Parnassus on Wheels [Paperback]

Morley, Christopher (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 4, 2003

"I warn you," said the funny-looking little man with the red beard, "I'm here to sell this caravan of culture, and by the bones of Swinburne I think your brother's the man to buy it." Christopher Morley's unforgettably weird classic tale of adventure on a traveling bookstore called Parnassus, drawn by a steed called Pegasus. Not to be missed.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I wanted them all, even those I'd already read."
—Ron Rosenbaum, The New York Observer

"Small wonders."
—Time Out London

"[F]irst-rate…astutely selected and attractively packaged…indisputably great works."
—Adam Begley, The New York Observer

"I’ve always been haunted by Bartleby, the proto-slacker. But it’s the handsomely minimalist cover of the Melville House edition that gets me here, one of many in the small publisher’s fine 'Art of the Novella' series."
—The New Yorker

"The Art of the Novella series is sort of an anti-Kindle. What these singular, distinctive titles celebrate is book-ness. They're slim enough to be portable but showy enough to be conspicuously consumed—tiny little objects that demand to be loved for the commodities they are."
—KQED (NPR San Francisco)

"Some like it short, and if you're one of them, Melville House, an independent publisher based in Brooklyn, has a line of books for you... elegant-looking paperback editions ...a good read in a small package."
—The Wall Street Journal --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Publisher

“When you sell a man a book,” says Roger Mifflin, protagonist of these classic bookselling novels, “you don’t sell him just twelve ounces of paper and ink and glue — you sell him a whole new life.” The new life the itinerant bookman delivers to Helen McGill, the narrator of Parnassus on Wheels, provides the romantic comedy that drives the novel. Published in 1917, Morley’s Þrst love letter to the trafÞc in books remains a transporting entertainment. Its sequel, The Haunted Bookshop, Þnds Mifflin and McGill, now married, ensconced in Brooklyn. The novel’s rollicking plot provides ample doses of diversion, while allowing more room for Mifflin (and Morley) to expound on the intricacy of the bookseller’s art. Introductions by James Mustich, Jr. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 136 pages
• Publisher: Wildside Press (February 4, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1587155915
• ISBN-13: 978-1587155918
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,788,828 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Should delight any bibliophile, August 7, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Parnassus on Wheels (Paperback)

This is a delightful book written in the early 1900's. The story is light-hearted and sentimental by today's standards, but it is a joy to read. It accurately captures an earlier time of this century when much of the population was isolated, and travel by wagon was the norm. It is enjoyable also for the small details of daily life, such as the references to gas lamps and the types of food eaten then. Some of the references are dated, but the thoughts on books and bookselling are as timely as ever. In fact, the last order I received from Amazon contained a bookmark that had a quote from this very book! The book is apparently hard to obtain; I was lucky enough to find it in our city library. And the best news is that the sequel, The Haunted Bookshop, is much better than this volume. So if you aren't totally captivated by Parnassus on Wheels, but like it somewhat, don't pass up the sequel.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For booklovers and romantics, August 22, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Parnassus on Wheels (Paperback)

Do you love books and learning? Do you delight in spending the afternoon browsing the stacks at the library? Are you in the mood for something light, amusing, captivating, and utterly delightful? Do you believe in true love, somehow, someway? If you said yes to most of these questions, then read Parnassus on Wheels. This is the most delightful and charming book I've come across in years. It brought tears to my eyes and made me laugh, and that doesn't happen often when I'm reading a book. In fact, I wish I had my own Parnassus and that I could travel the countryside selling books.

By the way, it's a page turner too! A great gift idea for a friend that loves to read. Enjoy.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A charming (and quick) read, March 12, 2001

By 

audrey (white mtns) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Parnassus on Wheels (Paperback)

Christopher Morley's protagonist and narrator, a self-described forty-ish fat New England housewife, finds passion and adventure when Roger Mifflin, an itinerant bookseller, enters her life.

Originally published in 1917, the book reads quickly and leaves one satisfied. It is a charming portrait of a bygone era, and yet it captures those things which are eternal -- the love of learning, the power of human feeling, and the irresistible bond of kindred spirits.