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Fiction. Literature. The irascible A. J. Fikry, owner of Island Books-the only bookstore on Alice Island-has already lost his wife. Now his most prized possession, a rare book, has been stolen from right under his nose in the most embarrassing of circumstances. The store itself, it seems, will be next to go.One night upon closing, he discovers a toddler in his children's section with a note from her mother pinned to her Elmo doll: "I want Maya to grow up in a place with books and among people who care about such kinds of things. I love her very much, but I can no longer take care of her." A search for Maya's mother, A. J.'s rare book, and good childcare advice ensues, but it doesn't take long for the locals to notice the transformation of both bookstore and owner, something of particular interest to the lovely yet eccentric Knightley Press sales rep, Amelia Loman, who makes the arduous journey to Alice Island thrice each year to pitch her books to the cranky owner.… (more)
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A.J. Fikry is a man in his late 30s who lost his beloved wife to an accident and is unmoored. His bookstore, on Alice Island off the coast of Massachusetts, is failing, and a bottle is his nightly companion, as he longs for oblivion. He's a grumpy, opinionated reader, and lays into poor new sales rep Amelia, when she tries to get him to carry books she loves from the Knightley Press catalog. “I do not like postmodernism, postapocalyptic settings, postmortem narrators, or magic realism. I rarely respond to supposedly clever formal devices, multiple fonts, pictures where they shouldn’t be — basically gimmicks of any kind. . . . I do not like genre mash-ups à la the literary detective novel or the literary fantasy. Literary should be literary, and genre should be genre, and crossbreeding rarely results in anything satisfying. I do not like children’s books, especially ones with orphans, and I prefer not to clutter my shelves with young adult. I do not like anything over four hundred pages or under one hundred fifty pages. I am repulsed by ghostwritten novels by reality television stars, celebrity picture books, sports memoirs, movie tie-in editions, novelty items, and — I imagine this goes without saying — vampires.” Hmm, I wonder why his bookstore is failing?
All his self-destruction changes with two developments - a valuable book, that he was planning to sell to fund his retirement, is stolen from his apartment above the store, and a two year old girl is left for him with a note requesting that he raise her in the bookstore. As he does what he can to help the little girl, he finds himself pulled back into life and the community. Two year old Maya adores him, and blossoms into a lovely, precocious teenager with a yen to write. The police officer who first helps him, Lambaise, becomes a close friend and increasingly adventurous reader. Other characters struggle - self-absorbed Daniel Parrish's first book was a still-read bestseller, but his career has been on a downward trajectory ever since, and his wife Ismay (A.J.'s sister-in-law) is isolated, disenchanted and sad. Helping care for Maya brings some spark to her life, and appreciation for A.J. When A.J. finally reads one of the unlikely books Amelia the sales rep has recommended, his admiration for her grows.
Tragedy and death rise up in the book, but beneath it all pulses a love for life and books. Zevin is a successful young adult author (I liked her Elsewhere), and this is her second foray into adult literature. It's a fast-paced Valentine to the reading life, and the quirky people who love books so.
“People tell boring lies about politics, God, and love. You know everything you need to know about a person from the answer to the question, What is your favorite book?”
“He wants to laugh out loud or punch a wall. He feels drunk or at least carbonated. Insane. At first, he thinks this is happiness, but then he determines it's love. Fucking love, he thinks. What a bother. It's completely gotten in the way of his plan to drink himself to death, to drive his business to ruin. The most annoying thing about it is that once a person gives a shit about one thing, he finds he has to start giving a shit about everything.”
The problem: Would Social Services really agree to allow a mean, financially struggling widower to adopt a little girl just because the mother left the child in his store with a note saying she wanted her child to grow up loving books?
Another problem: Does having a child in one's life really make everything hunky-dory and entirely change one's personality and the reactions of everyone around them? (Ask any of the many divorced parents who thought having a baby would solve all their problems.)
I feel a bit like a curmudgeon myself pointing out these issues, but they did rather color my impression of the entire happy-happy-joy-joy novel. If you're up for a quick, fluffy feel-good read, this might be the book for you.
A.J. is the curmudgeonly owner of Island Books. The
A.J. has made himself into an island though. His wife has died and so has a part of A.J. He doesn't like people and he drinks too much. A valuable book that was to have funded his retirement has been stolen - and it wasn't insured. What does life have left to offer A.J.? What does A.J. have left to offer to the world? Not much it seems, until the day a unusual 'package' is left in the bookstore.....And so begins a new chapter of life for A.J. Fikry....
