The Haunted Bookshop

Morley, Christopher, 1890-1957Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 3.3
Word count
347K words
Chapters
35

Tags

English Originals Foreign Literature Bookshop RomanceBook LoversUrban RomanceHuman NatureSuspenseful AtmosphereLiterary TributeWarm HumorLight ReadingDetective ElementsPostwar Society

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Haunted Bookshop by Christopher MorleyAuthor: Morley, Christopher, 1890-1957,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Oct 1, 1994

Editor's review

The Haunted Bookshop is a light comic novel by Christopher Morley set in a bookshop, revolving around an old bookstore said to be haunted. Its charm lies not in thrills but in portraying the bookshop as a place with warmth: the daily interactions among the owner, staff, customers and neighbors form a gentle observation of reading, books and human relationships. Morley's prose is brisk and witty, adept at advancing plot through dialogue and often discussing writers and books through his characters, giving readers the relaxed feel of strolling through an old book street. The book is short, and the English original is elegant but not obscure, making it a suitable introductory choice for reading English literature. The Project Gutenberg e-edition is convenient for reading in segments on a phone or e-reader. Reading scenarios can be bedtime, commuting or a weekend afternoon, reading one or two chapters at a time, following the characters in and out of the bookshop; it can also serve as light material for understanding the atmosphere of the American urban book trade in the early twentieth century. For readers who like bookshop themes, light humor and slow-paced daily character life, this book is worth reading.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Not a good fit for

Reading tips

  1. Read one or two chapters at a time, noting the humor and book-trade details in the dialogue.
  2. When encountering unfamiliar cultural terms, guess from context first and look them up after finishing the chapter.
  3. Excerpt passages about books and writers for reading notes.
  4. Do an extensive read alongside an audiobook or translation, then return to the original for close reading.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

Contents

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13
  14. 14
  15. 15
  16. 16
  17. 17
  18. 18
  19. 19
  20. 20
  21. 21
  22. 22
  23. 23
  24. 24
  25. 25
  26. 26
  27. 27
  28. 28
  29. 29
  30. 30
  31. 31
  32. 32
  33. 33
  34. 34
  35. 35

FAQ

Is this book a horror novel? No. The haunted in the title is more about the bookshop's rumors and atmosphere; the main story is daily life and light comic interaction, not horror or thrills. Readers expecting a ghost story may find the plot mild.
What English level is it suitable for? The original uses somewhat elegant but not difficult vocabulary, with few long sentences and a high proportion of dialogue, suitable for English learners with some vocabulary base as extensive reading material. Beginners are advised to read a translation or use annotations first, then return to the original.
How is the e-edition best read? The Project Gutenberg e-edition suits segmented reading, one or two chapters at a time while commuting or before bed. As a public-domain e-book, its formatting is plain; adjust font and line spacing on your reader to reduce eye strain during long reading sessions.

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About the author

Morley, Christopher, 1890-1957 Author

Christopher Morley (Morley, Christopher, 1890-1957) was an American writer, editor, and essayist with a prolific output; fifteen of his works are held in this collection. His representative works include Parnassus on Wheels (the source of the Japanese title Yūrei Shoten), Where the Blue Begins, Tales from a Rolltop Desk, Shandygaff, Mince Pie, Chimneysmoke, and Plum Pudding. These titles show that Morley's writing spans fiction, essays, and short sketches, often centering on bookshops, books, and the reading life, with a light, humorous tone and a strong bookish, nostalgic flavor. He also frequently drew on everyday trifles and city life, revealing warmth and wit through plain narration. Parnassus on Wheels, built around a traveling bookshop, is well known among book lovers and best embodies his distinctive blend of storytelling and essay. Given the limited materials in the collection, details of his life, education, and career are not well documented publicly, so no conjecture is offered here; this note confines itself to a brief account of his subjects and style.