Reviews

Raamatujalutaja by Carsten Henn

booknerd7820's review against another edition

5.0

It is a rare treat to discover a book like The Door-to-Door Bookstore. I essentially started and finished this book in one sitting on a family road trip.

Mr. Kolhoff is a bookshop employee who treasures his daily walks in the village where he delivers book orders to the village’s inhabitants, whom for various reasons, stay within the confines of their homes. One day, this “Book Walker” is accompanied by a precocious young girl named Schasha and turns his entire outlook on his customers upside down.

I absolutely adored the sweet and extremely relatable relationship between Mr. Kolhoff and Schasha. The addition of the quirky cast of characters the two of them interact with on their daily deliveries was delightful and kept me smiling as the pages turned. The plotline was short and concise - for me a perfect length that did not drag any one character’s story on for too long.

Recommended for lovers of cozy, book loving characters and Fredrik Bachman’s A Man Called Ove.

Thank you to NetGalley, Carsten Henn, and Hanover Square Press for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

codedreader's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

teaandlibri's review against another edition

2.0

I borrowed this as I saw it was available through my library and loved the idea. An elderly bookseller goes door to door with a job of delivering book recommendations. He loses his job but builds a relationship with a nine year old girl. Predictably, the girl becomes a bit of a sidekick to him and Schascha reminds Carl of the power of books and friendship when Carl's world is turned upside down.

I loved the idea but the book's execution was rather dull. I'm not sure if it was because this is a book in translation or because it's a fairly predictable story, but overall I just did not care. I really loved the idea but neither main character or supporting ones were interesting and the writing did not make for a compelling read.

This is probably a book that would adapt very well to a streaming or movie adaptation, though. Cast an unknown/young child, a grumpy-type older actor (Tommy Lee Jones-type?) with a host of character actors whose faces you know but names you can't remember and you likely have a charming indie-type hit that would make for a feel-good movie.

As several people said, this seems like a quick-read type of book. If you love books about books, intergenerational friendship, quirky characters, this might be a good book for you. I personally found this skippable but it might make for a really good vacation/beach type read.

Borrowed from the library and that was best for me.

prima's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny informative inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

verafey's review against another edition

emotional inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

The beginning was very slow and it took a little too long for me before a plot began to form. But the second half made up for the first half and I overall really enjoyed this book. Definitely a wholesome, heartwarming book with a happy ending.

taeli's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This was a lovely, heartwarming book about a man who delivers books, a little girl who joins him, and the impact they and the books make on the world around them.

oomaymayoo's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted reflective relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

miamoisnik's review

adventurous dark hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

riskapoetryayu's review against another edition

5.0

Kalo kalian menyukai cerita tentang buku atau toko buku yg penuh pesan moral, maka buku ini mungkin cocok buat kalian.

Diterjemahkan dari bahasa Jerman, buku ini mengisahkan seorang kakek tua bernama Carl Kollhoff, ia berusia tujuh puluhan yang bekerja sebagai pengantar buku di Toko Buku City Gate.

Kakek Carl memiliki rute tetap untuk pelanggan setianya yg memiliki masalah tersendiri dan tidak dapat meninggalkan rumah mereka untuk membeli buku, jadi Kakek Carl lah yg mengantarkan buku kepada mereka.

Kakek Carl sedikit introvert, dan ketika  gadis kecil bernama Schascha yang berusia sembilan tahun memasuki kehidupannya dan mulai menemaninya dalam setiap perjalanannya menuju pelanggannya, dunia Kakek Carl dan dunia orang-orang yang ia antarkan bukunya menjadi berbeda dan cerah. Schascha memberikan sudut pandang baru kepada mereka membuat dunia ini terasa lebih luas.

Buku ini merupakan cerita yg indah tentang kekuatan buku yg dapat memberi pandangan dan tujuan baru dalam hidup kita serta hubungan persahabatan yg dapat mengubah segalanya.

Aku sangat menyukai cerita dan perkembangan setiap karakternya. Aku juga menyukai bagaimana hubungan Kakek Carl dan Schascha terhubung meskipun ada sedikit hambatan dalam perjalanan mereka. Aku kagum dengan Kakek Carl yang sangat menyatu kepada buku-buku dan menghubungkannya dengan pembaca yang tepat.

Aku sarankan kepada kalian untuk membaca versi english nya daripada terjemahannya, karena bahasanya sedikit kaku dan kurang menurutku untuk versi terjemahannya. Tapi untuk isi ceritanya tetap bagus dan masih bisa dipahami.

swalk's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted reflective relaxing sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

A sweet and wholesome story of Karl, who takes pride in delivering books daily from the local bookstore where he works, to his customers. One day when on his rounds Karl makes friends with a small girl named Shasha, who refuses to stop following him. She and his customers soon become firm friends, as Shasha tries to solve all their problems in her own way.

A lovely little adventure of unlikely friendships and people helping each other in times of need. A comforting hug of a book.

The narrator had a nice gravely tone, which really lent itself to this heartwarming tale.