Now, I have no desire to spoil this book for potential readers, so suffice to say, there is romance, heartbreak, heartwarming, drama, humour and much, much more contained within the pages of A.J.'s life. I was completely caught up in Zevin's wonderful story and spent most of one Sunday on Alice Island.
Zevin has created such a wonderful cast of characters, each with a unique voice and their own story. A.J.'s wry comments and gruff attitude belie a gentle, caring soul. There is a wonderful cast of supporting characters as well. Best supporting goes to Police Chief Lambiese whose slow, easy manner hides an astute mind. I would love to attend the Chief's Choice book club. (with a focus on crime writers)
The literary references, the bookseller and publisher rep comments and the descriptions of the bookstore will fill any booklover or bookseller with delight. I wanted to live in the little apartment above Island Books and hang out in the store below. Definitely a recommended read, guaranteed to warm the heart and soul.
I had a quick listen to the audiobook version as well. Scott Brick (one of my favourites) is the reader and I thought his interpretation was spot on.
No mass market schlock, self-help or crappy cookbooks for him.
And what's more tragic than a youngish widower-bookstore owner who really loved his dead wife?
Trite, predictable, manipulative, superficial, simple.
Liberally sprinkled with names of authors and books throughout, shelf-notes-like personalised blurbs of well-known/loved books -- but this is window dressing. Talking about great books doesn't make it a great book. It only minimally alleviates the boredom.
Sorry. I feel guilty for dissing it.
We are not quite short stories.
In the end, we are collected works.”
A bittersweet story about a grumpy bookstore-owner. A. J. Fikry is a widower - he drinks too much and pushes people away. Then one day he finds a baby left in the bookstore with a note. In the note the
This is not only a story about Fikry - and the people in his life - but also about the many ways we interact with stories and how these collected stories shape our lives. As a booklover it’s hard not to love the many references to short stories and novels, old and new. Even if A. J. Fikry’s taste in books is eccentric to put it mildly.
In some places it reminded me of [A Man Called Ove] - not quite that good but still - deep pain and quirky humor goes hand in hand here.
Scott Brick does a very slow narration with a sadness in his tone. I thought it fitted well with the novel.
By the time I received my advance reading copy of The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, my interest had already been piqued. Yes, it seemed there was a degree of generated buzz; after all, the publisher's reps were pushing it pretty hard. But when it reached my hands, it seemed, a generated-to-genuine transition had occurred, so I decided to give it a try.
That The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is a book about an independent bookstore owner certainly didn't hurt its case with me.
A.J. Fikry is in his late thirties. He owns Island Books, a small independent bookstore ("No Man Is an Island; Every Book Is a World" reads the faded sign over the porch) located in a Martha's Vineyard-esque island community. A.J. seems a bitter loner, and in our first encounter with him, in which he does his best to alienate a new publisher's rep making her first seasonal visit to his store, he also comes across as a bit of an ass.
Soon after this visit, in rapid succession, A.J. loses a very valuable book (a first edition of Poe's Tamerlane, published in a run of only fifty copies) to theft and finds an abandoned baby, two events that, along with the death of his wife, which happens before the action of the book begins, will define, nay, transform the rest of his life.
A.J. Fikry enters our acquaintance as a book snob and a pedant, even in his most emotionally draining moments ("If this were Raymond Carver," he says to the cop who's taking his statement at the hospital after the death of his wife in a car accident, "you'd offer me some meager comfort and darkness would set in and all this would be over. But this...is feeling more like a novel to me after all. Emotionally, I mean. It will take me a while to get through it. Do you know?"). He has little patience for books that he's not interested in, but he has perfect memory for people's reading tastes, and, despite the snobbishness can make appropriate recommendations. And A.J. can--and does!--change and grow as a bookseller and as a reader. As a new father he finds himself becoming more a part of the community than he ever has been before, adding to his bookstore's inventory--he brings in books that local moms are interested in for their book clubs, he adds a kids section--and even reading books he never would have looked at before.
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is a book about love and loss and what we read. It's about community and family, and how the family we cobble together is just as important as the one we're biologically tied to.
And, finally, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is about bookstores. You know how important bookstores are, so I'll just leave you with A.J.'s thoughts after his mother gives everyone in the family an e-reader for Christmas (emphasis is mine):
"A.J. has reflected often reflected that, bit by bit, all the best things in the world are being carved away like fat from meat. First, it had been the record stores, and then the video stores, and then newspapers and magazines, and now even the big chain bookstores were disappearing everywhere you looked. From his point of view, the only thing worse than a world with big chain bookstores was a world with NO big chain bookstores. At least the big stores sell books and not pharmaceuticals or lumber! At least some of the people who work at those stores have degrees in English literature and know h ow to read and curate books for people! At least the big stores can sell ten thousand units of publisher's dreck so that Island gets to sell one hundred units of literary fiction!"
