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Available
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Publication
The Modern Library (1925), Hardcover, 190 pages
Description
Classic Literature. Fiction. HTML: Parnassus on Wheels is a novel by Christopher Morley, published in 1917. The Parnassus of the title refers to the mountain that was the home of the Muses in Greek mythology. In the story, Roger Mifflin sells his traveling bookshop to Helen McGill, who tires of looking after Andrew, her ailing brother. Christopher Morley later continued the story of Roger Mifflin in his 1919 novel The Haunted Bookshop..
User reviews
LibraryThing member ElizabethChapman
I am astonished to see how many LibraryThingers have reviewed this book! It was totally unknown to me until recommended by a friend. This novel is perhaps the ultimate fantasy for anyone who loves books – leaving all the cares and frustrations of one’s daily life behind to have an adventure as
Parnassus on Wheels is a gentle tale of a woman getting on in years who decides to buy an itinerant bookshop and -- for once in her life -- stop worrying about getting a tasty meal on the table. Not being as well read as the characters in book, I had to look up Parnassus. In Greek mythology it is the mountain where the muses live. I’d argue the muses live in on in this wonderful little book.
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a traveling bookseller in a cozy, well-appointed wagon with all your needs at your fingertips and more books than you could ever read in a lifetime. And a companion who loves books every bit as much as you.Parnassus on Wheels is a gentle tale of a woman getting on in years who decides to buy an itinerant bookshop and -- for once in her life -- stop worrying about getting a tasty meal on the table. Not being as well read as the characters in book, I had to look up Parnassus. In Greek mythology it is the mountain where the muses live. I’d argue the muses live in on in this wonderful little book.
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LibraryThing member tututhefirst
Parnassus is a horsedrawn RV/Traveling bookstore. Its narrator is a 39 year old well-educated spinster, Helen McGill, who was once a schoolmarm/nanny but who is now wasting away on a farm tending the house and the pigs and the chickens for her starry -eyed brother who is a writer. Along comes Roger
I so enjoyed this story, and I'm so glad I have a copy to read and re-read. It takes less than 2 hours to read, and only 3 1/2 to listen to. If you haven't discovered this classic, do go get your hands on it.
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Mifflin, writer wannabe, owner of Parnassus, who says he wants to sell his road show to Helen's brother. The adventure begins when Helen says what amounts to "phooey on that - I'm buying it myself", leaves a "bye-bye, see you later" note to her brother, and sets off with Mr. Mifflin to learn the bookselling ropes.I so enjoyed this story, and I'm so glad I have a copy to read and re-read. It takes less than 2 hours to read, and only 3 1/2 to listen to. If you haven't discovered this classic, do go get your hands on it.
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LibraryThing member cbl_tn
Parnassus on Wheels is a little book with a big message. It illustrates the power of books and reading to change lives. Spinster Helen McGill seems content to keep house and cook for her brother, Andrew. However, after Andrew becomes a successful author, Helen resents the time he spends away from
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home and his neglect of his responsibilities for the farm. When a traveling book salesman shows up during one of Andrew's absences, Helen impulsively buys his stock and his traveling wagon, Parnassus. She feared that Andrew would buy it if she didn't, and that he would spend even more time away from the farm. As the Professor shares the secrets of book selling with Helen, it opens her mind to unrealized possibilities for her life. Through the book seller, Helen learns that contentment can't be found through dedication to physical labor alone. To live a balanced life, one must nurture the mind as well as the body. This book is short enough to read in one sitting, and it's well worth the time spent. Show Less
LibraryThing member ctpress
“When you sell a man a book you don’t sell him just twelve ounces of paper and ink and glue - you sell him a whole new life. Love and friendship and humor and ships at sea by night - there’s all heaven and earth in a book, a real book I mean.”
What a delightful little humorous gem. About a
This short novel is crammed with life wisdom - mostly delivered by the wonderful Roger Mifflin.
