Privilege by Guinevere Glasfurd is set in France in the 18th Century, and follows the story of Delphine Vimond. When her father is disgraced, Delphine has no home in Rouen, and so she flees to Paris to escape. There, she encounters a young man called Chancery Smith. He is an apprentice printer, sent from London to discover the identity of a mysterious author of potentially controversial papers that have come to light. These papers are marked only with the initial D. Delphine and Chancery together try and solve the mystery, whilst avoiding arrest, and Glasfurd expertly conjures the France of that time, in all its vivid detail. The writing was superb, the historical accuracy spot on, and I was immersed in a wonderful story from page one.

Books can be dangerous or they can bring danger to their authors.

Delphine’s father has become well-off by creating beautiful pottery, and he uses some of that wealth to collect books. Delphine learns to read, but her age and gender set boundaries on what is allowed, even if her intelligence could take her further. As her father’s pottery falls out of fashion he continues to search out rare books, and sometimes those books are rare because they are banned. And when he is arrested for this crime, Delphine ends up on the streets, but her old friend Tibius takes her to Paris where she finds a new world.
Chancery Smith is apprentice to a printer who prints those books which cannot be printed in France, and when the chance comes to further his career by tracking down the author of some papers from that country, he takes the opportunity. But his journey leads him into the clutches of the censors who are not only concerned with destroying books.
This book was about an era that I didn’t know that well, so it led me to do a lot of reading around the book, which sounds a bit iterative since it’s a book about reading and where it can lead you. I found myself more involved in the ideas of the book rather than the characters, but still an interesting read.


I had a copy of this book early through Netgalley

The story isn't grabbing me, so I'm giving up at 30%. I know it's fashionable but I'm tired of girls dressing up as boys. And descriptions of masturbation don't exactly thrill me. Maybe there's a great story further on, but it's taken too long getting to it.

Forced from her home, Delphine travels to Paris where she meets Chancery. He has been sent to try to find the mysterious D, author of a notorious pamphlet. Together they dodge troubles and censors.
I liked the setting and the writing was strong but for some reason this book failed to light the spark in me. It's good but not great

This book started well, description of home life of Delphine in 1749 Rouen, well described and intriguing. The relationship between the gardener Tibius and Delphine is a refreshing distraction from the complicated business of secret dangerous books.
The other side of the story takes place in London where two apprentice printers Gilpin and Chancery are rivals.
I must admit that I found the story confusing and felt that I had missed the point at some time. The mysterious authors who all had names beginning with D further added to my confusion.
I felt I needed more knowledge of French literature to be able to appreciate it fully.
Really not for me.

It's a fascinating historical fiction featuring a strong heroine. The historical background is vivid, the characters are fleshed out, the storytelling kept me hooked.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Privilege is an illuminating historical novel which uses fiction to reflect on a key period in history. Through rich, attentive prose and deeply believable characters, we are taken on an adventure into a world that is so different from our own, and yet is irrevocably intertwined. The eighteenth century, a time of gender inequality, economic hardship, oppressive monarchies and censorship, contrasting with supposed enlightenment. Importantly, she tells of the power of the written word, of books, and who has control of that power. It is real celebration of literary culture, past and present.

Privilege by Guinevere Glasfurd
The title of this book refers to the fact that before the Revolution a writer had to obtain a Royal Privilege in order to have a book published. The story begins in Rouen in 1749 where Delphine Vimond is being raised by her father who works as a potter. He is also a collector of books and has instilled in Delphine this love of literature. However he lived at a time when just owning the wrong book was against the law. When he is found with a copy of a banned book Delphine is left on her own to manage in the world.
Then we meet Chancery Smith, apprentice printer whose mother was French but who has been brought up in Scotland and has now arrived In London. He is given the task of visiting France to identify the mysterious papers which have come into the possession of his master. But these papers are forbidden and being found in possession of them in France could prove deadly. Shortly after his arrival in France he witnesses the savage murder of a young man found in possession of banned writings.
This is a thought-provoking book which explores issues of censorship and the freedom – or lack of it – to write and think about matters of importance to us. I didn’t really know anything about how ‘royal privilege’ worked and how it lead to books written in France being published in other countries and then smuggled back into the country (much as happened in Russia during the Cold War).
The characters of Chancery and Delphine were very interesting and I found the historical detail fascinating. I will be recommending this to various book groups. Many thanks to Net Galley and Two Roads, John Murray Press for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

A compelling read tackling subjects as diverse as censorship and freedom, women’s rights and royal privilege, all taking place in 18th century France. The title refers to the fact that books could not be published at the time without royal consent, also known as privilege. Delphine Vimond, the heroine of the story is a passionate lover of books and after her father is imprisoned and his library destroyed she embarks upon a life of risk and adventure in order to find a publisher outside France for a contentious book written by a mysterious author known only as D. The cast of characters here is exceptionally well described and all the settings are vividly painted. The book takes a little while to get going at the start, but once really underway it is both gripping and thought provoking, leaving the reader bereft when it is finished.

