Year: 2010 (originally 1917)
Publisher: Melville House
Pages: 142
Goodreads Summary:I imagined him in his beloved Brooklyn, strolling in Prospect Park and preaching to chance comers about his gospel of good books."When you sell a man a book," says Roger Mifflin, the sprite-like book peddler at the center of this classic novella, "you don't sell him just twelve ounces of paper and ink and glue—you sell him a whole new life." In this beguiling but little-known prequel to Christopher Morley's beloved Haunted Bookshop, the "whole new life" that the traveling bookman delivers to Helen McGill, the narrator of Parnassus on Wheels, provides the romantic comedy that drives this charming love letter to a life in books.
This was an absolutely charming book. I loved the story of Helen McGill and the Professor. It was just so cute and adorable and I just fell in love with it. I can't wait to read Haunted Bookshop. I loved the idea of setting off across the countryside selling books to people. I thought that Helen and the professor had an adorable romance. This is one of the ways that I can tell a classic that stands the test of time - that no matter how long ago it was written, I don't get frustrated by the language or the concepts of the time, I'm still captivated by the story. And this one captivated me. I read it in one sitting and wish there was more.
On a side but related note, this book is part of Melville House's The Art of the Novella series. It's a beautifully made book with a great cover that is so nice. It makes me want to collect the entire series. I did scan through the listing in the back and there are a number of them I will buy.
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