On the ferry from Hyannis to Alice Island, Amelia Loman paints her nails yellow and, while waiting for them to dry, skims her predecessor's notes.
Description:
As you know by now, I'm a sucker for stories about books, libraries, book sellers, reading experiences, collectors, whatever. I love John Dunning's Booked to Die, Christopher Morley's The Haunted Bookshop, Helene Hanff's 84 Charing Cross, Joe Queenan's One for the Books, and Larry McMurtry's Books: A Memoir, not only for their great writing and stories, but because they focus on people like me who read and love books. And as a bonus, these books usually provide references to other great books, so I get tips about previously unknown (to me) titles for my night table's to-be-read pile.
In Gabrielle Zevin's The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, all the elements of a great book-about-books are present: eccentric people, unique bookstore, undying passion (for books and specific people), references to books worth reading, and underlying noble theme of preserving the printed word. There's even a nice romance to round out all the great qualities of this book.
Amelia Loman is a salesperson from a publisher eager to get her company's books into the hands of A.J. Fikry and onto the shelves of his "persnickety little bookstore." Fikry and his Island Books are located in an small island community in Massachusetts that takes several hours to reach by boat. Amelia is not-so-young, smart, and a bit naïve when it comes to dealing with the curmudgeons found in these types of bookstores, especially Fikry. As for personal relationships, she is a "bright-sider" who feels "it is better to be alone than to be with someone who doesn't share your sensibilities and interests."
She pitches her winter list of books to Fikry, including her personal favorite, The Late Bloomer, the memoirs of a man who marries for the first time at age 78, only to have his wife die two years later. Fikry will have none of that book for the simple reason "it is not for me." Turns out he has a long list of what kinds of books that are not for him:
Anyways, the story centers on these two intelligent, opinionated, and admirably quirky people... and that alone should be enough to satisfy any reader. But there also is a good plot involving a store break-in where a valuable Edgar Allen Poe book is taken, a suicide, a baby abandoned in the store, and wonderful interactions with customers and "well-meaning townies" in this tiny coastal tourist destination.
As an added bonus, beginning each chapter is a one-page, often snarky review by Fikry of a short story he recommends: (The Luck of Roaring Camp by Bret Harte, A Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor, The Tell-Tale Heart by E.A. Poe, and The Diamond As Big As the Ritz by F. Scott Fitzgerald, etc.).
The writing is solid, the characters fascinating, and the plot compelling in its mystery, romance, and relationships. It's a book that pulls you in slowly, but soon grabs you through its plot and likable characters, where you will not to be released until the very last pages when all the pieces are tied up (including the real story behind Amelia's favorite and Fikry's disdained book, The Late Bloomer).
Believe me, it is a wonderful ride.
In Gabrielle Zevin's The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, all the elements of a great book-about-books are present: eccentric people, unique bookstore, undying passion (for books and specific people), references to books worth reading, and underlying noble theme of preserving the printed word. There's even a nice romance to round out all the great qualities of this book.
Amelia Loman is a salesperson from a publisher eager to get her company's books into the hands of A.J. Fikry and onto the shelves of his "persnickety little bookstore." Fikry and his Island Books are located in an small island community in Massachusetts that takes several hours to reach by boat. Amelia is not-so-young, smart, and a bit naïve when it comes to dealing with the curmudgeons found in these types of bookstores, especially Fikry. As for personal relationships, she is a "bright-sider" who feels "it is better to be alone than to be with someone who doesn't share your sensibilities and interests."
She pitches her winter list of books to Fikry, including her personal favorite, The Late Bloomer, the memoirs of a man who marries for the first time at age 78, only to have his wife die two years later. Fikry will have none of that book for the simple reason "it is not for me." Turns out he has a long list of what kinds of books that are not for him:
I don't like postmodernism, postapocalyptic settings, postmortem narrators, or magic realism. I rarely respond to supposedly clever formal devices, multiple fonts, pictures where they shouldn't be---basically, gimmicks of any kind. I find literary fiction about the Holocaust or any other major world tragedy to be distasteful...I do not like genre mash-ups a la the literary detective novel or the literary fantasy. Literary should be literary, and genre should be genre, and crossbreeding rarely results in anything satisfying ....Wow, a man of discerning tastes, and one who is in a position to enforce his tastes via the stock of his bookstore. Imagine the power of only stocking books you love and respect, without needing to consider "children's books, especially ones with orphans;" never having to clutter your shelves with young adult titles; and rejecting "anything over four hundred pages or under one hundred fifty pages." Maybe it is just me, but the thought of introducing customers only to books I personally love and respect is quite heady. Must be the personal quirk that is the genesis behind this blog.
Anyways, the story centers on these two intelligent, opinionated, and admirably quirky people... and that alone should be enough to satisfy any reader. But there also is a good plot involving a store break-in where a valuable Edgar Allen Poe book is taken, a suicide, a baby abandoned in the store, and wonderful interactions with customers and "well-meaning townies" in this tiny coastal tourist destination.
As an added bonus, beginning each chapter is a one-page, often snarky review by Fikry of a short story he recommends: (The Luck of Roaring Camp by Bret Harte, A Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor, The Tell-Tale Heart by E.A. Poe, and The Diamond As Big As the Ritz by F. Scott Fitzgerald, etc.).
The writing is solid, the characters fascinating, and the plot compelling in its mystery, romance, and relationships. It's a book that pulls you in slowly, but soon grabs you through its plot and likable characters, where you will not to be released until the very last pages when all the pieces are tied up (including the real story behind Amelia's favorite and Fikry's disdained book, The Late Bloomer).
Believe me, it is a wonderful ride.
If this book interests you, be sure to check out:
Dunning, John. Booked to Die
Ex-cop turned rare book dealer finds himself once again pulled into the world of murder. Great information on finding rare books, pricing interesting titles, and the dilemma of wanting to keep every book you stock for your own private collection. (previously reviewed here)
Hanff, Helene. 84 Charing Cross Road
Memoirs of an American woman and her correspondence with a London rare book dealer who tries to supply her needs for good quality, cheap, and hard-to-find titles.
Queenan, Joe. One for the Books
Memories from a major book collector and discerning reader who has at least 15 books being read at a time. Fantastic references to quality reads as well as criticisms of popular and classic titles. (Previously reviewed here.)
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