Mixed feelings summarise this one! Set in pre-revolutionary France, Privilege has a lot to like - a strong female character fighting for her rights in a world dominated by men; books and printing presses, a quest to find a mysterious author who signed their work only as ‘D’ - yet for much of the tale I felt like things weren’t quite sitting right - character motivations seemed flimsy and it often seemed there was an obvious way for things to be solved which for some reason the characters weren’t considering or doing. The title, Privilege, refers to the fact that the King must grant permission for all new books to be published - otherwise they fall foul of the King’s Censor. The author here explores the line between freedom and censorship, with us following an author’s struggle to be free to write and publish the words of their story. This is something that I think deserves to be thought about more, so lots of interesting elements in this, and while it didn’t feel like it came together fully for me, I did enjoy reading it.

My thanks to #NetGalley and Two Roads, John Murray Press for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed both of Guinevere Glasfurd’s previous novels, The Words in My Hand and The Year Without Summer, so I hoped for good things from her latest novel which sounded just as intriguing as the other two. The title Privilege could refer to all sorts of things, but in this case it’s a reference to the system in pre-revolutionary France where publishers had to obtain a ‘royal privilege’ before a book could be published.

The novel begins in Rouen in 1749, where Delphine Vimond is being raised by her father, having lost her mother at an early age. Delphine’s father runs a pottery, but he is also a collector of books and Delphine inherits from him a love of literature and a desire for learning. Finding the key to his library, she discovers a whole new world of adventure and knowledge in the pages of his books. However, when a volume by Milton on the killing of kings is found in his possession, Delphine understands for the first time that not all books are seen as appropriate and that some are even forbidden.

Meanwhile, in London, we meet Chancery Smith, an apprentice printer. A box of papers from Paris signed only with the letter ‘D’ has been received at the print shop and Chancery is given the job of visiting France to try to identify this mysterious author. It’s not going to be an easy task – as the papers contain potentially dangerous writings, Chancery must avoid letting them fall into the hands of the censors who would see the papers destroyed and the courier punished. On arriving in Paris, his path crosses with Delphine Vimond’s and together they set off in search of ‘D’, while trying to stay one step ahead of the royal censor, Henri Gilbert, and his spies.

Privilege is a thought-provoking read, exploring issues such as censorship, the power of the monarch, and the freedom – or lack of it – to write and think about topics that matter to us. Before reading this novel I didn’t really know how the ‘royal privilege’ system worked and how it lead to books written in France having to be published in other countries and smuggled back in, so I found that aspect of the story fascinating. I also picked up lots of other snippets of information on the early publishing industry along the way – I had never heard of France’s ‘blue library’, for example.

I found the mystery/thriller aspect of the novel slightly less successful, maybe because the identity of the unknown author seemed too obvious. Still, with two engaging protagonists in Delphine and Chancery, as well as a strong cast of secondary characters, and with such an interesting subject at the heart of the story, it’s a book that I enjoyed reading.

This was such an interesting and thought provoking read. It was well written with a compelling storyline and well dveeloped characters all enveloped in an era I didnt know much about so I loved that, and it was a fantastic setting.
I was gripped I couldn't put it down. I loved it.

This was an interesting and thrilling read!!! The focus of this novel is put on the freedom of writing a reflection of one's thoughts. Nothing more difficult in Diderot's times when books were censured, banned and burnt! This novel tells the journey of one such book : not only about its author (who has written it?), but also how dangerous the contents are when submitted to the King's censure; it also raises the question of where if ever could this book be published in Europe?
I enjoyed the characters' personal life journey which led them to the love of books.
What disturbed me though is the amount of spelling mistakes in the French terms and expressions used in the book. (I am French.)

I am grateful to NetGalley for letting me read this novel for free in exchange for a honest review. Thank you!

This is an amazing book, written by an author who knows how women were treated as inferiors in the eighteenth century in France. But there are lots other insights involved in this book, written in 2020. I can only admire the characters she has created, Delphine in particular, but also Chancery and Tibius. The plot is such that I would spoil it if it were revealed, but it is about books that needed privilege, the consent of the King of France, in order to be published. There is so much more to the book than this, but it is a major part of the novel. Books appeared anonymously were published at great risk if the author was ever discovered. It is highly recommended that the reader finds out the story for themselves, because I cannot reveal more without spoilers. I really enjoyed this novel, it was a brilliant and thought provoking read.