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on July 24, 2016
I was pleasantly surprised by many turns in this novel. I actually didn't have any idea what the book was about when I started reading - and, at this point - having finished, I think I know what it's about but I'm unsure that I could really describe the "type" of book to anyone who asked. There's a line that stands out (not a direct quote) that says something like - each book hits you in a different way depending upon where you are in life when you read it. This book, although different from my life, still affected me emotionally... yet, not like it did my friend who recommended it. She was in tears at the end of the book. I did feel sad, but she has children and I do not. Maybe, because I am at a little different spot in life than she is, that is why the book was a little different for each of us. Still, it was an interesting read.
on January 10, 2017
A.J. is just a loveable curmudgeon. I found myself thinking "I've felt exactly like that before"., but I lacked the courage to express my feelings whereas this wasn't even a consideration for A..J. The story is very unlikely, I guess. when A.J. adopts an infant abandoned in his bookstore. The larger story is about adapting and changing one's life and finding that life improved and even enjoyable.. The love story with Amy is quirky but satisfying. One wouldn't expect these two "characters" to have the usual romance.. The author keeps A,J. authentic, allowing him to mellow a bit,without abandoning himself. That Maya is precocious is obvious. The twist at the end pulls everything together and explains some unanswered questions, and the author deals with death in a non-maudlin way
Several of the reviews I read compared this book to "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society", but I did not make that connection. Perhaps the tone of the two books is similar but they shared nothing else as far as I was concerned except both were a pleasure to read.
In reading I realized how many books I have neither read nor heard of.
Several of the reviews I read compared this book to "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society", but I did not make that connection. Perhaps the tone of the two books is similar but they shared nothing else as far as I was concerned except both were a pleasure to read.
In reading I realized how many books I have neither read nor heard of.
on February 4, 2015
A.J. Fikry is rudderless. Wife Nic has just died in an auto accident, his bookstore Island Books is barely keeping its nose above water. Life is pretty grim when in walks his new Knightly Publishing rep Amelia Loman with the list of winter books. He’s not welcoming, to put it mildly (grief and social niceties are usually at odds); rebuffed, Amelia leaves assuming she won’t be calling on Island Books again any time soon.
But before things get better, they get worse when A.J.’s prized possession, a first edition of Poe’s Tamerlane, is stolen. Then—a toddler is left on his doorstep with a note from her mother: “I want Maya to grow up to be a reader … I love her very much but I can no longer take care of her … I am desperate …” and quick as you can say “Silas Marner” A.J. is a dad. A bumbling, curmudgeonly, single dad who despises Elmo and has never changed a diaper.
And, yes, readers all—The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is a modern day Silas Marner. The references come fast and furious. Maya enters through an unlocked door. Both Marner and A.J. suffer from some sort of seizure disorder that leaves them, well, blank, for a few moments. Maya opens A.J. to the warm embrace of the Alice Island community and the love of a woman. While he lost his earthly treasure, he gained a more precious gift. Any more parallels and I’d need to insert [spoiler alert]—but then if you know Silas Marner, you know how the plot unfolds in A.J. Fikry.
Gabrielle Zevin’s novel is fast and fun and scattered with did-you-catch-‘em literary references. (A.J. goes on a date to a restaurant named Pequod, for instance) Each chapter begins with a short book review written by the store owner. The trials and tribulations of life in an independent bookstore were spot on from what I remember about my own book selling days. And, yes, friend, it was right up my alley.
[more at thisismysymphony.net]
But before things get better, they get worse when A.J.’s prized possession, a first edition of Poe’s Tamerlane, is stolen. Then—a toddler is left on his doorstep with a note from her mother: “I want Maya to grow up to be a reader … I love her very much but I can no longer take care of her … I am desperate …” and quick as you can say “Silas Marner” A.J. is a dad. A bumbling, curmudgeonly, single dad who despises Elmo and has never changed a diaper.
And, yes, readers all—The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is a modern day Silas Marner. The references come fast and furious. Maya enters through an unlocked door. Both Marner and A.J. suffer from some sort of seizure disorder that leaves them, well, blank, for a few moments. Maya opens A.J. to the warm embrace of the Alice Island community and the love of a woman. While he lost his earthly treasure, he gained a more precious gift. Any more parallels and I’d need to insert [spoiler alert]—but then if you know Silas Marner, you know how the plot unfolds in A.J. Fikry.