“Oh, silly woman! Leave your stove, your pots and pans and chores, even if only for one day! Come out and see the sun in the sky and the river in the distance!”
What a delightful little humorous gem. About a
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traveling book-salesman, Roger Mifflin, who sells his “business” - an old horse-driven carriage with a lot of books - to 39-year-old Helen McGill - she buys it on a whim partly because she’s tired of taking care of her older brother, Andrew. Off she goes on an adventure of her life - and why not some romance along the way?This short novel is crammed with life wisdom - mostly delivered by the wonderful Roger Mifflin.
“Oh, silly woman! Leave your stove, your pots and pans and chores, even if only for one day! Come out and see the sun in the sky and the river in the distance!”
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LibraryThing member cathyskye
Protagonist: middle-aged Helen McGill
Setting: New England around 1910
First Line: I wonder if there isn't a lot of bunkum in higher education?
"There are a few days when the world seems to hang still in a dreaming, sweet hush, at the very fulness of the fruit before the decline sets in. I have no
Such is the life of forty-year-old Helen McGill, a woman who began her working life as a governess. For the past several years, she's been on a New England farm, taking care of her brother, Andrew, who's become a successful writer. Andrew's begun to vex the pudding out of Helen. Now that he's famous, he thinks nothing of packing a bag and taking off for weeks at a time, leaving her all the work on the farm. Helen's had enough. The day Roger Mifflin appears, rolling up the drive in a homemade book wagon pulled by a fat old horse, she panics. Mifflin wants to get out of the book trade and return to Brooklyn to write his own book. From reading her brother Andrew's books, Mifflin feels that he is just the person that will buy his "Parnassus on Wheels". Helen agrees whole-heartedly. In fact, she can already see Andrew loading up the wagon and disappearing for months (instead of weeks) at a time. In a move to forestall Andrew, Helen buys the wagon, all the contents, the horse and the dog for $400--the money she's been saving to buy a Ford.
But something else grabs hold of Helen. She's never had a vacation. She's never even had a tiny little adventure. Thinking that it would serve Andrew right if she took off on her own jaunt, she packs a bag, climbs into Parnassus the wagon, and Mifflin takes her out on the road to show her how to survive in the traveling book trade.
In 1917, Morley, a lowly editor of the Doubleday, Page & Company of Long Island, was miffed because he was refused a raise. He started writing Parnassus on Wheels during spare moments. The book was accepted, and the print run of 1500 sold out. Nice, but not spectacular. What this 130-page book did was launch him into fame as a writer in the early twentieth century. I can see why. I think I had a smile plastered on my face the entire time I read this book. Morley has a cast of brilliant characters, especially Helen, and the autumn in New England setting was so well done that I felt as though I had my own seat on the book wagon. The illustrations were a perfect counterpoint to the text. Even though some of the terminology may confuse readers who aren't familiar with that era, they should still find it a delightful story. Give it a try--I seriously doubt that you'll be disappointed!
Setting: New England around 1910
First Line: I wonder if there isn't a lot of bunkum in higher education?
"There are a few days when the world seems to hang still in a dreaming, sweet hush, at the very fulness of the fruit before the decline sets in. I have no
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words (like Andrew) to describe it, but every autumn for years I have noticed it. I remember that sometimes at the farm I used to lean over the wood pile for a moment just before supper to watch those purple October sunsets. I would hear the sharp ting of Andrew's little typewriter bell as he was working in his study. And then I would try to swallow down within me the beauty and wistfulness of it all, and run back to mash the potatoes."Such is the life of forty-year-old Helen McGill, a woman who began her working life as a governess. For the past several years, she's been on a New England farm, taking care of her brother, Andrew, who's become a successful writer. Andrew's begun to vex the pudding out of Helen. Now that he's famous, he thinks nothing of packing a bag and taking off for weeks at a time, leaving her all the work on the farm. Helen's had enough. The day Roger Mifflin appears, rolling up the drive in a homemade book wagon pulled by a fat old horse, she panics. Mifflin wants to get out of the book trade and return to Brooklyn to write his own book. From reading her brother Andrew's books, Mifflin feels that he is just the person that will buy his "Parnassus on Wheels". Helen agrees whole-heartedly. In fact, she can already see Andrew loading up the wagon and disappearing for months (instead of weeks) at a time. In a move to forestall Andrew, Helen buys the wagon, all the contents, the horse and the dog for $400--the money she's been saving to buy a Ford.
