I really wanted to love this novel, because the idea of a caring individual, like the protagonist, Jean Perdu, who cares about books, and prescribes them to folks like a pharmacist does drugs, via his traveling book ship, is both charming and moving. In another life time, I could see myself doing the same thing, as books are something I care a great deal about. I found the first part of the story deeply moving, and hoped this would turn out to be a literary bauble.
Alas, halfway through the book, Perdu and his friend, a writer named Max Jordan, do something I considered heartbreaking and unforgivable. From that point the story becomes a maudlin search for love lost, and love unrequited. I thought this part of the story went on a bit too much; maybe early teens would be gripped by it, but the first half touched me more.
Nina George writes well enough, but I did not care for this switch in the middle, and, after reading samples of her new work, I think it will pretty much follow the same course, So, thanks, but no thanks.
"The Little Book Shop In Paris" promised so much, and, in the end, delivered so little. If readers just want to read the first half, that is OK to me. You will know, at which point, to stop!
Allons-ons, mes petits enfants!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, I am not going to be reading it, so you can tell
ReplyDeleteme, what was the unforgivable thing??
Did you know this book has been translated into Twenty-Eight languages!!!
Perhaps that’s part of the problem?
ReplyDeleteVictoria,
The first half of the book establishes
an almost personified relationship between
lonely Jean Perdu and his ship stocked with
books, Lulu. Halfway through, he sells the
ship and books to someone else, and begins
this fruitless search for a deceased love.
I was heartbroken when he let the ship go.
And the love story that follows is no
"Wuthering Heights!"