I read this book for a book club, and overall enjoyed it. France was definitely a big presence in the book that I enjoyed reading about.

The main character is 50ish and has been essentially completely emotionally shut down for about 20 years. This was hard for me to accept, especially with the amount of emotion that he shows later in the book multiple times. Jean has also lost the love of his life and I had a hard time relating to him.
The plot was sort of fun, a rollicking adventure story throwing characters together. It did feel that there was a major tone shift when suddenly Jean gives the barge to C & S and strikes out on his own to heal. That was a bit jarring.

My favorite bits about this book were actually the bookish parts. I love how Jean knows how to read people and how to "prescribe" them book(s) that they need, that was cool. I also loved the encycolpedia of emotions that Jean was working on--many of the feelings that were described were ones that I've known and it was fantastic to read them put into words.
The writing style and word choice was really beautiful overall, and in some places I thought the choices were great for setting up a character's personality. This is a book that I wanted to underline a number of quotes (some typed below) but couldn't because it was a library book.
I enjoyed my reading experience and it was effective because I cried and chuckled while reading. I think I may re-read this book in another 20 years (or if something like what happened to Jean happens to me) to try to more fully understand Jean and his life experiences.

Some quotes I liked: (but some of my bookmarks fell out, so I don't know those quotes.)
"Add 'Confidence in strangers' under C. The odd feeling you get in trains when you open up far more to someone you've never met than you ever have to your own family."

"The first category [of bookstore customers] comprised those for whom books were the only breath of fresh air in their claustrophobic daily lives... The second category of customers came aboard Lulu... because they had been lured there by the name of the bookshop: la pharmacie litteraire, the Literary Apothecary.... The third kind, who thought they were kings but, unfortunately, lack the manners of royalty. Without saying "Bonjour" or so much as looking at him as they handled every book with fingers greasy from the french fries they'd been eating..."

"...they had to keep their passion for the tango a secret from jealous partners and families who greeted these depraved, suggestive, frivolous moves with disgust and rigid, pinch-mouthed embarrassment. No one had a clue where the tangueras were at this time of the afternoon... they were dancing for their lives; they were dancing for life itself. Few did it to meet their mistresses or lovers, for tango was not about that: it was about everything."

(about being a father)
"...having a child is like casting off your own childhood forever. It's as if it's only then that you really grasp what it means to be a man. You're scared too that all your weaknesses will be laid bare, because fatherhood demands more than you can give... I always felt I had to earn your love, because I loved you so, so much."