Customer Reviews

The Bookseller: A Novel

The Bookseller: A Novel is one of those rare books that has keeps you eagerly reading to the very end. The story is told entirely from the viewpoint of Kitty, an single, middle-aged woman who co-owns a failing bookstore with her best friend, Frieda. Kitty's life is small quiet, and comfortable. She lives in a small apartment with her cat, spends much of her time reading, has a close relationship with her parents, and socializes mostly with Frieda. As the suburbs begin to grow, and malls take away business from downtown areas, Kitty and Frieda are worried about their bookstore, but otherwise, the social unrest of the 1960s is just a mere hint on the horizon.

Kitty's placed life is abruptly disturbed when she begins having vivid, realistic dreams about a different life, a life in which Katharyn (Kitty's given name) is happily married, has children, lives in a large, amazing house and has a housekeeper. This other life is also familiar and dear, and Katharyn finds she simply just knows how to do many things--treat a sick child, cook a meal, be intimate with her husband. But, other parts of this life are frighteningly strange, and Katharyn has no recollection of names or important events.

As Katharyn / Kitty moves between her two lives, those who love are both concerned and understanding about her memory lapses. Kitty struggles internally, trying to decide which life she should choose. Either life is clearly hers, and both have elements that feel so right, but neither life is perfect, and she faces deep sadness in either.

I won't spoil how Katharyn / Kitty evolves, reading her journey is a soft delight tinged with sadness, regret, and a great deal of love. The Bookseller: A Novel is one of the most engaging books I've read this year. The writing is excellent, the narrative equally so, and the plot, although perhaps done before, has a slightly new approach and unfolds in such a way to keep the reader engaged from beginning to end.

The concept here is a truly intriguing one, even if not unique - Kitty's dreams take her into an alternate lifeline, one that with one slight but significant change in her own actions could have been hers. I imagine it's incredibly common if not universal for people to wonder where they would have wound up if things had happened just a bit differently. But is exploring what isn't good for you? Can you learn from it to improve what you have, or will it simply leave you longing for what can never be?

This book was a page turner. Kitty is a sympathetic (if not perfect) character, and she has puzzles enough in *both* timelines to keep me flipping to find out her solutions. Pacing and character development were solid, and the story was well-grounded in its time period. She not only reflected the period musically, artistically and stylistically, but philosophically. It's a particularly artistic touch that this woman's story - exploring the crux of identity - is set at a period where the identity of women was being rapidly redefined. It's an understated detail, but one that makes Kitty's story all the more resonant.

I would give the book 4.5 stars if I could; I really enjoyed the journey, but (without spoilers) the destination did not wow me. That the ending did not surprise me is okay - surprises are not always required - but I would have enjoyed a little more sense of closure or revelation. I do appreciate that Swanson did not go for the easy answers; ambiguity adds to a sense of reality. But you don't need to tie up all loose threads in a tidy bow to reach profundity.

4.5 stars is not possible, though. "I like it" is too tepid; "I love it" too hot - but in honor of the artistry overall I'll nudge it up, since "I like it a lot" is not available to me.

It is a solidly entertaining, thought-provoking read.

It is 1962. Thirty-eight year old Kitty Miller is single and lives alone with her cat, Aslan. She and her best friend, Frieda Green, own and operate a small bookstore in Denver, Colorado. Kitty's staid existence is upended when she starts having strange dreams in which her name is Katharyn Andersson. Katharyn is married to the devoted Lars and they are the parents of three small children. Cynthia Swanson's "The Bookseller" moves back and forth between Kitty and Katharyn's parallel stories (each narrates her own experiences), leaving us to speculate which character is real--the unattached and independent entrepreneur, or the adored but harried spouse and stay-at-home mom?

This engrossing and provocative novel impels us to recall Frost's poem about the road not taken. How do we make the big choices that will change our lives? If we could rewrite history, would we? What role does destiny or luck play in who we become? In addition, the author takes us back to the cultural landscape of the sixties: She integrates the politics, culture, and social issues of the time into her imaginative plot.