But something else grabs hold of Helen. She's never had a vacation. She's never even had a tiny little adventure. Thinking that it would serve Andrew right if she took off on her own jaunt, she packs a bag, climbs into Parnassus the wagon, and Mifflin takes her out on the road to show her how to survive in the traveling book trade.
In 1917, Morley, a lowly editor of the Doubleday, Page & Company of Long Island, was miffed because he was refused a raise. He started writing Parnassus on Wheels during spare moments. The book was accepted, and the print run of 1500 sold out. Nice, but not spectacular. What this 130-page book did was launch him into fame as a writer in the early twentieth century. I can see why. I think I had a smile plastered on my face the entire time I read this book. Morley has a cast of brilliant characters, especially Helen, and the autumn in New England setting was so well done that I felt as though I had my own seat on the book wagon. The illustrations were a perfect counterpoint to the text. Even though some of the terminology may confuse readers who aren't familiar with that era, they should still find it a delightful story. Give it a try--I seriously doubt that you'll be disappointed!
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LibraryThing member riverwillow
A lovely little book, Helen is a beguiling character, seemingly straightforward but with a strong streak of romanticism running through her soul. And I just love the idea of the bookshop on wheels...
LibraryThing member Crazymamie
Published in 1917 and set in 1907, this book is simply delightful. Helen McGill and her brother Andrew had a dream of owning a farm together, and while Andrew seems perfectly satisfied with how things have turned out, Helen is not so sure. Andrew has become an author and spends most of his time
"I think reading a good book makes one modest. When you see the marvelous insight into human nature which a truly great book shows, it is bound to make you feel small - like looking at the Dipper on a clear night, or seeing the winter sunrise when you go out to collect the morning eggs. And anything that makes you feel small is mighty good for you."
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rambling and pursuing his own interests, while Helen is left to handle all the details of actually running the farm. When a traveling sales man shows up with a business proposition for Andrew, the thought of Andrew having one more adventure while she stays behind to mind the home front is too much for Helen. Why shouldn't she have an adventure of her own? By purchasing Roger Mifflin's traveling bookshop - Parnassus on Wheels - she can kill two birds with one stone. Determined to keep Andrew from buying Parnassus, and to indulge her own thirst for adventure, Helen buys the outfit from Mifflin with the understanding that they must set off immediately - before Andrew returns home. Mifflin agrees and decides to ride along for a day in order to teach Helen the ropes. The resulting story is not sophisticated or edgy, but it is fun and enjoyable. A lovely lighter read."I think reading a good book makes one modest. When you see the marvelous insight into human nature which a truly great book shows, it is bound to make you feel small - like looking at the Dipper on a clear night, or seeing the winter sunrise when you go out to collect the morning eggs. And anything that makes you feel small is mighty good for you."
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LibraryThing member Osbaldistone
A wonderful, short, simple tale. A good read for any booklover. You'll find yourself daydreaming of a time when you could have followed the Professor's lead and hit the road with a wagonload of books.
The book is set on the rural coastal area around NYC around the turn of the century, when books
I highly recommend the 1955 Doubleday edition with illustrations by Douglas Gorsline.
Morley wrote a sequel - "The Haunted Bookshop".
The book is set on the rural coastal area around NYC around the turn of the century, when books
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were still hard to come by away from the cities.I highly recommend the 1955 Doubleday edition with illustrations by Douglas Gorsline.
