2024 the best book seller review

Price: $19.00 - $13.99
(as of Dec 13, 2024 02:01:15 UTC - Details)

“A love letter to bookstores and libraries.”
—The Boston Globe

The dramatic story of how a humble bookseller fought against incredible odds to bring one of the most important books of the 20th century to the world in this new novel from the author of The Girl in White Gloves.

A PopSugar Much-Anticipated 2022 Novel ∙ A BookTrib Top Ten Historical Fiction Book of Spring ∙ A SheReads’ Best Literary Historical Fiction Coming in 2022 ∙ A Reader’s Digest’s Best Books for Women Written by Female Authors ∙ A BookBub Best Historical Fiction Book of 2022
 
When bookish young American Sylvia Beach opens Shakespeare and Company on a quiet street in Paris in 1919, she has no idea that she and her new bookstore will change the course of literature itself.
 
Shakespeare and Company is more than a bookstore and lending library: Many of the prominent writers of the Lost Generation, like Ernest Hemingway, consider it a second home. It's where some of the most important literary friendships of the twentieth century are forged—none more so than the one between Irish writer James Joyce and Sylvia herself. When Joyce's controversial novel Ulysses is banned, Beach takes a massive risk and publishes it under the auspices of Shakespeare and Company.
 
But the success and notoriety of publishing the most infamous and influential book of the century comes with steep costs. The future of her beloved store itself is threatened when Ulysses' success brings other publishers to woo Joyce away. Her most cherished relationships are put to the test as Paris is plunged deeper into the Depression and many expatriate friends return to America. As she faces painful personal and financial crises, Sylvia—a woman who has made it her mission to honor the life-changing impact of books—must decide what Shakespeare and Company truly means to her.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley (December 6, 2022)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593102193
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593102190
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.13 x 0.74 x 7.97 inches
Reviewer: Joan Snyder Fernandez
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Wonderful portrayal of books and love
Review: This wonderful biographical historical fiction is the story of Sylivia Beach, founder of the Shakespeare & Co. book store in Paris. The story chronicles the beginnings of the first English language bookseller in Paris as well as Sylivia’s gay partnership with Adrienne Monnier. As word spread of the bookstore, it became a meeting place for soon-to-be-famous authors like Hemingway and Fitzgerald. I loved author Maher’s portrayal of these authors as they struggled with insecurity and big dreams. The story also brings to light the indefatigable role Sylivia played in James Joyce’s success. Editor, publisher, publicist, financier—if not for Sylivia, it’s unlikely Joyce would be recognized as an important author today. I especially loved the portrayal of Sylvia and Adrienne’s love affair and how they could be so refreshingly open with their love in Paris’ welcoming society. Highly recommend. Repost of review on goodreads.

Reviewer: Constant Reader
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Good, But It Could have Been Great
Review: This book is a fictionalized history of the famous Shakespeare and Company English language bookstore in Paris. Young American Sylvia Beach opened the bookstore in 1919, right after World War I. There were many reasons why I enjoyed this book. Reason Number 1: It is filled with books and famous authors. James Joyce figures large in the narrative since Shakespeare and Company served as publisher for Ulysses after it had been banned. The behind-the-scenes look is very interesting. But he is not the only well-known name in the pages. There are others such as Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, T.S. Eliot, and many more authors, poets, and composers. It was a heady time to be in Paris. Which brings me to Reason Number 2: Paris! The setting is rendered in loving and beautiful detail. The bookstore was located very close to Carrefour de l’Odeon which is exactly where we stay when we are in Paris at the charming Relais St. Germain. So, for me, this book was a virtual visit to a favorite place. Even if you have never been to Paris or if you just don’t know this area of Paris (between Luxembourg Gardens and the Seine), by the time you finish you will feel as if you have been there. Reason Number 3: The book is a good story of a young independent woman taking on a challenging career and surviving its challenges. Why this book was not 5 stars for me: Reason Number 1: the pacing varies between steady and glacial. Reason Number 2: Some of the characters may be famous, but all of them are flat. Reason Number 3: There is drama in the history, but not in how it is told here. Bottomline: worth reading, but you will not be swept away by it.