Kitty is an appealing heroine and narrator whose good heart, intelligence, and sensitivity win us over. While she tries to figure out who she is, we gladly tag along for the bumpy ride. "The Bookseller" is a compelling work of fiction (although the conclusion veers a bit too close to sentimentality), in which Swanson demonstrates that we can neither predict nor control the future. All we can do is make an effort to cope with what life sends our way--joy and sorrow, success and failure, triumph and tragedy--with patience, grace, and dignity.

I finished this novel, cover-to-cover, in one sitting. I couldn't put it down, no matter how hard I tried. Katharyn/Kitty was calling me the moment I tried to walk away. She pulled me in and held on until the very last page.

I would like to say that I had it figured out all along, but I'd be lying. The twists and turns had me glued to the pages, jaw dropped. I thought I had it all figured out, several times, but I was so wrong. The journey Katharyn/Kitty is on is like nothing else I've read. The concept is so unique and intriguing. An alternate reality, where she mixes her dreams with her real life... or does she? You'll have to read it to find out! Five stars, excellent piece of work!

I read "The Bookseller" through in less than 24 hours, which reflects what strong narrative drive this novel has. Although some parts bothered me, namely a sort of 'unreality' or fakeness in so many of the characters and settings, I was drawn into the story and wanted to find out what was going on. It was also interesting to see the early Sixties' housing developments, malls, big cars, Formica, and suburban sensibilities portrayed as so cool and progressive when in fact much of that lifestyle and its consumerism, racism, sexism, ableism, and homophobia are now commonly viewed as the antitheses of enlightenment and routinely criticized.

The book kept me reading but so many things about it did not add up--the way husband Lars spoke and acted, the whole set-up of the bookstore and Kitty's life with her woman friend. These characters did not sound or act like real people but more like one-dimensional storybook or television characters, which seemed in ways a good depiction of the outward homogeneity and 'keeping up appearances' aspects of the era. This air of unreality also added intrigue to the story and kept me wondering what was going on, but it made "The Bookseller" seem much more like a fairy tale than realistic fiction.

I was okay with that until many of the questions started being answered and the real from the unreal became more clear. I'd kept thinking there would have to be more to this than the apparent depiction of a rich though not totally stress-free life as a married homemaker with children and an amorous, attentive husband versus a lonely and empty 'Old Maid' life as a failing bookstore owner with few interests and one partner-friend. I mean, how much of a contest is that?

Unfortunately, the 'insights' the protagonist draws about her situation struck me as far too simplistic, stereotyped and offensive to be in any way illuminating or satisfying. Looking back, I found the portrayal of her two lives manipulative and unbelievable, like trying to pass off saccharine as cane sugar or Formica as real stone. What Kitty supposedly comes to see about her child Michael, her friend Frieda, and her maid Alma also lacks insight and never truly acknowledges or validates them for who they are. To have it passed off as more feels sorely lacking.

This novel was cleverly written but ultimately empty and superficial. The alternate reality and road-not-taken aspects, though not outstandingly original, were much more intriguing than the social, psychological, and sociological commentary, which struck me as shallow and uninformed. I was intrigued as I was reading but felt quite let down and even annoyed by the end.

An excellent debut. The story flowed easily and well. The plot is not necessarily a new one - main character Kitty/Katharyn is living in two worlds, one real and one dream. We are introduced to Kitty, a single woman who co-owns a bookstore with her best friend Frieda. A few chapters in, we are introduced to Katharyn, albeit Kitty's alter ego. As the book progresses, the two worlds begin to merge. For example, Katharyn has a hairdresser whom Kitty decides to use as well. This blending of the two dimensions takes the reader down a path of intrigue, confusion, and ultimately resolution.

What made the book very interesting for me, was the way the world was viewed in the early 1960's. I am not a history fan at all, so any time an author can introduce a period of time in a way that will hold my attention and make it compelling, I am in! The author uses this time period to explore how women were treated, how autism was perceived, and how racial attitudes were pervasive in all facets of life. There is even a hint toward someone being lesbian, though it was covertly introduced, another indication of the times. And though discrimination is still prevalent in today's society, there is much more acceptance for certain behaviors and circumstances than in the 1960's.

