A charming and entertaining novel that captures the romance of books and bookshops. "When you sell a man a book," says Roger Mifflin, protagonist o...
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Mar 06, 2011
Bev
rated it: 
First published in 1919, the story finds Roger Mifflin running a second-hand bookshop in Brooklyn. We know immediately that this is no ordinary bookshop, as is stated on Mr. Mifflin's sign:
Parnassus At Home
R. & H. Mifflin
Booklovers Welcome!
This Shop Is Haunted
It's true that the "Parnassus at Home" is inhabited by many lively spirits and not all are among the living. And yet this is not a supernatural book. Rather, it refers to the ghosts of all More...
Parnassus At Home
R. & H. Mifflin
Booklovers Welcome!
This Shop Is Haunted
It's true that the "Parnassus at Home" is inhabited by many lively spirits and not all are among the living. And yet this is not a supernatural book. Rather, it refers to the ghosts of all More...
Oct 20, 2009
Kathrina
rated it:
Required reading for every booklover. I had to wait a day before writing this review so I wouldn't gush too embarrassingly. The book contains a trite, amusing little mystery, interesting in it's parallels to current history and acts of terrorism. Yes, the pen is mightier than the sword, and I wonder if the secret service keeps an eye on copies of Team of Rivals and Lush Life, Obama's recent reading picks.
But the book is magnificent when Morley lets Mr. Mifflin rant. At times I felt More...
But the book is magnificent when Morley lets Mr. Mifflin rant. At times I felt More...
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Jul 04, 2010
Billy
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Charming is the word that comes to mind. It’s a light, slightly corny book from 1919 (?) that has the feel of a late 30’s movie. The whole thing is a love letter to books and reading, wrapped in a simple story of post WWI espionage.
I disagree with someone here that said a drawback was the constant current cultural references. I love that stuff. You usually get so little of it as it does date a book and authors want their books to be timeless. I think it affects the way we look More...
I disagree with someone here that said a drawback was the constant current cultural references. I love that stuff. You usually get so little of it as it does date a book and authors want their books to be timeless. I think it affects the way we look More...
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Dec 06, 2011
Colleen
rated it:
Once again, I'm sorry to be repeating myself, but Christopher Morley has written an absolutely charming follow-up to Parnassus on Wheels. Most people who've read both books seem to prefer The Haunted Bookshop. That mystified me at first because I thought this got off to a boring, slow start. Helen and Roger Mifflin are now ensconced in a Brooklyn brownstone. They live in the back, the front is a second-hand bookstore they've called The Haunted Bookshop. It isn't haunted by ghosts, per se, b
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Oct 09, 2011
Kathy
rated it:
Wow, what to say about this book! First let me give you the summary from Goodreads:
"When you sell a man a book," says Roger Mifflin, protagonist of these classic bookselling novels, "you don't sell him just twelve ounces of paper and ink and glue you sell him a whole new life." The new life the itinerant bookman delivers to Helen McGill, the narrator of Parnassus on Wheels, provides the romantic comedy that drives the novel. Published in 1917, Morley's first love l More...
"When you sell a man a book," says Roger Mifflin, protagonist of these classic bookselling novels, "you don't sell him just twelve ounces of paper and ink and glue you sell him a whole new life." The new life the itinerant bookman delivers to Helen McGill, the narrator of Parnassus on Wheels, provides the romantic comedy that drives the novel. Published in 1917, Morley's first love l More...
Aug 28, 2009
Jen3n
rated it:
I loved this book. I can not believe no one before now brought it to my attention. While I was reading it, I realized that not only was this book one of my favorites, it had always been one of my favorites, I just hadn't realized it yet.
It's one of those books.
There's a plot in there somewhere (though such a poor one that I could not in good conscience give this book five stars because of it), but mostly it's beautiful, smart, and funny conversations and monologues abou More...
It's one of those books.
There's a plot in there somewhere (though such a poor one that I could not in good conscience give this book five stars because of it), but mostly it's beautiful, smart, and funny conversations and monologues abou More...
Jan 25, 2009
Bonnie Jeanne
rated it:
Oh, I enjoyed this book so much. A bit stodgy in places, but considering the time in which it was written, I suppose that is to be expected. [return][return]There is a good deal about the tension involved in bookselling. Do you sell what the public wants, though it may be drivel? Or sell what you think the public needs? It may seem an obvious answer since it would be seriously presumptous to make decisions about proper reading material for others. However, the protagonist of this story, Mr. Miff
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Jun 17, 2010
Susan
rated it: 
What a period piece this is! Written (and set) just after the end of World War I, it concerns an heiress sent to apprentice at a used bookstore in Brooklyn. The ad man who falls in love with her suspects the bookseller of being engaged in a German conspiracy, but how he underestimates Roger Mifflin, who is true blue and as patriotic and idealistic as the next man. Much of the book contains Mifflin's musings on bookdealing, the world's future, and sundry authors, some of whom are essentially u
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Jun 14, 2011
Lauren
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This book is, essentially, everything that a bibliophile could want in a book, and it was written by a man who quite obviously loves literature with all of his soul. I think Mr. Morley would be proud that I picked this book up in a second-hand bookshop - it was one of those occasions where I was searching for something without really knowing what I was searching for, and it just came to me.