Could it have been a better book? Yes. Could it have been less predictable, edgier, more complex, demanded more of it's readers, certainly. If you are looking for a feel-good, easy to digest, book-themed book, the book that everyone will be reading on the beach, on the plane, for their book club; this is the book. You won't hate yourself for loving it, you will feel grateful that you spent a few hours on Alice Island, and you may find yourself rereading a few short stories afterwards....
I absolutely adored this book! I don't like to give too much of the story away in my reviews so I will not give away the details.
All I can say is that it is a story to be treasured, to be shared. You will want a copy of your own so you can read it time
It is a story you will want to share with other book lovers. You will even want to share it with others who don't read-in hopes that they too will become a book enthusiast.
It is a story that makes you proud to be a reader. This book made me want to open up my own bookstore and read as much as I can for as long as I am able!
This book was a beautiful story of love and loss, but so much more.
The characters were simply wonderful! Gabrielle Zevin is a master storyteller! You don't want to miss this one!
"Sometimes books don't find us until the right time"-A.J. Fikry
WHAT IS IT ABOUT?
Gabrielle Zevin’s lyrical and heartwarming novel “The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry” is set on fictional Alice Island off the shore of Massachusetts. The only bookstore on Alice Island, Island Books, is run by A.J. Fikry, a grumpy
THUMBS UP:
1) For book lovers.
If you love books and bookstores, there is a big chance that “The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry” will strike a chord with you because it is a story about books, bookstores and their ability to shape people’s lives. Plus, the book is full of memorable bookish quotes that will make you smile and nod in approval.
2) Heartwarming.
The story is somewhat predictable and rather lyrical yet so gripping and charming that I immediately fell in love with it. I am embarrassed to admit, but the book made me swallow quite a few lumps and even cry in public. But don’t get me wrong - the story is not THAT sad; I was often moved simply by its sweetness and coziness.
3) Hopeful.
Despite all the misfortunes that happen to characters, “The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry” makes you believe in good, and the ending leaves you feeling warm and happy inside.
4) Lovable characters.
Every single character in “The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry” is complex and realistic, with their unique strengths and weaknesses that make them easily relatable and simply charming.
5) Beautiful writing.
Zevin’s prose is beautifully lyrical and it flows effortlessly. It truly feels like every word is the right one in the right place. As a result, “The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry” is a relatively fast and light yet surprisingly fulfilling read.
COULD BE BETTER:
1) Literary references.
I am sure that I would appreciate the literary references in this book much more if I was more familiar with the original works but, unfortunately, my English literature background is quite limited. As a result, I wasn’t too impressed by title or author name dropping. However, I enjoyed A.J.’s brief summaries of and commentaries on relevant classical stories at the beginning of each chapter.
2) Narration.
Scott Brick’s narration is a little bit too melancholic and monotonic for my liking. Eventually, I got used to his style, which, in fact, suits the story pretty well, but at the beginning the audio version sounds slightly off-putting.
VERDICT: 4 out of 5
“The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry” by Gabrielle Zevin is a beautifully written, hopeful and heartwarming novel about book people, for book people. In addition to a gripping story, likable characters and tons of literary references, the book is loaded with memorable bookish quotes that every book lover would appreciate.
This is a totally delightful story of a curmudgeonly man who runs a bookstore on Alice Island. His wife was killed in a car accident and he has lost the zest of life. One day he enters his bookstore and finds a package marked for him. The contents of this package totally turns his life around. The characters in the book are real. I found myself really investing my emotions into their lives. Joy, sadness, loneliness, comfort. It's all there. I really hated to end my visit to Alice Island.
On the surface this novel doesn’t…do much, but I’m okay with that. Fikry’s character grows, sure. We get little life moments throughout, with a smattering of slightly larger ones, and they cumulate into, well, a storied life. There’s a come-full-circle-ness to it at the end that I think works well, and I really enjoyed how the small mysteries here and there come together in an interesting way. I don’t have too much to complain about here at all, beyond the ending veering a little too close to Sappytown, and if its intent is to be Literary Fiction, I think it tries a little too hard and therefore fails. But in that same vein, I kind of love that Fikry himself, who hates everything that’s not LF, would have very likely turned his nose up at the novel in which he’s the MC. And that’s delightfully fitting in a ton of ways.
