Reviews

The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald

jazose's review

reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

wintrovia's review against another edition

2.0

A fairly dull and uneventful sorry about a woman who opens a bookshop and the challenges she faces as a result. Perhaps I've fried my story reading brain for subtle and nuanced storytelling like this but I kept waiting for this book to get going and it never did.

book_concierge's review against another edition

3.0

Our book club discussion helped me appreciate it more, but I still don't really like the book. Perhaps the "humor" is just too British for me. It deals with courage in the face of small-mindedness. Maybe I can't appreciate a story without the "romantic" ending (romantic in the sense that "everything turns out well").

alannah_m's review against another edition

funny lighthearted sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

fluffy1st's review

reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

motherofladybirds's review against another edition

3.0

Read this for book club. I would never have picked it up so that is good. It was published in 1978 so it was showing the attitudes and customs of the time. A middle aged widow is thwarted by the social elite in her community in her aim to start a bookshop. Most people bow to the influence of Violet who runs the village. Poor Florence is basically hounded out and left even without the value of her property she is forced to leave in shame. A line talks about how it is exhilerating to leave a mark. Her ambition seemed reasonable although she had little research or knowledge of the industry. It was wet and miserable matching the fenland landscape. The writing was accomplished and witty.

mrs_bonaventure's review against another edition

4.0

Beautifully written, sweet and sour.

slicciardi's review against another edition

1.0

Would have put down if it wasn't so short. I found this boring and unentertaining.

nothingforpomegranted's review against another edition

sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

I expected to love this, but I just didn’t find myself enthralled with the characters or the story at any point. Florence Green decides to open a bookshop in Hardborough, England, despite the facts that no one seems particularly desirous of such a shop (in fact, some citizens are actively antagonistic) and that she herself seems to possess no real affinity for literature. Ultimately, the narrative just felt like I was reading about a grumpy town that had hit upon hard times and refused to embrace change or surprise. 

carly23r's review against another edition

3.0

Unfortunately the audio book narration annoyed me so much. Why do narrators put on childish voices for adult fiction??? Ugh.

The idea of this book was more interesting than the reading experience.