Reviewer: Julia Smith
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Research, revelations, relevance
Review: I loved the depth of the research,especially about the city of Paris itself. Through the research, I learned the history of the revered bookstore. I thought the story was told without overdone sentimentality.

Reviewer: Jennifer
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Slightly disappointed in this
Review: I bought this for the period and the setting, but it felt awfully over-researched and dependent on known characters being dragged into the edge of a much lighter novel.

Reviewer: carolynmharper
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: This Made Me Appreciate Modern Writers More
Review: Kerri Maher has written a delightful historical fiction book about Sylvia Beach and her Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris during the early 1900s and following. Getting to see famous writers traipse across the pages was truly fun. As much as I can tell, Maher remained faithful to major events and characters in Beach’s life, as well as those with whom she interacted. The only negative for me was that it didn’t keep me engaged at the beginning of the book. Enjoyable read overall.

Reviewer: Kindle Customer
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A book for todat
Review: A great book that's extremely relevant to today's world of censorship in libraries and schools, removing books ,it's very important to remember that freedom is found in books and ideas that we might not like or agree with that makes us think.

Reviewer: Mom of 3
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A beautiful immersive trip to 1920s and 30s Paris and the world of books
Review: This historical novel paints a deeply compelling, intimate, and brilliant picture of Sylvia Beach, the American-born creator of not only the celebrated Parisian bookstore Shakespeare and Co, but also a home for the friendships, passions and struggles of the writers who congregated there in the decades between the world wars. Sylvia's character is compassionately and insightfully drawn, including the singular and world-altering relationship she created with James Joyce, whose U.S.-banned novel Ulysses became Sylvia's life's work. I could not put the book down until I'd finished the last breathtaking words. A fantastic read!

Reviewer: Kindle Customer
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Interesting characters
Review: I liked the view into what it would have been living at the time when those writers were alive and creating those great novels.

Reviewer: Laurel Ennis
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: If there was any time I'd travel to it's this one. The players of the Lost Generation, Ernest Hemmingway (pictured seated with his leg extended above), F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound, Gertrude Stein, James Joyce et al. A young, bookish Sylvia Beach, an expat American opened her own shop of English language books in Paris and called it Shakespeare and Company. It soon became a beacon for writers who fell into and out of friendships and marriages that circled around Sylvia's shop for the years she was open until she was shut down by the Nazis and sent to an upscale confinement camp until a friend pulled strings to get her released. She and her partner, another bookseller who owned the bookstore across the street were in the centre of the literary social hub. The artistic and literary freedoms of the 1920's in film and in print was shutting down thanks to right-wing prohibition and morality legislation censoring books left and right including her dear friend James Joyce's brilliant work, Ullyses, which has been said by some to be the greatest novel of all time. They called it "pornography" that would incite lust and depravity if people were allowed to read it. Sylvia, having no experience in publishing, nevertheless leapt to publish it at great expense and produced a painstakingly beautiful volume. Because she couldn't legally mail it into the US, she arranged for copies to be smuggled from Canadas into rebellious bookstores who were opposed to the censorship. It was a long an ugly battle between Shakespeare and Company and another US publisher who also published it (illegally). The story dwelt a good deal on Slyvia's relationship with Adrienne Monnier, her mother a depressive woman searching for beauty, James Joyce (pictured with Sylvia standing above), and her other love, Shakespeare and Company.

Reviewer: Caroline Feely
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed discovering the imagined life of Sylvia Beach founder of the original Shakespeare & Co bookstore in Paris

Reviewer: Paolo
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Ho apprezzato l'accuratezza della ricostruzione di un ambiente culturale, la Parihi anni Venti, e dei personaggi principali, scrittori famosi talvolta umanamente limitati. Meno interessante per me la vicenda amorosa.

Reviewer: D
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: An excellent overview of the life and times of Mis Sylvia Beech who opened an English language bookshop in central Paris in the 1920's She knew everyone from Gertrude Stein to Ernest Hemingway and everyone in between! A really good book which I enjoyed very much and would happily recommend

Reviewer: Starship
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: If you love Montparnasse in the 1920’s then you will love this. SylviaBeach , James Joyce and the publication of Ulysses…..a great read….Highly Recommended.