The author does a marvelous job of creating a story that you want to hear. She makes many references to books and authors, both current and classic. I loved this! She is also great with weaving her story together flawlessly. While it is a magically told story, it is still very realistic. For a day, I found myself watching the lives of these very special people in this small Northeast town, and I am richer for it.
I recommend this book to all bibliophiles like myself and, frankly, anyone else as well. It is a beautifully crafted story that is perfect for young and old alike. I thank the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the chance to read and review this title.
Each chapter begins with a note about a short story, a note written by A.J. Each one gives a glimpse into the heart of A.J.: “My life is in these books . . . Read these and know my heart.” In many ways, the book is really about the influence of books, booksellers and bookstores on people’s lives: “People are attached to their bookstores . . . It matters who placed A Wrinkle in Time in your twelve-year-old daughter’s nail-bitten fingers or who sold you that Let’s Go travel guide to Hawaii or who insisted that your aunt with the very particular tastes would surely adore Cloud Atlas.”
The plot is simple and sometimes sad and sentimental, but the book is much more than its plot; it is an examination of life (“We are not quite novels. . . . We are not quite short stories. . . . In the end, we are collected works”) and the role of reading: “We read to know we’re not alone. We read because we are alone. We read and we are not alone.” Even books that are unsatisfactory serve a purpose: “We have to look inside many. We have to believe. We agree to be disappointed sometimes so that we can be exhilarated every now and again.” One of A.J.’s life lessons is an indirect allusion to E.M. Forster’s Howards End: “this is what the point of it all is. To connect . . . Only connect.” Not all of the observations of life are literary in nature, however: “She was pretty and smart, which makes her death a tragedy. She was poor and black, which means people say they saw it coming.”
The touches of humour are wonderful. Sometimes knowledge of literature is needed to appreciate the humour: “’The Fall of the House of Usher’ is a pretty good primer on what not to do with children.” At other times, a simple description is comic: “Though it’s just a gymnasium (the scent of balls of both varieties is still palpable) . . .” One episode is hilarious. An irate 82-year-old customer returns The Book Thief with its spine broken; she wants a refund: “’Yes, I read it. . . . I most certainly did read it. It kept me up all night, I was so angry with it. At this stage of my life, I would rather not be kept up all night. Nor do I wish to have my tears jerked at the rate at which this novel jerked them. The next time you recommend a book to me, I hope you’ll keep that in mind, Mr. Fikry.’”
This is a gentle yet intelligent read. In its literary focus, it is reminiscent of 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff and The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett. In its enchanting tone, it is reminiscent of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson. Unlike the unhappy customer in A.J.’s bookstore, readers of this novel will not be returning it for a refund; they will want to keep it in order to re-read it.
Note: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
What Hallmark boxes does this check? Count along
Having said, I don't want to leave the impression that this was formulaic and sloppy. Zevin's deft prose avoids cliche and there's nothing sloppy about her plotting. If you're paying attention, you'll enjoy the extent to which she's interacting with her readers throughout this, as she slyly plays with the same literary devices and tropes that Fikry discusses along the way. (In true Chekov's Gun fashion, you can be sure the copy of Poe's Tamarlane that is stolen at the beginning of the tale will turn up again by the end; and because Fikry despises books with no character development, that Fikry's character will develop over the course of this tale. Also enjoy the ample foreshadowing, symbolism, and situational irony.)
One thing I enjoyed about the book were the insights into bookselling, particularly from the perspective of an independent book store owner. Others, like myself, should enjoy the chance to wander among perilously-leaning stacks of galley proofs, deliberate over inventory selection, and endure the myriad discomforts of planning and hosting an author event. There are also lots of literary references here, but never fear: almost every book mentioned can be found on the life list of a reasonably literate book lover. Zevin's literary allusions are drawn from The Time Traveller's Woman and Moby Dick rather than Everything is Illuminated or Ulysses. Much like the background music track at a restaurant deliberately mixed to incorporate your favorite songs, this creates a comfortable and welcoming ambiance that invites the reader to relax, slow down, and enjoy the story as it unfolds.
In summary, while this may not be an intellectually demanding book, it's an enjoyable story with plenty of heart and a comforting dose of hope for all the lonely people out there.
A fun read, a little saccharin, but I loved the emphasis on reading and books. Each chapter starts with a review of one of AJ's favorite books.
8/10
S: 5/11/16 - F: 6/7/16 (28 Days)
Even with the occasional small misstep and a few slightly