Morley wrote a sequel - "The Haunted Bookshop".
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LibraryThing member wunderkind
Some harmless fun. However, I don't know that Morley was a very good writer--even though the narrator is a middle-aged woman, the tone is very masculine and so I kept inadvertently picturing a sort of rural cross-dresser, which was both weird and distracting.
LibraryThing member Carmenere
#17 Parnassus on Wheels Christopher Morley
3 stars
A very sweet, old fashioned love story told by Miss Helen McGill a spinster living with and cooking for her brother Andrew at the New England farm. Life suddenly changes for Miss McGill once she meets Roger Mifflin, owner and propieter of Travelling
The sequel to Parnassus on Wheels is The Haunted Bookshop which continues Ms. McGill's and Mr. Mifflin's story. It is a romantic, thriller, mystery.
I hightly recommend both of them, although I favor The Haunted Bookshop
3 stars
A very sweet, old fashioned love story told by Miss Helen McGill a spinster living with and cooking for her brother Andrew at the New England farm. Life suddenly changes for Miss McGill once she meets Roger Mifflin, owner and propieter of Travelling
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Parnassus, a mobile book store. Much to Andrew's dismay Helen buys the Parnassus and her adventure begins.The sequel to Parnassus on Wheels is The Haunted Bookshop which continues Ms. McGill's and Mr. Mifflin's story. It is a romantic, thriller, mystery.
I hightly recommend both of them, although I favor The Haunted Bookshop
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LibraryThing member bragan
Helen McGill's brother has become a celebrated author, while she has been relegated to cooking all his meals and doing most of the work around their farmhouse as he spends more and more time away. Then, one day, a traveling bookseller arrives, hoping to sell his entire operation to her brother. On
It's a charming, good-hearted little story, one that's calculated to appeal to book-lovers, and, at novella-length, is exactly as long as it needs to be. It's also left me rather wistfully longing for a life spent wandering the countryside in a horse-drawn bookmobile.
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a whim, Helen buys it herself, and sets off on her own literary adventure.It's a charming, good-hearted little story, one that's calculated to appeal to book-lovers, and, at novella-length, is exactly as long as it needs to be. It's also left me rather wistfully longing for a life spent wandering the countryside in a horse-drawn bookmobile.
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LibraryThing member MusicMom41
This is a delightful story of an unmarried woman approaching the age of 40 who has spent most of her adult life keeping house for her brother who instead of staying home to tend the farm goes off on adventures which he turns into best selling books. One day, to prevent her brother from doing so,
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she buys a large horse and wagon full of books complete with a dog and starts off on an adventure of her own. This takes place in the early 20th century when such actions were unheard of for women and the ensuing contretemps are at times funny and quite delightful. I had very little idea of what this book was about and found myself charmed by the story and looking forward to the sequel, The Haunted Bookshop. Show Less
LibraryThing member datrappert
A sort of sequel to David Grayson's ADVENTURES IN CONTENTMENT, which I just reviewed, this book speaks up for the woman's side of things. Although the character names are different, the sister from the Grayson book is home alone one day when a traveling bookseller arrives, looking to sell
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Parnassus--an ingeniously designed wagon full of books--to her brother. To prevent that happening, which will inevitably lead to her spending the next few months totally ignored while the brother becomes obsessed with the old-fangled bookmobile, she buys it herself, leaves her brother a note, and heads out on the road with its former owner, Roger Mifflin, who is going to give her a few pointers before heading to Brooklyn, where he plans to write the book he has conceived of in his head for so many years. Their resulting encounters and misadventures with the people they meet along the way are quite memorable, as the sister gets her revenge on her brother--who naturally sets out in pursuit. As well as righting the shortcomings of Grayson's book with regards to its treatment of the sister, Morley, through his two main characters, has a lot to say about the importance of books. And since only a book lover is likely to be digging up this rather old story (available in the public domain), a receptive audience is assured. There isn't a lot of unpredictability here--you'll see the end coming early on--and it isn't a long book, but you'll enjoy your time with these traveling companions. There is a sequel, THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP, which I plan to read soon. Show Less
LibraryThing member dirving57
I have read Parnassus on Wheels many times, but for some reason never fully considered the word ‘parnassus’. Aware of the fact that Christopher Morley has reasons for naming things or people what he names them, I read some about Mount Parnassus in Greece, fabled to be the home of the Muses and
The main characters in the story, Roger Mifflin and Helen McGill, rescue each other from their respective routines, and they do so in the good company of the literature that they are purveying.