Gabrielle Zevin’s novel is fast and fun and scattered with did-you-catch-‘em literary references. (A.J. goes on a date to a restaurant named Pequod, for instance) Each chapter begins with a short book review written by the store owner. The trials and tribulations of life in an independent bookstore were spot on from what I remember about my own book selling days. And, yes, friend, it was right up my alley.
[more at thisismysymphony.net]
on June 27, 2016
At first Mr. Fikry is hard to understand and harder to like. That changes when he finds an infant on his door step and a note atttached to her. Despite his brusque manner, the child works a change in him and his life and community.
I don't want to go in to plot too much since I believe it's best to just read it, but I liked the back story that came out of how Fikry ended up with the child and why her Mother was gone. I also liked the consequences of the revelation and the effect that it had on the characters involved.
I thought this book to be very grounded. The characters were complex and developed along the way. The setting was perfect and the growth realistic without pandering. I also found this very charming.
The charm of the bookstore and the characters really pulled me in. I read this book far faster than I would've liked. This was a savory charming read.
Some of my book club group found it mediocre and that life doesn't happen like that. But I believe that life is very complex and unusual things happen every day. There were comments of the story not going anywhere, but this is a story of living and how a life was lived. Not everyone will be famous or well known or remembered by thousands, but there is still merit in that life and still lessons to be taught. There is still wonder and beauty and charm in the world and this tale shows that to you.
I don't want to go in to plot too much since I believe it's best to just read it, but I liked the back story that came out of how Fikry ended up with the child and why her Mother was gone. I also liked the consequences of the revelation and the effect that it had on the characters involved.
I thought this book to be very grounded. The characters were complex and developed along the way. The setting was perfect and the growth realistic without pandering. I also found this very charming.
The charm of the bookstore and the characters really pulled me in. I read this book far faster than I would've liked. This was a savory charming read.
Some of my book club group found it mediocre and that life doesn't happen like that. But I believe that life is very complex and unusual things happen every day. There were comments of the story not going anywhere, but this is a story of living and how a life was lived. Not everyone will be famous or well known or remembered by thousands, but there is still merit in that life and still lessons to be taught. There is still wonder and beauty and charm in the world and this tale shows that to you.
TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE VOICEon June 17, 2015
If you love reading, books, and bookstores, this is a novel that will grab your heart. Some reviewers have referred to it as 'simple' or 'easy' but I don't think that is necessarily a negative attribute. This is a book about heart and love and, thrown in for good measure, the world of books.
A.J. Fikry lives on Alice, an island just a ferry ride away from Hyannis on Cape Cod. He owns the only bookstore on the island but lately he's been more interested in drinking his life away than selling books. He is grieving the death of his wife who dies in a tragic car accident. She was the out-going one, the people person, and A. J. is a bit of a misanthrope who, left to his own devices, would live on frozen Indian food and alcohol. Amelia is a publishing house representative who visits Alice to sell the season's newest offerings. A.J. treats her poorly and she is not sure whether she will ever return to his store.
Hidden in A.J.'s safe is a copy of Poe's first book, something he inadvertently acquired at a farm sale. He knows that it is worth a fortune and he sees it as the key to a comfortable retirement. However, it is stolen, and instead of this ruining his life he is freed up for opportunities that he never imagined possible. He becomes showered with opportunities that I will not reveal in this review except to say that the story is gloriously rich in literary references, inter-connectedness, and love.
The novel has all the components of a fast read but it has a rare richness to savor over time. I finished the book with a smile and with a tear in my eye, wishing that it hadn't ended.
A.J. Fikry lives on Alice, an island just a ferry ride away from Hyannis on Cape Cod. He owns the only bookstore on the island but lately he's been more interested in drinking his life away than selling books. He is grieving the death of his wife who dies in a tragic car accident. She was the out-going one, the people person, and A. J. is a bit of a misanthrope who, left to his own devices, would live on frozen Indian food and alcohol. Amelia is a publishing house representative who visits Alice to sell the season's newest offerings. A.J. treats her poorly and she is not sure whether she will ever return to his store.
