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nglofile's review
3.0
Enjoyed the bookshop setting and the quirky characters, though the protagonist could be exasperating.
teekraenzchen's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
lukepadgett's review
3.0
It started out well. The first several chapters grip the reader. Very straight forward and interesting. It's all downhill from there. The narrative completely falters at the mid point of the novel descending into the narrator as a sexually insecure teenage girl. Her sexual hang-ups completely dominate the last 100 pages so I started out pleased and ended up unsatisfied (please...no pun intended). The frustrating part is Hay CAN write, despite her inappropriate adjectives. I only wish she knew how to tell a story. Not a recommendation needed and three stars is generous.
snowmaiden's review
reflective
slow-paced
- 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
3.0
When my husband asked me to describe this book to him, I said, "It's like one of those nurse books from the 60's, except for bookstores." Of course, he's not familiar with that genre, so I had to explain that they were simple books about a young nurse's daily duties and after-work amusements, meant to help teenage girls imagine life as an adult working woman. (Even though I came of age in the 80's, our high school library hadn't been updated in quite some time, so I read more than my share of them as a young teen. It was hard not to want to be a nurse after reading about the profession in such idealistic terms.) I guess I was reminded of those books because this one left me feeling that, more than anything, I'd love to get a job in New York's famous Strand bookstore (which is clearly the model for this book's fictional Arcade). I have no idea what it would actually be like to work there, but Hay, though her protagonist Rosemary, makes it seem an ideal and wonderful workplace.
So, as I was reading this book, part of me was dreaming of this hypothetical future where I live in New York and sell books to tweed-jacketed literary types, while the other part was looking backwards, reminiscing about my first days of professional librarianship. True, I was already 29 years old when I started my first library job, while our dear naïve Rosemary is a tender 18, but I feel in retrospect that I was every bit as wide-eyed as she is. (One of my first assignments at the library was to go around soliciting dues for the staff association. I think my boss thought it was the fastest way to introduce me to all the people of the library, but I was told later that I had managed to get money out of people who hadn't paid in years, simply because I hadn't yet learned to be afraid of any of them.) Rosemary is similarly guileless, quickly becoming friends with everyone at the bookstore, much to their surprise.
There is some silly business about a literary mystery involving Herman Melville, but this is nothing more than a macguffin to keep the story rolling along, and it doesn't amount to anything in the end. Don't read the book for this "mystery," or you'll be very disappointed. (But, on the other hand, if you aren’t interested in Herman Melville at all, this material will probably annoy and distract you.) Do read the book if you want some gentle fantasies about working in a bookstore where everyone is nice to you, even the people who normally aren't nice to anyone.
A couple of side notes
1. This book has a wonderful trans character named Pearl, definitely the best example of a supporting trans character I've ever read anywhere.
2. Many people have commented that they couldn't tell what year this book was set. If you read very carefully, you'll eventually discover that it's 1979.
So, as I was reading this book, part of me was dreaming of this hypothetical future where I live in New York and sell books to tweed-jacketed literary types, while the other part was looking backwards, reminiscing about my first days of professional librarianship. True, I was already 29 years old when I started my first library job, while our dear naïve Rosemary is a tender 18, but I feel in retrospect that I was every bit as wide-eyed as she is. (One of my first assignments at the library was to go around soliciting dues for the staff association. I think my boss thought it was the fastest way to introduce me to all the people of the library, but I was told later that I had managed to get money out of people who hadn't paid in years, simply because I hadn't yet learned to be afraid of any of them.) Rosemary is similarly guileless, quickly becoming friends with everyone at the bookstore, much to their surprise.
There is some silly business about a literary mystery involving Herman Melville, but this is nothing more than a macguffin to keep the story rolling along, and it doesn't amount to anything in the end. Don't read the book for this "mystery," or you'll be very disappointed. (But, on the other hand, if you aren’t interested in Herman Melville at all, this material will probably annoy and distract you.) Do read the book if you want some gentle fantasies about working in a bookstore where everyone is nice to you, even the people who normally aren't nice to anyone.
A couple of side notes
1. This book has a wonderful trans character named Pearl, definitely the best example of a supporting trans character I've ever read anywhere.
2. Many people have commented that they couldn't tell what year this book was set. If you read very carefully, you'll eventually discover that it's 1979.
ohynnek's review
This book was one of my random picks off the library shelf that I had not heard of or read any reviews of prior to picking it up. I probably picked it up originally because the cover art features the spines of old books. Upon reading the flyleaf, I discovered the book was about booksellers and collectors and was set in a used and rare bookstore in New York City - an irresistible combination! I did not like this book. the writing of the prose was overwrought and annoying. I found myself re-reading passages several times over to try and figure out what she was saying. The plot and the mystery at the book's core were interesting. There were several unbelievable moments and details in this book and several fairly icky moments. I would not recommend this book.
pinktulips2005's review
2.0
The book was very confusing, it was interesting at first but, I quickly lost interest.
vee615's review
1.0
This book was awful, I read it because I had seen it all over the place when it first came out. Literary mystery, not my usual thing but I decided to give it a try. I didn't like anything. The story was slow, the main character was ridiculous and not likeable. The author tries to attribute it to her sheltered childhood, but it just seemed unbelievable. Finally, all the characters seemed to be characterizations. Everybody was on one extreme or the other. No one was a relatable character, and the mystery was a let down. Save some time and don't bother.
juliepjones's review
I found this on the bargain book table at B&N. The jacket sounded interesting... I hope it proves so.
lazygal's review against another edition
3.0
Clearly set in a version of The Strand bookstore, Rosemary's journey from naive, sheltered Tasmanian childhood to a little savvier New Yorker is filled with quirky characters. Almost without question she accepts trans Pearl and the variously creepy men (Walter Geist, Arthur, Mr. Pike) that inhabit The Arcade, and there were times I wondered if that was real or if it was "older" Rosemary looking back at "younger" Rosemary. Had this just stayed with life in the bookshop and Rosemary's growing up the book would have been stronger. However... there's the Melville Mystery and it feels so very contrived.
Several readers have pointed out the author's MFA, which I also noted. Perhaps there was a need to make this more literary focused? It felt shoehorned in and unnecessary. It's not unbelievable that there might be theft of valuable materials from a rare books room, or that employees might have conflicts, but then we should have seen something different in the lead-up so that this didn't appear to have been written for a different book.
Several readers have pointed out the author's MFA, which I also noted. Perhaps there was a need to make this more literary focused? It felt shoehorned in and unnecessary. It's not unbelievable that there might be theft of valuable materials from a rare books room, or that employees might have conflicts, but then we should have seen something different in the lead-up so that this didn't appear to have been written for a different book.
tashaw's review against another edition
1.0
DNF at p. 110 -- how many times can one book use the word "antipodean"? How can one make moving to NYC and working in an enormous bookstore so slow-moving and boring?