--- product_id: 14290032 title: "The Red Notebook" price: "£20.06" currency: GBP in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/14290032-the-red-notebook store_origin: GB region: United Kingdom --- # The Red Notebook **Price:** £20.06 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Red Notebook - **How much does it cost?** £20.06 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/14290032-the-red-notebook) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description "Laurain presents the story as if it were reportage, but with the confidence of an age-old storyteller."— San Francisco Book Review "Laurain's gentle, satirical humor remind this reviewer of Jacques Tati's classic films, and, no, you don't have to know French politics to enjoy this charming novel. Fans of Muriel Barbery's The Elegance of the Hedgehog will want this."— Library Journal "A hymn to la vie Parisienne . . . enjoy it for its fabulistic narrative, and the way it teeters pleasantly on the edge of Gallic whimsy."— The Guardian Heroic bookseller Laurent Letellier comes across an abandoned handbag on a Parisian street. There's nothing in the bag to indicate who it belongs to, although there's all sorts of other things in it. Laurent feels a strong impulse to find the owner and tries to puzzle together who she might be from the contents of the bag. Especially a red notebook with her jottings, which really makes him want to meet her. Without even a name to go on, and only a few of her possessions to help him, how is he to find one woman in a city of millions? The Red Notebook has already been sold in twelve different languages. French TV is making a film of The President's Hat and the movie rights of The Red Notebook have been sold to UGC. Antoine Laurain was born in Paris. He is the author of five novels, including The President's Hat . Review: Charming story of a good deed that turned into love. - Laure is returning from work carrying her beautiful, expensive new purse. She is looking forward to a relaxing evening before the fire with her cat beside her, perhaps a glass of wine... And suddenly a robber seizes her purse, shoves her when she tries to fight back, knocking her out. She awakens, bloody, disoriented, unable to get into her apartment, with no money, no phone, no keys... She makes her way to a hotel, which unwillingly lets her in for a night, and subsides into a coma. The next day, the owner of a bookshop sees the beautiful purse sitting atop a trash bin. He takes it, looks inside to find the name of the owner, and finds a notebook, a dry cleaning stub, a set of keys...and nothing else. The owner must have been mugged. Laurent is a kindly man, and he knows the probable value of the purse. The story follows his attempts to glean information about the owner that will allow him to return the purse. And in sifting through the evidence, he finds himself falling in love. There is more to the story than that. It is a charming, skillful peeling back of layers or, if you like, adding layer of fine layer of growing understanding, appreciation, wonder and courage. Antoine Laurain is a master of conveying emotions and backstory in subtle touches. How the characters came to be who and where they are... How a kind act turns into a good deed performed for love. At its very basic level, you could call this a detective story, with Laurent, the bookseller, trying to make whole the victim of the mugging/purse-snatching and using whatever clues he can find. The subtle, deliciously handled love story is a bonus. And let me mention the presence of a teen-aged girl in this story that was particularly delightful, a cross between Audrey Hepburn and Genghis Khan. The story was originally written in French. I have not read it in its original language (tempted, though...) but this English translation flows beautifully, captures the essentially Parisian 'feel' of the story. There were no jarring notes. It is a keeper for me. Five stars. Review: Light & Lovely - Le Figaro says the author is a storyteller, and this is a fetching tale. If you love Paris, this book takes you into the minds and hearts of two Parisians who seem destined to meet. Laure is a bit of a mystery - you meet her in the first pages when she is mugged in front of her apartment building and the thief steals her purse. Laurent is a bookseller who finds her mauve bag and tries to solve the mystery of who she is through the contents of her purse. Of course, he finds her beguiling. One review said fans of the French novel THE ELEGANCE OF THE HEDGEHOG - one of my two favorite novels of the past 25 years - would enjoy this book. Yes, there are some commonalities. Like other readers, I wish this book had been longer. The characters still seemed a tad remote to me. You want to get to know them better. Saw that the rights had been bought to make into a film. It seems a natural for a film. It is pleasant to read something upbeat for a change. It is a fun summer read if you want something light and lovely. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #380,814 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #1,011 in Cultural Heritage Fiction #3,056 in Fiction Satire #42,180 in Contemporary Romance (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.2 out of 5 stars 7,189 Reviews | ## Images ![The Red Notebook - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/918KNwbEPPL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Charming story of a good deed that turned into love. *by D***R on May 17, 2016* Laure is returning from work carrying her beautiful, expensive new purse. She is looking forward to a relaxing evening before the fire with her cat beside her, perhaps a glass of wine... And suddenly a robber seizes her purse, shoves her when she tries to fight back, knocking her out. She awakens, bloody, disoriented, unable to get into her apartment, with no money, no phone, no keys... She makes her way to a hotel, which unwillingly lets her in for a night, and subsides into a coma. The next day, the owner of a bookshop sees the beautiful purse sitting atop a trash bin. He takes it, looks inside to find the name of the owner, and finds a notebook, a dry cleaning stub, a set of keys...and nothing else. The owner must have been mugged. Laurent is a kindly man, and he knows the probable value of the purse. The story follows his attempts to glean information about the owner that will allow him to return the purse. And in sifting through the evidence, he finds himself falling in love. There is more to the story than that. It is a charming, skillful peeling back of layers or, if you like, adding layer of fine layer of growing understanding, appreciation, wonder and courage. Antoine Laurain is a master of conveying emotions and backstory in subtle touches. How the characters came to be who and where they are... How a kind act turns into a good deed performed for love. At its very basic level, you could call this a detective story, with Laurent, the bookseller, trying to make whole the victim of the mugging/purse-snatching and using whatever clues he can find. The subtle, deliciously handled love story is a bonus. And let me mention the presence of a teen-aged girl in this story that was particularly delightful, a cross between Audrey Hepburn and Genghis Khan. The story was originally written in French. I have not read it in its original language (tempted, though...) but this English translation flows beautifully, captures the essentially Parisian 'feel' of the story. There were no jarring notes. It is a keeper for me. Five stars. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Light & Lovely *by L***R on June 6, 2015* Le Figaro says the author is a storyteller, and this is a fetching tale. If you love Paris, this book takes you into the minds and hearts of two Parisians who seem destined to meet. Laure is a bit of a mystery - you meet her in the first pages when she is mugged in front of her apartment building and the thief steals her purse. Laurent is a bookseller who finds her mauve bag and tries to solve the mystery of who she is through the contents of her purse. Of course, he finds her beguiling. One review said fans of the French novel THE ELEGANCE OF THE HEDGEHOG - one of my two favorite novels of the past 25 years - would enjoy this book. Yes, there are some commonalities. Like other readers, I wish this book had been longer. The characters still seemed a tad remote to me. You want to get to know them better. Saw that the rights had been bought to make into a film. It seems a natural for a film. It is pleasant to read something upbeat for a change. It is a fun summer read if you want something light and lovely. ### ⭐⭐⭐ Sweet story *by A***Y on June 16, 2016* This is a sweet, sweet little nugget of a book. This is a charming love story of two basically happy, but lonely souls finding each other through the mystery of a stolen bag in Paris. It was a bright spot in my reading because it was so upbeat, the characters were friendly, and I always enjoy reading a foreign translation. It feels like a glimpse into another world. This book is a great way to pass an afternoon in the sunshine, or a long flight to London. ## Frequently Bought Together - The Red Notebook - The President's Hat - Vintage 1954 --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/14290032-the-red-notebook](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/14290032-the-red-notebook) --- *Product available on Desertcart United Kingdom* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-06-25*