A review by nglofile
The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
3.0
Exactly the kind of story that many will adore. Though perhaps a bit predictable and overly saccharine for my personal taste, it's easy to dilute any criticism with an acknowledgement of its charms.
I'll only add that for a book that is so transparently a love letter to bookselling, even to the point of pandering, it doesn't do justice to the real appeals of bookstores nor of reader interactions. Instead, it relies on speeches about chain stores and online vendors and overly simplified tirades against e-readers. Such a missed opportunity.
audiobook note: I wouldn't have thought Scott Brick would be a good match for this book, but that sorely underestimates him. His expert modulation of tone, pacing, and volume well handles the variances among the curmudgeonly, the sweet, the struggling, and the affectionate.
I'll only add that for a book that is so transparently a love letter to bookselling, even to the point of pandering, it doesn't do justice to the real appeals of bookstores nor of reader interactions. Instead, it relies on speeches about chain stores and online vendors and overly simplified tirades against e-readers. Such a missed opportunity.
audiobook note: I wouldn't have thought Scott Brick would be a good match for this book, but that sorely underestimates him. His expert modulation of tone, pacing, and volume well handles the variances among the curmudgeonly, the sweet, the struggling, and the affectionate.