The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry: A Novel

"Funny, tender, and moving, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry reminds us all exactly why we read and why we love."*
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
"A fun, page-turning delight." --Minneapolis Star Tribune
"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
And I apologize in advance for this meandering review.
I typically hate to give spoilers, but since this is a much older book, and I can’t think of how to review it without spoilers, I’ll be including hints to major spoilers, without coming out and saying what it is specifically. If you haven’t read the book, and don’t want to be spoiled, stop reading now!
I knew this one would have an element of sadness, but I went into it thinking the main characters would be safe since our leading man has already suffered a deep loss. I’m not a reader who requires a happy ending to all my books, but in this case it didn’t feel organic to the story. It wasn’t even an overly emotional ending for me—I shed no tears—but I just wasn’t satisfied with how this one wrapped up.
Now, I’m bummed that I’m not as excited to watch the film. I even wouldn’t mind if they gave it a different ending—which goes against my typical feelings about book adaptations. But I’ll still probably watch it because I do love the actress Lucy Hale who’s playing Amelia. Although she’s nothing like the character is described—tall and blonde, A.J. comparing Amelia to Courtney Love.
But overall, I adored the story, the delivery, and the characters. It may be stereotypical-grumpy-bookstore-owner-meets-quirky-bookseller, but I loved it. Until the ending, at least. I also adored A.J.’s “unexpected package”, a.k.a. the Maya storyline. While it might have also been formulaic, it was executed well, bringing joy and levity to the tale.
I found The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry to be a warm, bookish, cozy read, but with sad elements disguised in humor. Much of it is set in autumn, however, which was a nice coincidence, making this one an unexpected seasonal read. While I wasn’t a fan of the ending, I feel like maybe it will at least be memorable.
Thank you to Algonquin and Netgalley for a complementary copy.
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