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spinstah's review against another edition
4.0
I read this in a day -- it's a nice little story about a young woman who moves to NYC and finds work in a used bookstore. She promptly gets talked into helping the manager with a clandestine purchase, and manages to share bits & pieces of the information with various members of the staff.
I really liked the story, but was sometimes annoyed by how naive the protagonist is -- but that just served to remind the reader that she's an 18-year-old from Tasmania, who has really never been exposed to the world. So while that was at times frustrating, I think it worked well -- it kept things more interesting. And really, half the story wouldn't have occurred if she was more mature and sophisticated when the story occurs.
Overall, an interesting read -- especially for anyone in the book world. And it's a fast-moving story, too; I finished it in a day.
I really liked the story, but was sometimes annoyed by how naive the protagonist is -- but that just served to remind the reader that she's an 18-year-old from Tasmania, who has really never been exposed to the world. So while that was at times frustrating, I think it worked well -- it kept things more interesting. And really, half the story wouldn't have occurred if she was more mature and sophisticated when the story occurs.
Overall, an interesting read -- especially for anyone in the book world. And it's a fast-moving story, too; I finished it in a day.
k80bowman's review against another edition
2.0
This book was ok. I picked it up because it takes place in one of my favorite environments: a bookstore. It sounded like an interesting story: young woman in a strange place; literary mystery. The story itself was pretty good, but the execution was a bit rough. I found myself having to go back at several points to figure out where certain plot twists had come from, and most times I couldn't figure it out. It wasn't a truly bad book, but definitely not a favorite.
aunt13soc1al's review against another edition
3.0
I have to say while it was a good read, it was somewhat slow and hard to stay involved in throughout. I'm not sure I would recommend it to anyone in particular and in a way that makes me sad. I much prefer a book that I will go out of my way to tell someone all about it so that they too will be interested in reading it. I do like that it is set in NY and it makes some very poignant statements about life in the city. My favorite quote from the book:
But habit had done its work, and the short distance had none of its former surprise; the city had now lost its fresh daylight distinction. Once you know your way about, that earlier experience of discovery can't be restored; a completely unknown New York was irretrievable. The dirty park appeared, almost indistinct from its urban surroundings under snow, part of the landscape now, not more than a reminder that it had served as my natural clock, marking the passing of seasons. . . Winter was harder than I imagined.
Towards the end of the book I found another bit that particular touched me:
Just when New York was a world of winter, I was reminded that seasons change, and spring, of all things, began to send out emissaries of what was to come. Each day lasted a little longer, and as a consequence I resumed my evening walks. Buds appeared on the shrubs of my dirty park, stuck to the branches like tiny brown nuts. The trapped plastic bags, ubiquitous to city trees, filled with warmer, snowless air, making them less melancholy than they had once appeared. Perhaps it was I who had changed, despite, or maybe because of, all that had happened.
I wish I could say the rest of the book was a great as those two passages, but sadly it is not. I find that the reasons these two bits in particular stuck out for me is that I have felt the newness of exploring the city and seeing new things with fresh eyes, only to find that after time goes on, it just becomes a background that you no longer stop and gaze around in wonder as you are going from place to place. But I do find that as with the seasons, things change and sometimes I am still surprised to find something, a building perhaps, that I have walked by many a time and never noticed until just then, or wandered through a park coming across a hidden treasure of sculpture that until that moment I had no knowledge of.
But habit had done its work, and the short distance had none of its former surprise; the city had now lost its fresh daylight distinction. Once you know your way about, that earlier experience of discovery can't be restored; a completely unknown New York was irretrievable. The dirty park appeared, almost indistinct from its urban surroundings under snow, part of the landscape now, not more than a reminder that it had served as my natural clock, marking the passing of seasons. . . Winter was harder than I imagined.
Towards the end of the book I found another bit that particular touched me:
Just when New York was a world of winter, I was reminded that seasons change, and spring, of all things, began to send out emissaries of what was to come. Each day lasted a little longer, and as a consequence I resumed my evening walks. Buds appeared on the shrubs of my dirty park, stuck to the branches like tiny brown nuts. The trapped plastic bags, ubiquitous to city trees, filled with warmer, snowless air, making them less melancholy than they had once appeared. Perhaps it was I who had changed, despite, or maybe because of, all that had happened.
I wish I could say the rest of the book was a great as those two passages, but sadly it is not. I find that the reasons these two bits in particular stuck out for me is that I have felt the newness of exploring the city and seeing new things with fresh eyes, only to find that after time goes on, it just becomes a background that you no longer stop and gaze around in wonder as you are going from place to place. But I do find that as with the seasons, things change and sometimes I am still surprised to find something, a building perhaps, that I have walked by many a time and never noticed until just then, or wandered through a park coming across a hidden treasure of sculpture that until that moment I had no knowledge of.
ldickol's review against another edition
2.0
The setting of a used bookstore was the part I was most interested in. The characters were pretty bland. Pearl the protective motherhen, singer, and kindest friend was the only character I'd want to share some wine with. Most of the characters were clearly used as plot devices. The book took itself pretty seriously in the search for MEANING, and I was hoping for a more whimsical novel.
bookgirl4ever's review against another edition
3.0
Very different book. Intriguing, quirky characters but I didn't like the direction the book went. Well written.
beth_diiorio's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this story...I am surprised it has received low ratings from other GoodReaders. I thought the characters and the "mystery" were great! Go figure...
bibliocat08's review against another edition
4.0
I didn't think I would enjoy this book but I thought it was a really interesting story. As someone who also works in a bookstore I could really relate to the characters.
constantreader314's review against another edition
1.0
I tried for a hundred pages to like this book and couldn't manage it so I stopped.