One day in November last I was browsing around the shelves in the wonderful Unity Books in Auckland when I came across a novel by Laurence Cosse titled "A Novel Bookstore" which had a cover byline - "A hymn to fine literature" - Le Figaro Magazine.
Although the pile of books I already had waiting to be read almost reached the ceiling I nevertheless couldn't leave this one in the store so I bought it and added it to the pile.
Over the last couple of days I finally got around to reading it and I have to say it is a quite remarkable, unusual, and compelling story, (if a little long), built around the joys of literature, love of books and exceptional bookselling. It is a novel I warmly recommend to all who love books and literature and especially bibliophiles and those who work in the world of books - authors, booksellers, publishers, librarians, critics.
The author, Laurence Cosse,previously unknown to me, is a French critic, novelist, playwright and journalist and this is her ninth novel.
The story was translated by Alison Anderson, herself a novelist, who lives in Switzerland.
The book is published by Europe editions and it cost me NZ$31.
Here are some review comments from the French press in 2009 when it was first published in France under the title Au Bon Roman:
"A Novel Bookstore is a thriller, a romance, and a fairytale. Laurence Cosse has volumes to say aout the joys of literature....about hate, envy, and humandkind's fragility" - Le Figaro
"A Novel Bookstore is a zestful, thoroughly amusing commentary on the world of contemporary publishing and bookselling. But more importantly, it is a declaration of love for the art of the novel and its effects on human history." - La Croix
"An Agatha Christie-style mystery bolstered by a love story worthy of Madame de la Fayette....Laurence Cosse excels in deconsrtucting the world of books." - Madame Figaro
Be sure to have a look at the book's official website.
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