There are excellent reading lists and suggestions craftily slipped in by way of the bookseller, More...
There are excellent reading lists and suggestions craftily slipped in by way of the bookseller, More...
Jul 13, 2010
Jack
rated it: 
This is the first book I've read on the iPad. It is certainly a different experience,, one I never thought I'd care for. I didn't find it unpleasant, but I would still prefer the actual book. The story itself is someewhat silly. German spies planning to blow up the ship President Wilson is traveling to the peace conference after WW I are caught by an amateur advertising man and an old second hand bookseller.
Some interest in looking at some of the older second rate thrillers. A More...
Some interest in looking at some of the older second rate thrillers. A More...
Dec 28, 2010
Julie
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A wealthy young woman's father gets her a job at his friend's second hand book shop in order to teach her about real life. It soon turns into a mystery. Is the bookshop haunted? Or is there something else going on, as the young woman's admirer (a dedicated advertising man)?
I remembered that I began listening to this LibriVox recording some time ago and then stopped when beginning my Lenten podcast fast (yes, SOME time ago!). I picked it up to finish it again and have been really enjoyi More...
I remembered that I began listening to this LibriVox recording some time ago and then stopped when beginning my Lenten podcast fast (yes, SOME time ago!). I picked it up to finish it again and have been really enjoyi More...
Sep 20, 2010
Stella Used Books
rated it:
Good story about the world of the bookseller, though I did like Parnassus on Wheels better because of the narrator, who is just a side character in this book. This book is also a very interesting look into the American mind immediately after World War I. The bookseller has many underlinable speeches about the importance of books in a world of peace. For the modern reader, it's depressing, knowing that the utter non-peace of World War II -- and indeed most of the rest of the 20th century and all
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Aug 22, 2010
Kate
rated it: 
This was a "freebee" on Kindle. I'm not sure when it was written but I would guess sometime after WWI as the style certainly wasn't contemporary and the story took place immediately after the war. A rather simple mystery involving a romance and spies. I'd equate it more with some of our modern pulp fiction that once removed from this time period wouldn't have such a great appeal to a future audience. It was a short read which may have been the case at the time. For a "freebee
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Jun 06, 2010
Sean
rated it:
Despite the title, there's nothing supernatural about the Haunted Bookshop. Instead, it's the name of a bookstore whose proprietor, Roger Mifflin, says is haunted by the spirit of great literature.
One evening in December 1918, Mifflin is visited by Aubrey Gilbert, a young ad man who's soliciting business. Mifflin doesn't believe bookstores need to advertise, but he invites to Aubrey to join him for dinner. The two strike up a friendship and Aubrey becomes interested in literature for More...
One evening in December 1918, Mifflin is visited by Aubrey Gilbert, a young ad man who's soliciting business. Mifflin doesn't believe bookstores need to advertise, but he invites to Aubrey to join him for dinner. The two strike up a friendship and Aubrey becomes interested in literature for More...
Jan 07, 2011
Eric
rated it:
The follow-up to Parnassus On Wheels finds Roger Mifflin, travelling bookseller, holding down a storefront in post-WW1 Brooklyn, holding forth on his favorite topic (his passion for reading) to anyone who will listen. Apparently a few people actually agree with him, as a friend sends his daughter to do a bit of apprenticeship to "get some of the 'finishing school' nonsense out of her head". While she gets accustomed to the way things are done in her new trade, a book of Oliver Cromwell
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Mar 22, 2008
Leslie
rated it:
No, there are no ghosts in this book. The title is the name of the second-hand bookshop in the novel, which is "haunted" by the ghosts of the great authors shelved within.
This is a lovely read for the patient bibliophile. It's not at all plot-driven (the mysterious intrigue that provides the obligatory conflict is rather daffy and entirely beside the point), but for the right sort of reader this book will provide quotable comfort and excellent recommendations for further More...
This is a lovely read for the patient bibliophile. It's not at all plot-driven (the mysterious intrigue that provides the obligatory conflict is rather daffy and entirely beside the point), but for the right sort of reader this book will provide quotable comfort and excellent recommendations for further More...
Jul 27, 2011
Apryl
rated it:
This was a timeless slice of 1917: cheesy spy story, stereotyped evil Krauts, post-war diplomacy and the perpetual conflict of kingdoms, the popularity of Tarzan & the moving picture show, and an enormous list of classic and popular novels of the day. Better than I'd anticipated.
I've been googling his references.
Look at this: http://www.archive.org/details/Tarzanoft... It's the real Tarzan movie on-line!
I've been googling his references.
Look at this: http://www.archive.org/details/Tarzanoft... It's the real Tarzan movie on-line!
