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The Bookman's Tale by Charlie Lovett
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The Bookman's Tale (edition 2013)

by Charlie Lovett

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
1,6449710,619 (3.73)53
After the death of his wife, Peter Byerly, a young antiquarian bookseller, relocates from the States to the English countryside, where he hopes to rediscover the joys of life through his passion for collecting and restoring rare books. But when he opens an eighteenth-century study on Shakespeare forgeries, he is shocked to find a Victorian portrait strikingly similar to his wife tumble out of its pages, and becomes obsessed with tracking down its origins. As he follows the trail back to the nineteenth century and then to Shakespeare's time, Peter learns the truth about his own past and unearths a book that might prove that Shakespeare was indeed the author of all his plays.… (more)
Member:gwalton
Title:The Bookman's Tale
Authors:Charlie Lovett
Info:Viking Adult (2013), Edition: 1st, Hardcover, 353 pages
Collections:Loan
Rating:
Tags:Novel

Work Information

The Bookman's Tale: A Novel of Obsession by Charlie Lovett

  1. 30
    People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks (VenusofUrbino)
    VenusofUrbino: Much better story for those interested in book conservation.
  2. 10
    Possession by A.S. Byatt (gharader)
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» See also 53 mentions

English (93)  Spanish (2)  Catalan (1)  All languages (96)
Showing 1-5 of 93 (next | show all)
EDIT: Dropped to 4 stars upon rereading in 2021.


This wonderful tale had so many of the things I like in a book...shifting perspectives, interwoven timelines, genealogical implications, a literary setting, an understated love story, and an imaginative yet plausible-enough imaginative storyline all told with (contented sigh) properly-composed sentences and a wide selection of well-employed words.

Not quite the mind-spa of Shadow of the Wind, but I'm still giving this a Five Star rating because it was such a joy to read after a string of disappointments. ( )
  Kim.Sasso | Aug 27, 2023 |
I can't remember much about this book, after all the years since I read it. ( )
  mykl-s | Aug 13, 2023 |
The Bookman's Tale by Charlie Lovett is a literary mystery with elements of intrigue and conspiracy. It is an extremely compelling narrative of one vintage bookseller's healing from the death of his beloved wife. The author, a former antiquarian bookshop owner himself, spins an engaging story that examines the impact of literature, the agony of dying, and the potential for redemption.

1995 at Hay-on-Wye, England. Peter Byerly is unsure of what brought him to a specific bookstore. He had been devastated by the loss of his cherished wife, Amanda, nine months ago. The young antiquarian bookseller moved to the English countryside from North Carolina in an effort to rekindle his love of collecting and restoring old books. Peter, though, is startled when a picture of Amanda jumps out of an eighteenth-century study of Shakespeare forgeries. Naturally, she isn't there. Clearly a Victorian work of art, the watercolor. However, the similarity is uncanny, and Peter gets fixated on discovering the image's history.

Peter communicates with Amanda's spirit, discovers the truth about his own past, and comes across a manuscript that might provide conclusive evidence that Shakespeare was the author of all of his plays as he follows the trail back first to the Victorian age and then to Shakespeare's time. Characters in Lovett's debut book are interesting, and the plot is intriguing. It is filled with everything, including romance, mystery, and book restoration. It was a pleasure to read and, since I love books about books, it is sure to have a place as one of my favorite reads. ( )
  jwhenderson | Jul 27, 2023 |
Nice, interesting mystery. ( )
  gahoward67 | Feb 27, 2023 |
A scholarly mystery; I enjoyed it quite a lot. ( )
  JudyGibson | Jan 26, 2023 |
Showing 1-5 of 93 (next | show all)
The Bookman’s Tale is told in a straightforward manner quite unlike the fanciful prose of Spaniard Ruiz Zafon or the clinical narrative of Brooks. Though his narrative wends through time, the words Mr. Lovett chooses are rather plainspoken, though not without their own melody. He projects heartfelt warmth that is lacking in both Ruiz Zafon’s or Brooks’ novels.
One aspect in which this novel struggles is with time jumps. The bibliophile who is careful and who can get past that small failing, however, is in for a treat.
 
"Although the discussion of the provenance of Shakespeare’s plays will appeal to bibliophiles, the frequent flashbacks to bygone days interrupt the narrative flow."
added by bookfitz | editPublishers Weekly (Apr 29, 2013)
 
"A pleasurably escapist trans-Atlantic mystery is intricately layered with plots, murders, feuds, romances, forgeries—and antiquarian book dealing."
added by bookfitz | editKirkus Reviews (Apr 15, 2013)
 

» Add other authors (2 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Lovett, Charlieprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
Wolff, Lutz-W.Übersetzersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed

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Epigraph
All that glisters is not gold.
— William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice
Things are seldom what they seem,
Skim milk masquerades as cream;
Highlows pass as patent leathers;
Jackdaws strut in peacock's feathers.
— Gilbert and Sullivan, H.M.S. Pinafore
Dedication
For my father, Bob Lovett
Who infected me with an incurable bibliomania.
First words
Hay-on-Wye, Wales, Wednesday, February 15. 1995

Wales could be cold in winter.
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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After the death of his wife, Peter Byerly, a young antiquarian bookseller, relocates from the States to the English countryside, where he hopes to rediscover the joys of life through his passion for collecting and restoring rare books. But when he opens an eighteenth-century study on Shakespeare forgeries, he is shocked to find a Victorian portrait strikingly similar to his wife tumble out of its pages, and becomes obsessed with tracking down its origins. As he follows the trail back to the nineteenth century and then to Shakespeare's time, Peter learns the truth about his own past and unearths a book that might prove that Shakespeare was indeed the author of all his plays.

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Book description
Guaranteed to capture the hearts of everyone who truly loves books, The Bookman’s Tale is a former bookseller’s sparkling novel and a delightful exploration of one of literature’s most tantalizing mysteries with echoes of Shadow of the Wind and A.S. Byatt's Possession.

Hay-on-Wye, 1995. Peter Byerly isn’t sure what drew him into this particular bookshop. Nine months earlier, the death of his beloved wife, Amanda, had left him shattered. The young antiquarian bookseller relocated from North Carolina to the English countryside, hoping to rediscover the joy he once took in collecting and restoring rare books. But upon opening an eighteenth-century study of Shakespeare forgeries, Peter is shocked when a portrait of Amanda tumbles out of its pages. Of course, it isn’t really her. The watercolor is clearly Victorian. Yet the resemblance is uncanny, and Peter becomes obsessed with learning the picture’s origins.

As he follows the trail back first to the Victorian era and then to Shakespeare’s time, Peter communes with Amanda’s spirit, learns the truth about his own past, and discovers a book that might definitively prove Shakespeare was, indeed, the author of all his plays.
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