The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry: A Novel
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER BY THE AUTHOR OF TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING LUCY HALE & KUNAL NAYYAR "A fun, page-turning delight." --Minneapolis Star-Tribune "Funny, tender, and moving, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry reminds us all exactly why we read and why we love." --Library Journal (starred review) A. J. Fikry's life is not at all what he expected it to be. He lives alone, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. But when a mysterious package appears at the bookstore, its unexpected arrival gives Fikry the chance to make his life over--and see everything anew. "This novel has humor, romance, a touch of suspense, but most of all love--love of books and bookish people and, really, all of humanity in its imperfect glory." --Eowyn Ivey, author of The Snow Child "Marvelously optimistic about the future of books and bookstores and the people who love both."--The Washington Post "You won't want it to end." --Family Circle "A natural for book groups." --Richmond Times-Dispatch "A reader's paradise of the first order." --The Buffalo News "Captures the joy of connecting people and books . . . Irresistible." --Booklist "A wonderful, moving, endearing story of redemption and transformation that will sing in your heart for a very, very long time." --Garth Stein, author of The Art of Racing in the Rain "Readers who delighted in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, and Letters from Skye will be equally captivated by this novel." --Library Journal, starred review
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Community Reviews
I really liked this book. A lot. It helped provide greater literary vision, thoughtfulness, and vocabulary than I have had from other books. If you are a reader, I think youâd appreciate hearing all the different books and the the subtle relevance of them within the story. The storyline and plot were great and it felt different than other books. Highly recommended!
This was a really good story, definitely one of those types of books that is written for people who love being around books. There were a lot more plots and characters than I expected, and I think they all were given just enough time, but maybe could have had more? I wasn't as emotionally impacted by the emotional parts, but based on the tone of the book I'm not sure I was really supposed to be. The book felt more about the general ups, downs, and surprises of life in a way that I don't think was meant to be super heavy.
This was an enjoyable read about a young widower, A.J. Fikry, who finds new purpose in life when he adopts an abandoned toddler left in his Maine bookstore. The toddler's "provenance" will become part of the evolving backstory, and watching Fikry develop a wonderful relationship with her is sweet.
However, the author really lost points when she used one of the oldest and most cliched narrative devices as a dramatic turn toward the end of the book. It was a huge letdown.
Other missed opportunities and absurdly unrealistic things: A 2-year-old left in the dark in an unfamiliar place (the bookstore) would not be found calmly sitting there but screaming her head off. Maya, the toddler, was also given genius-level intelligence in terms of her vocabulary and math skills, not to mention a total lack of normal toddler behavior as she living among books. She didn't ever pull them off the shelf or cause other ruckus?
Maya also apparently had a black mother, but nothing is made of this during the story. As Maya grows up, wouldn't it have been normal for her to explore what that part of her lineage could be important?
Fikry's love of books and his old-fashioned curmudgeon-style is meant to be endearing, but I think Zevin could have done more to illustrate the impact of good books on people and their development. She does this well through the character of Inspector Lambiase, Fikry's best friend, but more was possible.
The acclaim this book received was far greater than it's real literary value, but it's fine for a quick weekend read.
However, the author really lost points when she used one of the oldest and most cliched narrative devices as a dramatic turn toward the end of the book. It was a huge letdown.
Other missed opportunities and absurdly unrealistic things: A 2-year-old left in the dark in an unfamiliar place (the bookstore) would not be found calmly sitting there but screaming her head off. Maya, the toddler, was also given genius-level intelligence in terms of her vocabulary and math skills, not to mention a total lack of normal toddler behavior as she living among books. She didn't ever pull them off the shelf or cause other ruckus?
Maya also apparently had a black mother, but nothing is made of this during the story. As Maya grows up, wouldn't it have been normal for her to explore what that part of her lineage could be important?
Fikry's love of books and his old-fashioned curmudgeon-style is meant to be endearing, but I think Zevin could have done more to illustrate the impact of good books on people and their development. She does this well through the character of Inspector Lambiase, Fikry's best friend, but more was possible.
The acclaim this book received was far greater than it's real literary value, but it's fine for a quick weekend read.
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