind of thing, only this time she is invited to go to work for an American couple who employed her in London, and takes the opportunity to smuggle an 8-year-old boy onto the boat so she can track down his GI father.
These are intended to be very lighthearted books, with a simple style that mirrors Mrs Harris's childlike nature, so I wouldn't knock off a star for lack of depth, but I did wonder why the Paris one is on Boxall's 1001 list. It's hardly up there with Dostoevsky and Proust. But it was only in the first edition of the list, so the selectors must have had second thoughts.
October 12, 2022
Such a delectable piece of fiction! I’m in love with Mrs Harris, she’s such a stickler for values but will bend rules if they’re hurting no one. I enjoyed reading the descriptions of dresses, the house of Christian Dior and Paris in general. All who love dresses and finery in life are going to love this book a lot!
February 14, 2024
I want to see the movie version too. I hear it’s great.
March 13, 2023
Book 1:
A lovely book. Actually enjoyed the movie even more. Lesley Manville did a fantastic job bringing her to life on the screen.
Book 2:
Another great story featuring Mrs Harris and her friend Mrs Butterfield. This time venturing out of London to New York.
A lovely book. Actually enjoyed the movie even more. Lesley Manville did a fantastic job bringing her to life on the screen.
Book 2:
Another great story featuring Mrs Harris and her friend Mrs Butterfield. This time venturing out of London to New York.
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August 21, 2022che carinoooo!!! delizioso, la storia di una signora inglese che parte per mille avventure.
June 15, 2022
This was so charming! I preferred Paris to New York, which is always my complaint with these volumes with multiple books, but both were so sweet and fun that even liking NY a bit less, I still much preferred it to other books I’ve read.
I liked Paris and the whole “little old(ish) lady charms everyone around her and changes their lives”. It had something of Miss Pettigrew about it. New York was almost over the line of too coincidental and, almost, twee, but you just can’t dislike Mrs Harris.
The library has Moscow also, with a long waitlist, so I guess I’ll get my name on that list!
I liked Paris and the whole “little old(ish) lady charms everyone around her and changes their lives”. It had something of Miss Pettigrew about it. New York was almost over the line of too coincidental and, almost, twee, but you just can’t dislike Mrs Harris.
The library has Moscow also, with a long waitlist, so I guess I’ll get my name on that list!
July 29, 2022
Such an uplifting story! I can’t wait to watch the movie. This book was originally published in 1958. It’s about a widow in London who is about 60. She works as a cleaning woman. After seeing a Dior dress in one of her client’s closets, she decides she must go to Paris and buy a Dior dress. It takes her 3 years to save the money. The book tells about her delightful adventure in Paris. (This book also contains story #2 Mrs. Harris Goes to New York.) I haven’t read that one yet.
August 16, 2023
Absolutely delightful! The second story doesn't quite live up to the charming attraction of the first, but either way, Mrs 'Arris is a great character to spend a little time with.
August 29, 2022
I only read Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris. This was short and charming. Mrs. Harris is quite a likable character and it's sweet how she has such a positive influence on those around her. She deserves better than Miss Penrose! I remember seeing the Angela Lansbury made for TV film of this when I was little and loving it. Sadly, it looks like that one isn't available anymore. I will need to see the new one.
August 10, 2022
What a joy to read two good, clean stories about normal everyday people who know how to enjoy life, pursue their dreams, and make life better for those around them. Mrs. Harris is a gem of a woman and a lot of fun to read about. Her adventures to Paris and New York were funny and I literally laughed out loud several times, not something I often do.
June 28, 2022
Delightful, utterly delightful. The writing is witty and charming. The characters and story will warm your heart. A lovely departure from my day-to-day.
July 4, 2022
I read an original release of Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris. I loved it. Now I can’t wait to see the movie.
December 8, 2022
Two lovely stories about Mrs 'Arris, a charwoman, who goes on two adventures. Really light and enjoyable to read, filled with lovely characters.
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