Hi Readers,
I thought I'd write a short book review about this novel. I finished it late October, but because I don't want it to be stuck in between my Halloween count down posts, I thought I'd type my thoughts now and post it up in the first week or so of November. It took me awhile to get into reading Bookshop because its really not my kind of thing, but it is really well written and so easy to get into.
For me, though there wasn't enough grip from the plot and I didn't feel excited to find out how every thing was going to end. The story is set in France, mainly Paris, where the main character Jean owns a bookshop which is on a huge barge boat. He has this strange gift which allows him to fit a book to the mood or requirements of a customer. So, if you were feeling homesick or lonely, he'd have a book for that. I do like that idea.
Jean has been grieving for twenty odd years over the lost love of his life, who having left only a letter behind her, returned back home to her husband. Jean never opened her letter, until now and reading it helps to make him finally set off to find her. He makes some solid friends on the way - a young writer suddenly thrust into frame by his first bestselling book, an Italian dancer also looking for his lover and two cats. Together they form a good friendship group and learn to be honest with each other.
The side plot is that Jean is also on a quest to find the writer of his favorite novel. The work got him through the difficult times in his life and now he wants to try and thank the writer. And I won't spoil that for you nor anything else about the plot. As for the characters, I found them interesting and very reflective about their pasts and futures. There wasn't a great deal of tension between them and even at the end when Jean meets up with his lover's husband, where you'd expect there to be an explosion, was more of a flicker.
My other problem with this book was it's too slow pace and I get that maybe that was done to match the slow journey of the boat and some people will enjoy that, but for me I like action and fast things. I also got bored of the wonderful descriptions of France. There was a lot of time - it felt to me- give up to just the scenery and backgrounds. Normally, I do enjoy a lot of description and close details, but this time I got bored of all the flowers and countryside.
The book does have some interesting thoughts about wasting you life and trying to live to the full. I did like that message / theme and I can see how that would appeal to an older readership. It didn't move me enough to start looking at how I could life better though. I think the main reason why I actually finished this book was because I only had 150 pages to go and I brought another book I really want to read and that pushed me through the last quarter.
Overall, I can see some people really enjoying this and getting involved in Jean's journey. I think other people might not bee so keen on it due to the things I've pointed it. Saying that it is an easy and quick read, so it can be worth having a look at.
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