A book about books written for book-lovers, The Secret of Lost Things is a story of self-discovery through the written word. Rosemary Savage, newly orphaned in Tasmania and New York-bound, finds work at the Arcade Bookshop, an antique bookstore based on New York City’s Strand. Surrounded by odd coworkers and living in her own memories, Rosemary’s naiveté is strained as she grows into her new lifestyle.

Yet it is not her journey from Tasmania to America that is Rosemary’s gravest concern; she becomes involved on a quest for Herman Melville’s lost manuscript, Isle of the Cross, and the world of antiquarian books reveals itself as both dangerous and secretive.

The Secret of Lost Things is beautifully written, the settings and reflections viewed through a veil of antiquity and remembrance. Hay’s portrayal of the bookstore employee’s lifestyle is almost dreamlike, as if the characters themselves live in a world apart—a world of parchment paper and faded ink. The tortured characters of Walter Geist, the Arcade’s second-in-command, and Oscar, Rosemary’s love interest, are subtle and odd. Indeed, all the characters, from the inward looking Oscar, to Rosemary’s neighbors, to Rosemary herself, are quietly unusual—people who reside in older times and struggle with the present.

The story’s weaknesses are well-hidden in the magic of the Arcade and Rosemary’s foray into the illegal book world. There is a connection between Tasmania, New York, and Melville that, while felt by the reader intangibly, is not made manifest strongly enough in the text for some. Also, the characterization of George Pike, owner of the Arcade Bookshop, is weak and one-dimensional. Other characters, such as Walter Geist and Oscar are so delicately written that one might argue that they are not defined enough by motivation.

Nevertheless, The Secret of Lost Things is an enchanting read. The Melville manuscript plot is evenly paced and intricate, drawing Rosemary into curio collections and revealing new depths of Walter Geist’s character. Rosemary herself is a poignant vehicle for conflict between innocence and experience, history and present time, cleverness and naiveté.

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The Bottom Line: A solid read. Beautiful moments. Equal parts disturbing and dream-like. ( )

I love books and read books about books but this one was disappointing. It is a coming of age novel about 18 year old Rosemary whose mother died and her guardian urges her to go to America to find herself. So Rosemary leaves Tasmania and heads to New York. She gets a job at a bookstore with some quirky, actually many are downright creepy characters who at times seem more like caricatures. The plot took a long time to develop and while the part about a lost Melville manuscript was interesting I have never been a big fan of his. I was attracted to this book by the books on the cover and reading the dust jacket drew me in, however the book was not satisfying. Some mystery, some facts about antiquarian books, a bit of coming of age and nice prose at points but overall the book fell short. ( )

I think it was a really amazing book -- and it's the author's first! It follows an 18-year-old who moves to NYC from Tasmania after the death of her mother. She goes to work for an eccentric used bookstore and eventually gets wrapped up in a mystery surrounding a lost Herman Melville manuscript. I never read anything by Melville, but still enjoyed the story. ( )

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Hay's language is beautiful, though like others said, it is pretty advanced and a dictionary is definitely handy to have next to you. While I found her writing style lovely, I did find it incongruous for an 18-20 year old protagonist to speak in such a manner.
Now that I think of it, my rating for this novel may simply be because of the language. It was interesting, and I couldn't stop reading, but as others have mentioned the plot sort of ambled along without achieving or revealing any coherent point. I recommend the novel, but I think it is definitely one of those books that people will either like or dislike with little middle ground. ( )

I loved this book. I loved being able to be a voyeur in the quirky and fascinating world of the Arcade. It reminded me of a John Irving novel, with extraordinary, well-developed characters. I couldn't put the book down, but was sad when I finished it, always the mark of a good read. ( )