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miajmu's review against another edition
2.0
I liked the first half of this book and I even mostly liked the secondary characters, but Esme was such an idiot and made such stupid choices that I kinda hated her. Perhaps if this book was just about The Bookstore and Esme was just one of the characters involved it would have been better.
flogigyahoo's review against another edition
4.0
This is a love song to books and New York. Esme Gardner, comes to NY from England to do her PhD in art history. The book opens when she realizes she is pregnant and the father is rich, spoiled, Mitchell who doesn't want the baby. To make ends meet Esme works at a used book store which apparently caters to eccentrics. Esme discusses love, books, art, photography and music. She also has opinions about circumcision, marriage, breast feeding among other topics. This is not the usual chick lit although some might class it so. I could not put it down. Does she stay with Mitchell? Does Mitchell want the baby? Does she get her PhD? This one is fun, especially her descriptions of NY.
ritab80's review against another edition
2.0
I liked parts of this book, but overall, I was annoyed by the main character. She was completely clueless throughout the entire book. I almost gave up 3/4 of the way through, but decided to finish it with the hope she would wake up. No such luck!
katheastman's review against another edition
4.0
I thought The Bookstore was a novel with real heart. It’s a love letter to books and the people who love and surround themselves with them; it’s about the family that we collect on our travels or that collects around us, no matter who it’s made up of; it’s about how a bookstore can be at the heart of life, the community it can form; it’s about human kindness; it’s about finding your people, your tribe, if you like, but it’s also about finding your own way in life. The one that’s right for you. And it’s a story that’s told with a great deal of humour and affection.
To read the full review, go to the Nut Press
To read the full review, go to the Nut Press
naturalistnatalie's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book even though it wasn't what I expected. I did feel a bit sorry for Esme. She got herself into a difficult situation with very little support. Mitchell was a total prick who was only happy when Esme did what he wanted. She wasn't allowed to have a life outside of him and the coming baby totally messed up his vision of life together. Esme loved Mitchell and wanted things to work out, but there were lines she wouldn't cross. He kept crossing them and deserved to be dumped. Of course, it's easier to say "He's bad for you - dump him!" when you're reading the story compared to living it.
Luckily, Esme was able to create a new family at The Owl. The owner of the bookstore cared about the people who came into his store and those who worked for him. There was the hint of a potential relationship between Esme and Luke, one of the other bookstore workers. Esme was friends with a female neighbor as well, so it wasn't all about what guy could help her out of her situation. She just couldn't stop going back to Mitchell when he wanted her, even though he was a terrible person.
Luckily, Esme was able to create a new family at The Owl. The owner of the bookstore cared about the people who came into his store and those who worked for him. There was the hint of a potential relationship between Esme and Luke, one of the other bookstore workers. Esme was friends with a female neighbor as well, so it wasn't all about what guy could help her out of her situation. She just couldn't stop going back to Mitchell when he wanted her, even though he was a terrible person.
runningreader's review against another edition
3.0
It was weird to read this feminine and charming book in a deer stand this weekend, but it was an enjoyable way to make time pass. I loved the descriptions of the bookstore, its employees, and its customers. The main character, Esme, is complicated, one of those academics with not a lot of common sense. I feel like I should have liked her less than I really did. In the end I still sympathized with her in a way. It's also interesting that the book has sex as another character, or at least a subplot. But the sex is dealt with in a curious way-it's acknowledged and is the catalyst of the story but there aren't gratuitous sex scenes. It's.....innocent.
mybookishdelights's review against another edition
Tried this out on Scribd. Read about 8% while sitting and waiting for my car to be done at the shop. Put it down and forgot about it completely. The thought of continuing to read it sounds like a chore, so I'm not going to finish it. The amount I read was just boring. The characters weren't interesting to me. Not even the description of the bookstore got me excited. I'm mainly putting this review on here so I don't pick it up again.
candidceillie's review against another edition
3.0
Impressionable and idealistic, Esme Garland is a young British woman who finds herself studying art history in New York. She loves her apartment and is passionate about the city and her boyfriend; her future couldn’t look brighter. Until she finds out that she’s pregnant.
