A review by nothingforpomegranted
The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald

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.