The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry

If television networks produced books, this would have HALLMARK CHANNEL emblazoned across the title page. It's sweet, competently written, undemanding, and the end delivers all the happily ever after you could want or need after a hard week at work.

What Hallmark boxes does this check? Count along with me! It's got a grieving, lonely widower desperate for connection, a cute-meet with a book agent who comes to his island bookstore plugging her company's winter line of books, an adorable orphan who falls instantly in love with the curmudgeonly gent, a colorful best friend/wing man (the local police chief) who provides both support and comic relief, just the right number of "fish out of water" vignettes as Fikry - with the help of the show more internet - awkwardly learns how to father a child, a colorful community populated by engaging eccentrics, a witty, bookish flirtation, a misunderstanding, an unexpected upheaval, a reconciliation, a revelation having to do with a theft that occurs at the outset of the tale, and a wholly satisfying if bittersweet ending. Seriously, all this is missing is a dog.

Having said, I don't want to leave the impression that this was formulaic and sloppy. Zevin's deft prose avoids cliche and there's nothing sloppy about her plotting. If you're paying attention, you'll enjoy the extent to which she's interacting with her readers throughout this, as she slyly plays with the same literary devices and tropes that Fikry discusses along the way. (In true Chekov's Gun fashion, you can be sure the copy of Poe's Tamarlane that is stolen at the beginning of the tale will turn up again by the end; and because Fikry despises books with no character development, that Fikry's character will develop over the course of this tale. Also enjoy the ample foreshadowing, symbolism, and situational irony.)

One thing I enjoyed about the book were the insights into bookselling, particularly from the perspective of an independent book store owner. Others, like myself, should enjoy the chance to wander among perilously-leaning stacks of galley proofs, deliberate over inventory selection, and endure the myriad discomforts of planning and hosting an author event. There are also lots of literary references here, but never fear: almost every book mentioned can be found on the life list of a reasonably literate book lover. Zevin's literary allusions are drawn from The Time Traveller's Woman and Moby Dick rather than Everything is Illuminated or Ulysses. Much like the background music track at a restaurant deliberately mixed to incorporate your favorite songs, this creates a comfortable and welcoming ambiance that invites the reader to relax, slow down, and enjoy the story as it unfolds.

In summary, while this may not be an intellectually demanding book, it's an enjoyable story with plenty of heart and a comforting dose of hope for all the lonely people out there. show less

Few booklovers could resist this charming and quirky tale of a bookseller on a small island in the north east of America. A.J. Fikry is the surly and opinionated proprietor of Island Books, an independent bookstore he opened with his wife, who was killed in a tragic car accident, whose grieving is rudely interrupted when he wakes from a drinking binge to find a rare book stolen, and a toddler abandoned in his store.

I’m loathe to share too much, not wanting to risk spoiling the pleasure of reading this heart warming and poignant tale of a broken man rediscovering the pleasures of life and love for those yet to experience it. It is funny, moving and yes, sometimes saccharine, story which embraces quirky individuals, the comfort of show more community and the enjoyment of a good book.

A beautifully crafted novel about the power of love, and literature, to transform and redeem us, The Storied Life of A.J. Firky is a captivating read. show less

One of the blurbs on the back of this book says it best: ‘A reader’s paradise of the first order.’ That’s exactly what this book is. Literary heaven, at least for me. A book about books and bookshops and book people. I LOVED THIS BOOK. I loved it. And I loved how Gabrielle Zevin left so much to be wondered about but then was solved for the reader later on. All my questions about timing and storylines were answered, but not immediately. Not just once or twice, either. Many times, and I just loved that. I loved every character except for Daniel (obviously) and of course I loved AJ best. The ONLY flaw I noticed was the way Maya spoke, which felt unrealistic to all of her ages throughout the book but that can be forgiven when show more everything else about this book is so fantastic. show less

Summary: A widowed bookseller’s life changes when a rare book disappears and an orphaned child is left in his care.

Amelia Loman didn’t deserve this. She’s on her first sales calls, representing Knightly Press. She’s taken the ferry to Alice Island, where she has an appointment to meet the owner of Island Books, A. J. Fikry. He’s terribly rude and doesn’t appear to be interested in anything in her winter catalog. She even manages to knock over a pile of Advanced Reader Copies stacked in the hallway to his office. But all she can do is leave a book she has really liked in his office along with the winter catalog.

A. J. Fikry is not yet forty and a widower. His wife, Nic, with whom he started the bookstore on a resort island, show more had been killed in an auto accident. Since then, he’s been drinking and the store’s sales are slumping. His sister-in-law Ismay, married to a fading, once best-selling author, tries to help. She even took him to an estate sale where he found a rare copy of Edgar Allan Poe’s Tamerlane. He buys it for $5 but figures it is worth $400,000. It’s kind of an insurance policy.

