Rating:
After reading the Earth’s Children series, it was weird to
read such a short book. Weird, but still very refreshing. The Bookman’s Tale by Charlie Lovett was my consolation prize for
having made it through my last reading adventure. I’d had my eye on this book
for a while, and I’m glad I finally got a chance to read it.
Peter Byerly is the main character in this book. He is an
antiquarian bookseller who, while struggling with the loss of his wife, gets
entangled in a web of conspiracies that dates back to the time of William Shakespeare.
It all starts with Peter discovering a miniature portrait of a woman that dates
back to the 1800s. The strange thing is, the woman in the photograph looks just
like his wife.
There were definitely some mysteries throughout this plot
that made me want to keep reading and get to the end. I think what I enjoyed
most, though, was the love and appreciation for books that many of the
characters had. In fact, I’m pretty sure I want to be an antiquarian bookseller
myself when I grow up. Actually, I would probably just want to keep all of the
books for myself instead of making money off of them so that wouldn’t work. I
think I’d rather be a wealthy book collector. J
I gave The Bookman’s
Tale a three because it’s one of those books where, once you’ve read it and
you find out what happens, you don’t really feel the need to read it again. I
definitely recommend reading it if you never have before, but I probably won’t
pick it up a second time.
One thing I enjoyed, though, is the way Lovett plotted out
the story. He set the course of events up over three separate timelines that
alternate between chapters. One timeline was set far back in the past, beginning
with when Shakespeare was just starting to produce his plays. Another timeline
was set in the recent past to show how Peter and his wife met and what happened
over the course of their relationship. The third timeline was set in the
present to show what was currently happening to Peter and how he was being
affected by the events from the other two timelines.
I don’t think I’ve seen a story plotted out quite that way
before, and it always intrigues me to see how authors organize stories that
take place over multiple periods of time. I’d love to write something that
takes place in the past, and books like this one give me ideas for interesting
ways to plot that out.
If you enjoy reading novels about people who love reading as
much as you do, add this one to your list. Another novel that has a bibliophile
as the main character is The Thirteenth
Tale by Diane Setterfield. I absolutely loved this book, and I can’t wait
to read it again someday!
What are some great novels that you’ve read about people who
love books? I’m always looking for recommendations in this category!