I found the end satisfying as well. Not everything was neatly tied up, but it did not need to be. We are given a glimpse of what will happen next, without the author blatantly spelling it out for us. I also liked how Kitty/Katharyn rediscovers herself based on the experiences that take place in the three months of the book. We are given a glimpse of her life and all of us come out stronger and with clarity when we are finished.

It is 1962 in Denver. Katharyn (usually known as Kitty) Miller, a single woman in her late 30’s, runs a bookstore called Sisters’ with her best friend Frieda. Her life is not the norm for women her age in that time, but she happily lives in a duplex with her cat Aslan. She was once in a serious relationship with a young doctor named Kevin, but things didn’t work out. She tried running a personals ad years ago and arranged to meet a gentleman, but the gentleman, Lars Andersson, didn’t appear. Later she finds out why.

It is 1963 in Denver. Katharyn Andersson has married Lars, whom she contacted eight years before in a personals ad. They have a nice home and are the parents of triplets, two boys and a girl. One son is diagnosed as autistic.

This novel goes back and forth between Kitty’s and Katharyn’s world, from one reality to another. Kitty/Katharyn, as well as readers, wonder what she is doing in the other woman’s world and how the other manages. Kitty, of course, struggles with the children, in particular the autistic son.

Swanson gives a good backdrop of the times. She adds details about the Cuban missile crisis and Kennedy, as well as the growth of Denver during that time. This backdrop is important to the storyline because Kitty and Frieda must consider choices about their business as Denver changes.

I found myself truly pulled into this novel and wondered throughout which world was a dream world and which was reality – and found the theme of life paths and choices intriguing.

Kitty owns a bookstore with her best friend Frieda. It's 1962 and they are in their late 30's, neither of them married. One morning, Kitty awakes from the strangest dream she's ever had. She was married to a man named Lars and they had children. It all seemed so real. The next night, she dreamt of them again and then every night her dreams were full of this family that was hers. In her waking life, Kitty's bookstore was failing and she was missing her parents, who were vacationing in Hawaii. She also determined to find the mystery man that she was married to in her dreams, to find the house that she lived in. At first, she reveled in these dreams, loved being married to Lars and having adorable children. After a while, the things in her dreams were too disturbing and she wanted them to stop. In this life, she and Frieda weren't even friends and she had a difficult child she didn't know how to control. She didn't want to be in this dream world anymore. That's when Kitty realizes what is happening.
I really enjoyed this book, for the most part. The only thing I didn't love was the ending. I realize that it would have been difficult to wrap things up any other way but I was hoping for something really and truly bizarre happening to Kitty. Still, the book will keep you reading until you figure out what is going on, because it really is quite captivating.

I was really intrigued by this book, so I ordered it. The concept of what is truly real and what isn't has always fascinated me, and this book delivered. Well written and hard to put down, it's the story of a woman of the 60's (and I love books of this genre since I grew up in this period), who has a life as a single woman living that bohemian freedom of the 60's, and she also runs a bookshop with her best friend. But she keeps having recurring dreams of being married with children. They are so real, the emotions so alive...her life becomes a blur. What is real and what isn't? The two conflicting realities just keep you reading, and yes the ending - NO SPOILERS HERE - did surprise me! You know, this would definitely make a GREAT movie! This is a wonderful debut novel by Cynthia Swanson, and I would definitely read more by her. The novel, in many subtle ways, really captured a generation I never thought I would miss but I do. I guess that's what growing older does to you.

This was an unexpected page turner.

When Kitty, 38 years old and single, partners in a failing bookstore with 'sister' Frieda, begins a dream cycle...she is gradually drawn in to the life of Katharyn...her initial namesake.

Katharyn is happily married in this dream life and the details and circumstances of that union sway back and forth with the 'real' life and day to day of Kitty.

The alternating becomes more intense and is engrossing, unexpected and mystifying.

The setting encompasses the late fifties into the sixties and with it the attendant culture of that time.

This is a unique novel. Upon completion, I was certain I would not forget this easy but totally satisfying read.