THE STORIED LIFE OF A.J. FIKRY
by Gabrielle Zevin | Publication: April 2014Algonquin Books | Genre: Fiction
Rating: ★★★★
"But this kind of book proves it’s not simply a story."
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On the faded Island Books sign hanging over the porch of the Victorian cottage is the motto “No Man Is an Island; Every Book Is a World.” A. J. Fikry, the irascible owner, is about to discover just what that truly means.
A. J. Fikry’s life is not at all what he expected it to be. His wife has died, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. Slowly but surely, he is isolating himself from all the people of Alice Island—from Lambiase, the well-intentioned police officer who’s always felt kindly toward Fikry; from Ismay, his sister-in-law who is hell-bent on saving him from his dreary self; from Amelia, the lovely and idealistic (if eccentric) Knightley Press sales rep who keeps on taking the ferry over to Alice Island, refusing to be deterred by A.J.’s bad attitude. Even the books in his store have stopped holding pleasure for him. These days, A.J. can only see them as a sign of a world that is changing too rapidly.
And then a mysterious package appears at the bookstore. It’s a small package, but large in weight. It’s that unexpected arrival that gives A. J. Fikry the opportunity to make his life over, the ability to see everything anew. It doesn’t take long for the locals to notice the change overcoming A.J.; or for that determined sales rep, Amelia, to see her curmudgeonly client in a new light; or for the wisdom of all those books to become again the lifeblood of A.J.’s world; or for everything to twist again into a version of his life that he didn’t see coming. As surprising as it is moving, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry is an unforgettable tale of transformation and second chances, an irresistible affirmation of why we read, and why we love.
A. J. Fikry’s life is not at all what he expected it to be. His wife has died, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. Slowly but surely, he is isolating himself from all the people of Alice Island—from Lambiase, the well-intentioned police officer who’s always felt kindly toward Fikry; from Ismay, his sister-in-law who is hell-bent on saving him from his dreary self; from Amelia, the lovely and idealistic (if eccentric) Knightley Press sales rep who keeps on taking the ferry over to Alice Island, refusing to be deterred by A.J.’s bad attitude. Even the books in his store have stopped holding pleasure for him. These days, A.J. can only see them as a sign of a world that is changing too rapidly.
And then a mysterious package appears at the bookstore. It’s a small package, but large in weight. It’s that unexpected arrival that gives A. J. Fikry the opportunity to make his life over, the ability to see everything anew. It doesn’t take long for the locals to notice the change overcoming A.J.; or for that determined sales rep, Amelia, to see her curmudgeonly client in a new light; or for the wisdom of all those books to become again the lifeblood of A.J.’s world; or for everything to twist again into a version of his life that he didn’t see coming. As surprising as it is moving, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry is an unforgettable tale of transformation and second chances, an irresistible affirmation of why we read, and why we love.
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"There's Nobody In The World Like Book People"
I’ve always loved books about books, bookstores, and book people. The blurb for The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry calls it “a love letter to the world of books—and booksellers—that changes our lives by giving us the stories that open our hearts and enlighten our minds.” Naturally, that caught my attention. But it wasn’t the reason this novel wowed me.
A.J. Fikry is the grouchy, solitary bookseller of Alice Island. Above the porch of his small shop hangs a sign: “No Man is an Island, Every Book is a World.” He lives alone above the store, grieving the loss of his wife Nic and numbing himself with alcohol. His days blur together—until his prized possession, a first edition of Edgar Allan Poe’s Tamerlane, is stolen. And then, one afternoon, a visitor leaves behind an unlikely package that changes his life forever.
This is an utterly charming book. I recommend it without hesitation. It’s more than its plot or characters. Some readers may call it sentimental or convenient, but that’s precisely what makes it resonate. Its simplicity, its warmth, and its gentle prose capture the passion so many of us have for reading, connection, and the quiet affirmations of love. These elements turn the novel into something unexpectedly moving and unforgettable.
Because for some readers, a book is just another story being told. But this kind of book proves it’s not simply a story. It’s a lifetime. And some books — especially this one — are a lifeline.
“We are not quite novels. We are not quite short stories.
In the end, we are collected works.”
Each chapter opens with a book reference—a tiny review, a personal reflection from A.J. himself. These little notes slowly reveal the heart of the man behind the grumpiness, and by the end, they form a tender mosaic of his life. I’ve always needed to be around books to feel at peace, and this novel understands that instinct perfectly.
“My life is in these books. Read these and know my heart.”
I’ve always loved books about books, bookstores, and book people. The blurb for The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry calls it “a love letter to the world of books—and booksellers—that changes our lives by giving us the stories that open our hearts and enlighten our minds.” Naturally, that caught my attention. But it wasn’t the reason this novel wowed me.
A.J. Fikry is the grouchy, solitary bookseller of Alice Island. Above the porch of his small shop hangs a sign: “No Man is an Island, Every Book is a World.” He lives alone above the store, grieving the loss of his wife Nic and numbing himself with alcohol. His days blur together—until his prized possession, a first edition of Edgar Allan Poe’s Tamerlane, is stolen. And then, one afternoon, a visitor leaves behind an unlikely package that changes his life forever.
This is an utterly charming book. I recommend it without hesitation. It’s more than its plot or characters. Some readers may call it sentimental or convenient, but that’s precisely what makes it resonate. Its simplicity, its warmth, and its gentle prose capture the passion so many of us have for reading, connection, and the quiet affirmations of love. These elements turn the novel into something unexpectedly moving and unforgettable.
Because for some readers, a book is just another story being told. But this kind of book proves it’s not simply a story. It’s a lifetime. And some books — especially this one — are a lifeline.
In the end, we are collected works.”
Each chapter opens with a book reference—a tiny review, a personal reflection from A.J. himself. These little notes slowly reveal the heart of the man behind the grumpiness, and by the end, they form a tender mosaic of his life. I’ve always needed to be around books to feel at peace, and this novel understands that instinct perfectly.
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About the Author:
Gabrielle Zevin is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of several critically acclaimed novels, including The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry and Young Jane Young. Her most recent novel is Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, one of the New York Times’s 100 Best Books of the 21st Century, a selection of the Tonight Show’s Fallon Book Blub, the winner of the Goodreads Choice Award, a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award, and one of the best books of the year according to the New York Times, the Washington Post, Time, Entertainment Weekly, The Atlantic, Oprah Daily, Slate, NPR, and many others. She has also written books for young readers, including Elsewhere, which Time magazine named one of the 100 Best YA Books of All Time. Her novels have been translated into forty languages. She lives in Los Angeles.
Posts
Eeek! This book sounds awesome. Random thought: Mr. Norrell popped into my head. Sounds like Fikry is similar to him.
ReplyDeleteLOL. He is grouchy, but nothing like Norell. You'll like him, I'm sure.
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