This is Morley’s first novel, and first time novelists are given to writing about what they know best. In Morley’s case, that is clearly literature. He is never heavy-handed or pompous about the authors that he mentions. Like Mifflin, he is not focused on selling these author’s works to the educated elite. Indeed, good books are for all people in equal measure. ‘Sell a man a book, utters Mifflin, and you sell him a whole new life’.
The Parnassus is also nicknamed the ‘caravan of culture’. This horse-drawn book wagon brings together the two main characters and they discover that they are each exactly what the other needs. But being of middle age, the idea that they love each other does not come quickly.
There are many instructive phrases about literature in the book, and more than one of these seems to be about this book. For example: ‘A good book needs to have something simple about it. And like Eve, it ought to come from somewhere near the third rib: there ought to be a heart beating in it. A story that’s all forehead doesn’t amount to much.’ Parnassus on Wheels is a wholesome, plain story, with interesting, likeable characters. It is simple insofar as simplicity is a virtue. I so much prefer the early 20th century sensibilities and language. Parnassus nurtured my bookish sensibilities and I expect it will do the same for other readers.
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reputed to be the seat of learning and the arts. The phrase ‘parnassus on wheels’ makes perfect sense in that light. The novel makes as its setting a horse-drawn cart full of books to be sold to those who need them.The main characters in the story, Roger Mifflin and Helen McGill, rescue each other from their respective routines, and they do so in the good company of the literature that they are purveying.
This is Morley’s first novel, and first time novelists are given to writing about what they know best. In Morley’s case, that is clearly literature. He is never heavy-handed or pompous about the authors that he mentions. Like Mifflin, he is not focused on selling these author’s works to the educated elite. Indeed, good books are for all people in equal measure. ‘Sell a man a book, utters Mifflin, and you sell him a whole new life’.
The Parnassus is also nicknamed the ‘caravan of culture’. This horse-drawn book wagon brings together the two main characters and they discover that they are each exactly what the other needs. But being of middle age, the idea that they love each other does not come quickly.
There are many instructive phrases about literature in the book, and more than one of these seems to be about this book. For example: ‘A good book needs to have something simple about it. And like Eve, it ought to come from somewhere near the third rib: there ought to be a heart beating in it. A story that’s all forehead doesn’t amount to much.’ Parnassus on Wheels is a wholesome, plain story, with interesting, likeable characters. It is simple insofar as simplicity is a virtue. I so much prefer the early 20th century sensibilities and language. Parnassus nurtured my bookish sensibilities and I expect it will do the same for other readers.
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LibraryThing member RandyMetcalfe
Helen McGill is the long-suffering sister of the “Sage of Redfield”, her brother Andrew. For more than 15 years Helen has kept house for Andrew at Sabine Farm. Andrew, however, is more interested in his literary pursuits than in farming and apparently he has the knack, for his first two
Christopher Morley’s writing is delightfully rustic and pacey. There is a humour here that borders on but does not partake of satire. It’s more like opera buffa. And just as fun.