Esme’s boyfriend, Mitchell van Leuven, is old-money rich, handsome, successful, and irretrievably damaged. When he dumps Esme—just before she tries to tell him about the baby—she resolves to manage alone. She will keep the child and her scholarship, while finding a part-time job to make ends meet. But that is easier said than done, especially on a student visa.
The Owl is a shabby, second-hand bookstore on the Upper West Side, an all-day, all-night haven for a colorful crew of characters: handsome and taciturn guitar player Luke; Chester, who hyperventilates at the mention of Lolita; George, the owner, who lives on protein shakes and idealism; and a motley company of the timeless, the tactless, and the homeless. The Owl becomes a nexus of good in a difficult world for Esme—but will it be enough to sustain her? Even when Mitchell, repentant and charming, comes back on the scene?
A rousing celebration of books, of the shops where they are sold, and of the people who work, read, and live in them, The Bookstore is also a story about emotional discovery, the complex choices we all face, and the accidental inspirations that make a life worth the reading.
This book was enjoyable and well-written, and as a debut novel, I think it will do really well. However, I had a hard time dealing with Esme and her inability to actually do what was best for herself and her baby. The bookstore characters were what made the story worthwhile for me - George, Luke, poor Dennis, even the really odd customers. I'm not sure how the bookstore made any money, but it was really enjoyable to read.
Mitchell was a total douchebag, and I'm still not sure exactly what Esme saw in him in the first place. His family was atrocious and it was fairly obvious that neither he nor his family didn't give a damn about her. Some of the lines he used on her, I couldn't believe. The ending was a good one, although the name choice for the baby left me wondering at how sensible she really was. It was also really abrupt, and I felt like there should have been at least a few more pages, which is what brought the rating down to a 3 for me. Otherwise it would have been a solid three and a half stars.
Esme’s boyfriend, Mitchell van Leuven, is old-money rich, handsome, successful, and irretrievably damaged. When he dumps Esme—just before she tries to tell him about the baby—she resolves to manage alone. She will keep the child and her scholarship, while finding a part-time job to make ends meet. But that is easier said than done, especially on a student visa.
The Owl is a shabby, second-hand bookstore on the Upper West Side, an all-day, all-night haven for a colorful crew of characters: handsome and taciturn guitar player Luke; Chester, who hyperventilates at the mention of Lolita; George, the owner, who lives on protein shakes and idealism; and a motley company of the timeless, the tactless, and the homeless. The Owl becomes a nexus of good in a difficult world for Esme—but will it be enough to sustain her? Even when Mitchell, repentant and charming, comes back on the scene?
A rousing celebration of books, of the shops where they are sold, and of the people who work, read, and live in them, The Bookstore is also a story about emotional discovery, the complex choices we all face, and the accidental inspirations that make a life worth the reading.
This book was enjoyable and well-written, and as a debut novel, I think it will do really well. However, I had a hard time dealing with Esme and her inability to actually do what was best for herself and her baby. The bookstore characters were what made the story worthwhile for me - George, Luke, poor Dennis, even the really odd customers. I'm not sure how the bookstore made any money, but it was really enjoyable to read.
Mitchell was a total douchebag, and I'm still not sure exactly what Esme saw in him in the first place. His family was atrocious and it was fairly obvious that neither he nor his family didn't give a damn about her. Some of the lines he used on her, I couldn't believe. The ending was a good one, although the name choice for the baby left me wondering at how sensible she really was. It was also really abrupt, and I felt like there should have been at least a few more pages, which is what brought the rating down to a 3 for me. Otherwise it would have been a solid three and a half stars.
bookworm247's review against another edition
5.0
I fell in love with this book at the very beginning. The characters seem like family now and the hardships they go through are very relatable. The writing of this novel is very simplistic which makes it a quick, yet amazing to me. I feel as though a part of this book will stay with me for years to come.