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The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry
by Zevin, Gabrielle
- Used
- Fine
- Paperback
- first
- Condition
- Fine
- ISBN 10
- 0143191276
- ISBN 13
- 9780143191278
- Seller
-
New Port Richey, Florida, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Penguin Book, 2014. First Paperback . Trade Paperback. Fine. Larger softcover, glossy wrappers with colorful illustration of man and child under the stars on front wrapper, praise from Washington Post, back wrapper in shades of blue with praise from The Globe & Mail, 260 pages. Near Very Fine.
Reviews
On Aug 9 2014, CloggieDownunder said:
The Collected Works of A.J.Fikry (aka The Storied Life of A.J.Fikry) is the fifth stand-alone novel by American author, Gabrielle Zevin. Alice Island, a New England summer destination requiring bus and ferry travel, boasts a main street book store. Island Books is owned by recent widower, A.J.Fikry, an opinionated, often cranky man in his late thirties with a (self-described) porcupine heart. Since the unfortunate accidental death of his beloved wife, his plan has been to drink himself to death and drive his business to ruin. This plan is derailed by three occurrences: thirty-six-year-old sales representative for Knightley Press, Amelia Loman makes her first visit to Island Books to present the publisher’s Winter List (and is treated rather shabbily by A.J.); A.J.’s escape valve, a rare and valuable edition of Tamerlane, a collection of poems by Edgar Allan Poe, is stolen; and a bright two-year-old girl named Maya is left in his bookstore. Against all odds, A.J. finds himself (with frequent help from Google and occasional input from the Island’s residents) bringing up a young girl. Zevin has given the reader characters who are appealing despite their flaws, or perhaps because of them. The story has an element of mystery and the plot has a few unexpected twists. Each chapter is prefaced with a paragraph of A.J.’s comments for Maya about a certain literary work: advice for writing and advice for life. It contains many words of wisdom, making it, as others have said, a very quotable book: “Sometimes books don’t find us until the right time” and “We are not quite novels. We are not quite short stories. In the end, we are collected works” will resonate with many readers. This book is filled with lightness and dark, with laugh-out-loud moments and lines that will have the most cynical reader choking up. It is a book for anyone who loves to read or loves book stores, and lovers of fine literature will be especially captivated. This delightful read is one of those books that is almost impossible to put down and most readers will be sorry to reach the end. A keeper.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Callaghan Books South
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 55258
- Title
- The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry
- Author
- Zevin, Gabrielle
- Format/Binding
- Trade Paperback
- Book Condition
- Used - Fine
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First Paperback
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN 10
- 0143191276
- ISBN 13
- 9780143191278
- Publisher
- Penguin Book
- Place of Publication
- Toronto
- Date Published
- 2014
- Keywords
- Fiction
Terms of Sale
Callaghan Books South
Books may be returned with 5 days for full refund--in same condition as sent.
About the Seller
Callaghan Books South
Biblio member since 2004
New Port Richey, Florida
About Callaghan Books South
An internet bookstore, we have added 20 books a day to our inventory for a total of more than 40,000, specializing in Poetry, Vietnam Conflict, Native American, Literary Criticism.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Wrappers
- The paper covering on the outside of a paperback. Also see the entry for pictorial wraps, color illustrated coverings for...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Trade Paperback
- Used to indicate any paperback book that is larger than a mass-market paperback and is often more similar in size to a hardcover...