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publications have made him famous. When Roger Mifflin arrives at the farm one morning with his horse-drawn travelling bookshop, the eponymous Parnassus on Wheels, looking to offer Andrew the chance of a lifetime, Helen is afraid that her unappreciative brother will abandon her and jump at the opportunity to purchase said Parnassus in order to go wandering about the countryside in the ongoing quest for material for his next book. Helen won’t have that. So she purchases the Parnassus herself and leaves her brother to his fate. Setting off with ‘Perfesser’ Mifflin, who has agreed to show her the rudiments of the trade, she is bound for adventure, literary and otherwise, or whatever else a nearly-forty, fat, housewife can find. Little does she suspect that what she will find is love.Christopher Morley’s writing is delightfully rustic and pacey. There is a humour here that borders on but does not partake of satire. It’s more like opera buffa. And just as fun.
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LibraryThing member BookAngel_a
Helen McGill’s brother is a famous author. While he goes on frequent long adventures to gain inspiration for his books, she is stuck at home cooking and baking and cleaning, and generally keeping things in shape for him.
Then one day Mr. Mifflin shows up at her door with a horse drawn Parnassus, a
Parnassus on Wheels is an account of Helen’s adventure, and her liberation. It is funny, and heartwarming, and a dream come true for lovers of books everywhere. Who wouldn’t want to live in a traveling library? Helen and Mr. Mifflin are both fascinating characters. This is a must read for those who love books!
Then one day Mr. Mifflin shows up at her door with a horse drawn Parnassus, a
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traveling book store. He says he wants to go back to Brooklyn to write a novel, and would her brother be interested in buying Parnassus? Helen knows that her brother would buy it in a heartbeat. But she’s sick of always being left behind. She deserves a vacation. So she buys Parnassus herself, and she and Mr. Mifflin set off on an adventure. He’s going to show her the ropes, and then leave for Brooklyn to write his book.Parnassus on Wheels is an account of Helen’s adventure, and her liberation. It is funny, and heartwarming, and a dream come true for lovers of books everywhere. Who wouldn’t want to live in a traveling library? Helen and Mr. Mifflin are both fascinating characters. This is a must read for those who love books!
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LibraryThing member saroz
This is a cheap and cheerful little tale about the beauty of reading and the personal agency that can come from literacy. As such, it can't help but feel a little didactic sometimes - in fact, in its strongest moments, Morley might as well be delivering a monologue about the power of books. The
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funny thing is how that basically runs counter to Morley's own assertion that the very best books have a lot of heart and very little "forehead"; this story is certainly very sweet, but it seems to have an intellectual, teachy motivation behind it that's a little hard to ignore. Worse, it makes it hard to make an emotional connection with the book. There are aspects of "Parnassus" - the unconventional buddy/romance pairing, the travelogue, the encounters with ordinary people on the road - that are reminiscent of movies 20 years later (most obviously, "It Happened One Night"); a 1930s comedy, however, even at its most screwball, would generally be more endearing. "Parnassus on Wheels" is a pleasant little read, but it doesn't really stick with you. Show Less
LibraryThing member Smiler69
This story, originally published in 1917 is a book-lover's delight. Narrated as a first person account, it tells of the wonderful adventure of Helen McGill, an unmarried woman in her late 30s who decides to take a break from the household duties that bind her to the farm she shares with her brother
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Andrew, a widely published author and a difficult man to live with. When a funny little salesman named Roger Mifflin shows up at their house one day with a horse and caravan filled with books, Helen sees a great opportunity. Roger has come to the McGill farm with the intention of selling his traveling bookstore—called Parnassus on Wheels—to Andrew, as he's read and admired his books and is certain that as a fellow book lover and adventurer, Andrew will jump on the occasion. But Helen surprises Roger when she declares she is willing to use up her savings and buy up the caravan for herself, and a deal is made which includes Mr. Mifflin showing her the ropes for a day before setting off to Brooklyn, where he plans to settle down and write a book of his own. A short and very satisfying read. Recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member Schmerguls
Vincent Starrett in 1955 compiled a list he called "Best Loved Books of the Twentieth Century." It lists 52 books, of which when I saw the book, in 1998, I had read 31 i then read this book, listed therein. It was published in 1917 and is such a "nice" book. It tells of Helen McGill, who buys from
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Roger Mifflin a van (pulled by a horse) stocked with books. There are adventures and Roger and Helen end up getting married. Sweet, old-fashioned, and fun to read. I read it in two hours.. Show Less
LibraryThing member lisalouhoo
Parnassus on Wheels is the story of Helen McGill, a nearly 40 year old woman, who lives with her brother on a farm, and keeps house for him. The balance of their calm existant is upset when her brother begins writing and publishing books, and seems to become obsessed with them; slacking off on the
This is a delightful little book. I don't know how I have missed reading it, or even knowing of it. I chanced on it at the library book sale for a quarter, and am so glad I did, else I might have gone my whole life never knowing of its existance. I would not call it a literary masterpiece, but I had a smile on my face while reading it, and I think that is a pretty good judge of a books merit.
