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catie_m's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Minor: Animal death
There’s an animal death that lasts about 2 pages. Not ideal for animal lovers or those with vivid imagination.mariavdl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Animal death, Abandonment, Sexual content, Terminal illness, and Grief
Minor: Infidelity
oliii_24's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is about a man looking for himself after trying to erase himself for 25 years. He ends up finding others along the way (people, cats and book related things). A book about grief and how it can be felt individually or collectively, about not letting life be static and opening up to others and yourself.
But if you don’t like SAD books just skip this one
Graphic: Animal death and Grief
Moderate: Cancer, Death, and Sexual content
starshine1's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Terminal illness, and Grief
Minor: Animal death
amykwrites's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.75
Graphic: Animal death
macaronsandmermaids's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Animal death, and Cancer
kelly_e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Author: Nina George
Translator: Simon Pare
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 2.25
Pub Date: April 26 2013
T H R E E • W O R D S
Disappointing • Charming • Slow
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Jean Predu isn't just a bookseller; he considers himself the literary apothecary, prescribing books to those facing hardships. And yet he can't seem to help himself, still haunted by the disappearance of his one great love. In fact, all he has left is a letter, which he has never opened. When he does, he embarks on a voyage abroad with floating bookstore to find out the end of the story.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I thought I was going to love this book - the book blurb sounded like the perfect read for an introverted and anxiety riddled woman who has often found comfort in books. Unfortunately the literary apothecary aspect plays only a minor plot point here. The concept was great but the execution was poor and I didn't love it like I wanted to. In fact the middle seemed to drag and I found myself easily bored, I ended up having to tandem read with the audio in order to finish it. There is no denying the beautiful prose throughout, I just think this would have been a much better book if it had gone in a completely different direction. Keep in mind this is a book in translation so it's quite possible some of the magic was lost along the way.
It didn't work for me, but if contemporary romance is your cup of tea than you should probably see for yourself.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• contemporary romance readers
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"'I became myself when my son died,' he said falteringly, 'because grief showed me what's important in life. That's what grief does. In the beginning it's always there. You wake up and it's there. It's with you all day, everywhere you go. It's with you in the evening; it won't leave you alone at night. It grabs you by the throat and shakes you. But it keep you warm. One day it might go, but not forever. It drops by from time to time. And then, eventually ... all of a sudden I knew what was important - grief showed me. Love is important. Good food. And standing tall and not saying yes when you should say no.'"
"Death doesn't matter. We will always remain what we were to one another."
Graphic: Animal death and Infidelity
Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Grief, and Sexual content
Minor: Suicide
replaceblue's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
There are some things in the book I wasn't fond of, however. Pretty much every woman in the story winds up hot for one of our male characters, even if they just met. Jean is probably the biggest offender of this, being our main character.
There's some kind of polyamory, sort of, kind of. It's not my place to talk about portrayals of polyamory, but it was nice to see a relationship where one of the partners involved knows and consents to their partner having other relationships. It winds up falling on monogamous ways of thinking
I also feel like the chapter with
Graphic: Animal death and Cancer
Moderate: Sexual content
Animal death: Chapt 26 basically revolves around it. It's not brought up again after. Cancer: