Christopher Morley

The Haunted Bookshop Christopher Morley

This is a suspenseful novel set in Brooklyn around the time of the end of World War I. It continues the story of Roger Mifflin, the book seller in Parnassus on Wheels. It also details an adventure of Miss Titania Chapman and a young advertising man named Aubrey Gilbert. I very seldom give a book five stars, but this one deserves it. Although it did put me in a dilemma - on the one hand I wanted to read it quickly to find out what was going to happen, but on the other hand I wanted to read it slowly in order to savour the beautiful language and sly humour. I made a bargain with myself - read it fast, and then read it again. Something else I very seldom do. It took a few pages for me to get used to the writing style, which is quite unusual. But it is definitely worth the effort, as what unfolds in this story is almost like a fairy-tale, although grounded in solid Brooklyn reality. In fact, it is quite hard to characterise this book - it is written like a fable, but unfolds like a thriller, with a love story tagged on. Do yourself a favour and read this book!