The night of Amelia’s visit, he pulls out Tamerlane as he drinks himself into oblivion. When he wakes the next morning, the book has disappeared. But, in a strange turn, the officer, Lambiase, who takes the police report, becomes a regular visitor to the bookstore. Then he starts a popular book group for those who read detective fiction. Meanwhile, A.J. helps him broaden his reading interests.

While Lambiase was taking the police report, A. J. had a seizure, something that had occurred throughout his life. When a trip to the hospital reveals nothing wrong, except for his depression, the only recommendation is that he get exercise. One day, on returning from a run, he finds the door to his store, which he leaves unlocked, ajar. On investigating, he discovers a baby in the children’s section. With her, he finds a note introducing the baby as Maya and that the mother, who can’t care for her wants her to grow up in a place with books. With Ismay’s help, he figures out how to care for her, The next day, Maya’s mother’s body washes ashore.

Lambiase explains the realities of the foster system, and against all his instinct’s A.J. decides to fulfill the mother’s last wish. The town is abuzz. Then he adopts her, and gives her the middle name Tamerlane. She has become the most valuable thing in his life, an unexpected replacement for the missing book. And A.J.’s heart begins to open up as Maya blossoms into an amazing daughter.

Remember Amelia? She keeps calling and A. J. discovers he likes discussing books with her. He looks forward to her visits. And the wonder of it is that Amelia, who has had her own disappointments with men, finds herself drawn to this one. And she finds herself marrying the guy who had treated her so rudely on her first sales call.

Gabrielle Zevin writes a story of how tenderness, friendship, and love arise out of tragedy. And for booklovers, it all happens in a bookstore! Another bookish device are the “shelftalkers” that open each chapter, written as we later learn, for his daughter Maya, who loves books and writing beyond her mother’s hopes. This is the second Zevin novel I have read this year, and she is one of my “author finds” of the year. show less

The Collected Works of A. J. Fikry is a thoughtful and quietly moving novel about grief, renewal, and the enduring importance of books. Gabrielle Zevin’s restrained prose and gentle humor make A. J. Fikry’s emotional transformation feel genuine rather than sentimental. I found the novel both comforting and insightful, particularly in its affirmation of how literature and human connection can subtly but meaningfully change a life.

There is not much to say about this book. I loved everything about it except the cover which looks like it was designed for a religious tract. The only explanation I can come up with for this dull cover is a misplaced sense of irony.

"The Storied Life Of A. J. Fikry" tells of how a bereaved bookstore owner's life is saved when a baby girl is left in his store. It is not the plot that matters, although it is artfully constructed and satisfyingly complete, but the emotional journey of the characters and how that journey is mediated by their shared experience of books.

Now that description makes the book sound as dull as its cover, which is to say that it gives a completely misleading impression of what it feels like to read this book.

It show more feels like coming home, like spending time with a good friend, like curling up on the sofa of an independent bookstore with a book you've fallen in love with from the first page. The book is packed with humour, mostly of the self-deprecating kind, and more than a little sadness, mostly of the "why do I read books that make me cry in public?" kind.

It's about love, reading books, friendship, talking about books, fatherhood, selling books, marriage, sharing books and about living a life where our feelings for the people we love are amplified and given voice by the books we read.

It runs a little towards the sentimental in a Jimmy Stewart in "Harvey" kind of way but in a self-aware way that gave me permission to relax and enjoy it.

The book is beautifully read by Scott Brick, who never puts a foot wrong. Click on the SoundCloud link below to listen to him read.

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There's nothing like crying over a book in the break room over lunch. (Luckily, my co-workers just thought I had a cold.)

I was immediately pulled into the world of Island Books. A.J., Amelia, Maya, Lambiase, Ismay, Daniel...I loved them all despite their flaws. Each chapter begins with A.J.'s thoughts on a short story thus making this one of my favorite kinds of books: A book about books & readers. And there's so much more I want to say about this book but I don't have the words to say it because I am not a writer. Basically, I want all of you to read it so we can talk about how wonderful it is.

I highlighted so many good parts -- so many truths about the reading experience -- as I was reading the eGalley (provided by the publisher via show more Edelweiss) that I'm so sad it's going to expire and I'll lose my highlights...it just means I'll have to read it again when I buy my own copy.

I have a really difficult time writing about books that I love, but if you like books about books or have always wished you could work in a bookstore or love books about small-towns or just love books, then you should definitely read this one. show less