Hidden in A.J.'s safe is a copy of Poe's first book, something he inadvertently acquired at a farm sale. He knows that it is worth a fortune and he sees it as the key to a comfortable retirement. However, it is stolen, and instead of this ruining his life he is freed up for opportunities that he never imagined possible. He becomes showered with opportunities that I will not reveal in this review except to say that the story is gloriously rich in literary references, inter-connectedness, and love.
The novel has all the components of a fast read but it has a rare richness to savor over time. I finished the book with a smile and with a tear in my eye, wishing that it hadn't ended.
on February 21, 2016
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It is about ordinary people in ordinary lives. They could be my neighbors. Except here I get to see how they view life and grow in the process.
A particularly pleasant realization came in the days after finishing the book. I bought and read the book as 'light reading' material. But there was depth here, surprising because it was subtle and I didn't 'catch' it until the characters and their responses to the conditions of their lives kept coming back to my mind. It is definitely the poignant, but feel-good, story as advertised, but there something else, if you let your mind linger . . .
On the negative side, the character of the child in the story was not well developed. But the story is really about all the adults in orbit around her, so I tried to ignore that.
A particularly pleasant realization came in the days after finishing the book. I bought and read the book as 'light reading' material. But there was depth here, surprising because it was subtle and I didn't 'catch' it until the characters and their responses to the conditions of their lives kept coming back to my mind. It is definitely the poignant, but feel-good, story as advertised, but there something else, if you let your mind linger . . .
On the negative side, the character of the child in the story was not well developed. But the story is really about all the adults in orbit around her, so I tried to ignore that.
on April 30, 2017
The first few pages didn't grab me immediately, but once I got sucked into this story, I could not put it down. I fell in love with the island and the bookstore and the characters, even the peripheral characters , and when I saw I had 20% left (I know an e-reader, the shame), I already missed them. Great story telling and writing and character building. I'm so sad this one ended. But it was a beautiful and unconventional story.
on May 21, 2017
I read this on my first weekend after school ended. Once I don't have to deal with so many real people it is nice to encounter those who do not ask as much of me. Not that these characters were not interesting, but they were also not very challenging. I think the main characters in this book would have described it as tying itself up very neatly.
It is an enjoyable read and has inspired me to pick up some of the titles mentioned as well. This is an admirable quality in a book, to inspire more reading.
It is an enjoyable read and has inspired me to pick up some of the titles mentioned as well. This is an admirable quality in a book, to inspire more reading.
on July 21, 2016
I loved it. How cold a reader not love a book about a little girl (Maya) who grows up in a bookstore which is "the best place in the world". We should all be so lucky.
As it happens, the village in which the bookstore is placed is also "the best place in the world." There is, of course, a villain, but he is basically weak and without morals; a necessary part of the story that completes the arc.
Believable character development, character growth and plot, with lovely minutia. As you read, you will fall in love with the baby, Maya, and the bookstore owner, A.J.Fikry, both of whom are lovely, imperfect people - well, maybe Maya is perfect. She knows how big the bookstore is ("seven Mayas long and twelve Mayas wide") because "she once spent an afternoon measuring it by laying her body across the room. It is fortunate that it is not more than twenty Mayas long because that is as high as she could count on the day the measurements were taken." Don't worry about the tense shifts. Just read and enjoy.
The book reviews/summaries used as chapter beginnings/definition fit the story nicely.
Overall, a terrific read.
As it happens, the village in which the bookstore is placed is also "the best place in the world." There is, of course, a villain, but he is basically weak and without morals; a necessary part of the story that completes the arc.
Believable character development, character growth and plot, with lovely minutia. As you read, you will fall in love with the baby, Maya, and the bookstore owner, A.J.Fikry, both of whom are lovely, imperfect people - well, maybe Maya is perfect. She knows how big the bookstore is ("seven Mayas long and twelve Mayas wide") because "she once spent an afternoon measuring it by laying her body across the room. It is fortunate that it is not more than twenty Mayas long because that is as high as she could count on the day the measurements were taken." Don't worry about the tense shifts. Just read and enjoy.
The book reviews/summaries used as chapter beginnings/definition fit the story nicely.
Overall, a terrific read.
