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Another vote for Zola. Especially L'Assomoir. I've not yet read Les Misérables, but it's similar in subject matter, less romantic and grittier.

The Phantom of the Opera (Gaston LeRoux?) is very good!

Another vote for The Paris Wife

Watch Before Sunrise and Before Sunset on DVD

I watched Before Sunrise after Before Sunset, and was a bit disappointed. Maybe it's because I was a bit disappointed by Vienna too?

Just want to second 'The Paris Wife' - fabulous book, made me want to set off for Paris immediately!

Here's a mix of genres for novels set in Paris:

A Novel Bookstore by Laurence Cosse
The Good Thief's Guide to Paris by Chris Ewan
April in Paris by Michael Wallner
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
Ominous: Borders: Coffee by Peter Standish Evans
Pure by Andrew Miller
The Emperor of Paris by C S Richardson
The House I Loved by Tatiana de Rosnay

And for a couple of chicklit suggestions click on: http://tripfiction.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/flirty-fun-in-paris.html

And just out in time for your trip you could try: Jenny Colgan's The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris.
Have fun!

And of course there is The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth.

The Woman in the Fifth - Douglas Kennedy.

Another vote for The Elegance of the Hedgehog. Really original story and interesting protagonist.

Yyy for A Moveable Feast. Not just Deux Magots - also Lipp and Closerie des Lilas and indeed Pre aux Clercs. And also his Fiesta - first half is set in Paris. I'd read all those ahead of The Paris Wife.

Has anyone said Notre Dame de Paris, also by Hugo?

Has anyone said Balzac, especially Lost illusions?

Thoroughly enjoyed the Orwell and the Nancy Mitford so a big thank you to everyone who recommended those. The Paris Wife is on it's way to my kindle.

I have been sidetracked somewhat as my utterly fantastic library found me Orwell's collected non fiction so I'm now reading The Road to Wigan Pier.

Onlymee I adored Frederick Forsyth as a teenager - am sorely tempted to read The Day of The Jackal again.

Oh dear. The perils of Kindle. Have just downloaded A Moveable Feast too.

I enjoyed A Moveable Feast.

I like Zola's Rougon-Macquart books much better than Therese Raquin - the Paris ones include L'Assommoir, Nana and La Bonheur Des Dames (The Ladies' Pleasure - there are other translations of the title) - the last is the one that was recently dramatised (and transposed to a Northern English city) as The Paradise.

Just wanted to update this thread.
I thoroughly enjoyed A Moveable Feast and The Paris Wife, glad I read them in that order. I feel a bit bereft now and missing Ernest and Hadley.

I haven't read any Hemingway since reading For Whom The Bell Tolls as a teenager. I think I might order The Sun Also Rises.

Some worthy suggestions here. Can I suggest "A Year in the Merde" as a counterpoint? Very funny.

I read that a few years ago - must dig it out. I remember it had some handy tips on ordering beer

Perfume by Patrick Suskind

Cara Black series of mysteries with PI Aimee LeDuc.
Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rosnay
The way I found Her by Rose Tremain
April in Paris by Michael Wallner
The lollipop Shoes( the sequel to Chocolat) by Joanne Harris
Any of the Victor Legris mysteries by Claude Izner ( set in Belle Époque Paris)