Dec 11, 2011
Dayna
rated it:
A wonderful book written in 1919. Roger Mifflin runs a unique used bookshop in Brooklyn. When he meets Aubrey Gilbert, an advertising salesman, and takes on a new assistant, Miss Chapman, the daughter of a rich businessman, his life suddenly gets very exciting. From wonderful observations on books to German spies and bomb plots, this book is a thoroughly enjoyable read. The language may seem complicated, but it is well worth the effort.
Feb 25, 2011
Patricia
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This was a quaint story of post World War I spies and intrigue in an old, dusty, smoke-filled bookshop. Some of the anti-war monologues delivered by an otherwise friendly and bibliophilic bookseller were a bit overdone, but then the sentiments are understandable considering the time this story was written. I confess that I soon learned to skim over these tirades, back to the main story. I look forward to reading the prequel to this book, Parnassus on Wheels, which was written before the war.
Sep 17, 2011
Margaret
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Why this little gem of a book is not more widely read I do not know. I fell madly in love with Christopher Morley when I discovered one of books in a Bed and Breakfast in Pacific Grove, California while on vacation nearly a year ago. Afterwords, I devoured every book of his that the library offered, and "The Haunted Bookshop" is his absolute best! When asked to critique my stay in said B&b, I spoke mainly of the book.
Oct 23, 2009
Debbie
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Never judge a book by its title. I actually sort of liked this book in spite of the lack of any supernatural doings. It was fairly entertaining, although the author apparently felt that quotation marks were not really needed. (It was a little problematic to figure out converstions.) It was interesting to determine popular reads from another decade and get a flavor of what was happening in the twenties.
Mar 24, 2011
Zoe
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Because it was written before 'genre' fiction really was invented, this book is hard to define. It is mostly a mystery, a little romance, and alot of literary criticism. The main character, Roger Mifflin, is the owner of a secondhand book store in Brooklyn. The story takes place right after WWI ended, and as it was written then, they did not know there would be another one. It is a wonderful slice of 20th century life, a charming little mystery that gets more engrossing as the book goes on, but
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Oct 01, 2010
Virginia
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The story of a used bookseller and his wife. I loved that he said that his shop wasn't dull it was exploding with excitement. All the ideas contained in all those volumes of books are very exciting to explore and find out about. A book that went missing and came back and was missing again was a mystery that led the characters in the book to solve a crime. It was cute and interesting reading.
Jul 25, 2009
Wanda
rated it:
Another good one by Mr. Morley. The streets are named for great authors in literature - the bookshop is located on Gissing Street with Thackery located close by.
The bookshop is haunted by all the great books Mr. Mifflin wants to read in his lifetime.
Worth seeking out, The Haunted Bookshop and its predecessor, Parnassus on Wheels, are two books which provided me with a couple hours' worth of good reading.
The bookshop is haunted by all the great books Mr. Mifflin wants to read in his lifetime.
Worth seeking out, The Haunted Bookshop and its predecessor, Parnassus on Wheels, are two books which provided me with a couple hours' worth of good reading.
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Jan 04, 2012
Pierette
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I enjoyed this book for its fast pace. It focuses on a bookshop and includes a lot of information about books that were popular around the time it was written. For that reason alone it is a great resource. It also benefits from a lexicon and pace that most authors today do not use. And it did it without seeming foppish or out-dated. There were certainly some "inside" jokes about Germans and Huns that flew over my head, and are probably pretty offensive.
Feb 04, 2010
Kevin
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The Haunted Bookshop is the continued story of a book lover who carted books around in a wagon all through the countryside (early bookmobile). After settling down with his wife he decides to open a bookshop in Brooklyn. His goal is to convince the buying public to read great literature. He recommends books to read, what to enjoy about them and explains that a bookshop is haunted by the authors who wrote these stories in the past. I really enjoyed this book!
Jul 30, 2011
Tracy
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This little gem is a must read for any bibliophile. The bookseller whose philosophy is not to sell books the public thinks it wants, but rather to sell works that people need, but don't know they do, is simply genius. The book captures the mindset of 1917 urban America. Morely is definitely as fun an author to read as Dorothy L. Sayers.
Jul 31, 2011
Debra
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Some reviewers of The Haunted Bookshop have found the protagonist's discussion of books--many of them contemporaries of this 1918 novel--and book selling boring and off-point. For me, they made the story. I enjoyed Roger Mifflin’s musings on literature and the art of bookselling as well as his interactions with other characters, especially his wife and his enthusiastic mentee, the daughter of a friend. Not as compelling was the plot's mystery, which, though engaging at the outset, was ultimately
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Jun 06, 2009
Samuel
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I was compelled to read this book based on the name of two burly based pipe tobaccos: Morley's Best, and Haunted Bookshop. A delightful read for the late fall, the time of year that for me, life seems to slow it's pace. The narratives were inviting, Roger Mifflin a kindred spirit. A playful mystery, and a fun read.
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Jul 17, 2011
Hilary
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Vintage whimsy; the bookshop in question is not, actually, haunted, other than by words and thoughts. Some vague philosophising, a hint of blood-and-thunder (this was the 1910s, when Anarchists were the Terrorists of their day), and an irritating romance, permeated by a genuine love of books and bookmen.