Christopher Morley does not, however, pull off a woman narrator very well. It was very hard not to think of the person telling the story as a man, even with his frequent reference to self as a heavy, fat, large, spinster. This was overlookable, though, for the story was very fun, and the character of the professor (owner of Parnassus on wheels) extremely vibrant.
From the book: "'when you sell a man a book you don't sell him just twelve ounces of paper and ink and glue - you sell him a whole new life. Love and friendship and humour and ships at sea by night. - there's all heaven and earth in a book, a real book I mean. Jiminy! If I were the baker or the butcher or the broom huckster, people would run when I came by - just waiting for my stuff. And here I go with everlasting salvation - yes ma'am, salvation for their little stunted minds - and it's hard to make them see it."
Isn't it true that those who read seem to think of those who don't as having small minds. There seems to be a prejudice on both sides of the matter. As Christopher Morley points out through his character at the beginning of the book. Helen McGill opens up her story by saying, "I wonder if there isn't a lot of bunkum in higher education. I never found that people who were learned in logarithms and other kind of poetry were any quicker in washing dishes or darning socks...I've also seen lots of good, practical folks spoiled by too much fine print. Reading sonnets always gives me hiccups, too." Of course, Helen changes her views by the end of the story, but it is a good point. I certainly can't say that any 'book learning' I have acquired has helped me out much in the day to day mundane tasks, and reading does take me away from these things.
I don't believe that one point of view is right or wrong. And I don't believe that enjoying reading makes me in any way better than people who don't. I think the best we can hope for is to find someone who shares the same views. Someone who dosen't mind floor to celing books in the house, and the dishes left undone when an especially tantalizing book is calling.
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farmwork and leaving her to carry on alone for long periods of time. When a travelling booksalesman comes to try and sell his outfit to her brother, she goes to drastic and impulsive lengths to keep her brother from buying more books and leaving the farm again; and in so doing begins an adventure of her own.This is a delightful little book. I don't know how I have missed reading it, or even knowing of it. I chanced on it at the library book sale for a quarter, and am so glad I did, else I might have gone my whole life never knowing of its existance. I would not call it a literary masterpiece, but I had a smile on my face while reading it, and I think that is a pretty good judge of a books merit.
Christopher Morley does not, however, pull off a woman narrator very well. It was very hard not to think of the person telling the story as a man, even with his frequent reference to self as a heavy, fat, large, spinster. This was overlookable, though, for the story was very fun, and the character of the professor (owner of Parnassus on wheels) extremely vibrant.
From the book: "'when you sell a man a book you don't sell him just twelve ounces of paper and ink and glue - you sell him a whole new life. Love and friendship and humour and ships at sea by night. - there's all heaven and earth in a book, a real book I mean. Jiminy! If I were the baker or the butcher or the broom huckster, people would run when I came by - just waiting for my stuff. And here I go with everlasting salvation - yes ma'am, salvation for their little stunted minds - and it's hard to make them see it."
Isn't it true that those who read seem to think of those who don't as having small minds. There seems to be a prejudice on both sides of the matter. As Christopher Morley points out through his character at the beginning of the book. Helen McGill opens up her story by saying, "I wonder if there isn't a lot of bunkum in higher education. I never found that people who were learned in logarithms and other kind of poetry were any quicker in washing dishes or darning socks...I've also seen lots of good, practical folks spoiled by too much fine print. Reading sonnets always gives me hiccups, too." Of course, Helen changes her views by the end of the story, but it is a good point. I certainly can't say that any 'book learning' I have acquired has helped me out much in the day to day mundane tasks, and reading does take me away from these things.
I don't believe that one point of view is right or wrong. And I don't believe that enjoying reading makes me in any way better than people who don't. I think the best we can hope for is to find someone who shares the same views. Someone who dosen't mind floor to celing books in the house, and the dishes left undone when an especially tantalizing book is calling.
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LibraryThing member cornerhouse
Parnassus on Wheels tells the story of Helen McGill, sister and housekeeper to her farmer-writer brother who, in an effort to prevent him from buying a portable bookshop, buys it herself and proceeds to have several adventures, at the end of which she falls in love with the original proprietor of
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the Parnassus itself, marries him, and head to Brooklyn to settle down. Show Less
LibraryThing member the_awesome_opossum
Parnassus on Wheels is a novella about a sweet but prosaic rural woman who decides on a whim to buy a travelling book wagon. This is the first time she's really experienced freedom, and she thoroughly enjoys her liberties as she meets people on the road, and as her relationship to the previous
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owner (a spry man that affectionately nicknamed the Professor) deepens. Parnassus on Wheels is a nice read for an afternoon, but it only runs 150 pages and there's not either much action or much rumination. Show Less
LibraryThing member jopearson56
This was a purely delightful book. I read it while wiling away the day in the Dallas airport as flight after flight was postponed, then canceled. It's the story of a bookseller who travels New England with a wonderful book store on wheels, pulled by a horse. His dog Bock accompanies him. He has
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decided to sell of Parnassus (the wheeled store) and finds a likely buyer in a farm woman who keep house for her author brother -- a very demanding sort. On a whim, she decides to buy the cart, horse and dog thrown in. However, the seller doesn't abandon her: he decides to go along for awhile to show her the ropes. What a delightful pair and what fun adventures they have spreading enlightenment along their route. Show Less
LibraryThing member Esta1923
"Parnassus on Wheels," by Christopher Morley was a hit in 1917. My 1955 paperback edition is illustrated by Douglas Gorsline and has an introduction by John T. Winterich. (I have no idea when I bought it, and was surprised to find it on my bookcase recently.)
On a personal level: This was my
Helen McGill, housekeeper for her brother on a farm, is liberated when she impulsively buys a horse-drawn bookshop. The books, the wagon, the horse, the dog, AND Roger Mifflin, who sells them to her: all are fascinating.
Here's a book for all LTers. Find it at library, or buy it on-line, or look thru your holdings: if you are lucky you may have a copy too.
On a personal level: This was my
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mother's favorite book, but tho I recall seeing her copy (hardback/purple cover) I'm sure I did not read it. So it was a special pleasure to find how charming this tale of book-adventure is. Helen McGill, housekeeper for her brother on a farm, is liberated when she impulsively buys a horse-drawn bookshop. The books, the wagon, the horse, the dog, AND Roger Mifflin, who sells them to her: all are fascinating.
Here's a book for all LTers. Find it at library, or buy it on-line, or look thru your holdings: if you are lucky you may have a copy too.
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LibraryThing member thornton37814
What a delightful book! Helen McGill was saved from life as a governess by her brother Andrew who bought a farm. He's also a successful author who often goes on trips to research his books, leaving his sister alone to manage the farm. When Roger Mifflin shows up with his Parnassus of Books he hopes
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to sell Andrew, Helen buys it instead, leaving to embark on her bookselling adventure immediately. What an adventure it ends up being! This is a book lover's book! Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1917