Fifth all-female shortlist for BBC Short Story Award. For a fifth time, Read more · More news Benedicte Page Deputy editor at The Bookseller. See more.
Table of contents
Broadly speaking, it means a loss of contact with reality. The affected see or hear things, people who are not there. In The Bookseller after the loss of her parent's in a plane crash, the main character has a prolonged psychotic reaction. After reading this book, you may have a severe psychotic reaction yourself Save your time, money and sanity and skip this novel.
View all 6 comments. Aug 09, Alaina Meserole rated it really liked it Shelves: I don't know about you The Bookseller was a pretty interesting book.
- Inevitable Destiny (Fernare Araldo Pt. 2) (The Amazon epic of Fernare Araldo).
- Its the Little Things;
- Fences.
- See a Problem?.
- “The Bookseller” – Roald Dahl Fans!
- Terror Trackers.
- Life Goes On;
I feel like I flew through the kindle version because it just kept reminding me of other little books. Sort of like Outlander, but not really. In this book, you will meet Katharyn and Lars. Whenever she goes to sleep, well she wakes up in this different world sort of. Maybe I should dive more into that? Same world but a different time zone is probably a bit easier t I don't know about you Same world but a different time zone is probably a bit easier to think about.
When she is actually awake, she is a single hardworking woman who owns a bookshop and is painting her bedroom yellow. Hey don't hate on that sunshine-y color, because my bedroom at my dads house is yellow too. I wanted blue, but my dad compromised with yellow - close enough, right? Anyhoo, well when she goes to sleep.. Yup, you read that correctly. Now Lars is a handsome fella and their kids are beyond adorable. However, she doesn't know anything about them or this new version of herself. She doesn't like her actual name and goes by Kitty in her real life..
While reading this book, I'm so intrigued that she time travels while asleep - because sometimes dreams can seem so vivid. Yet, this is actually vivid for her. She remembers everything about it when she wakes up. I couldn't decide if this dream-like world would eventually become her real-life world.. I just wanted to find out how it ended!! If I could change on thing about this book.. He's one of her kids and autistic.. Now I know that most people don't know how to deal with autistic people or kids but it doesn't help when everyone notices that you treat one differently than the other.
Before ya get all mad at me and shit, my older brother is autistic and my parents never treated him differently. If you talk to my aunts and uncles, well yes - they did treat him differently when we would visit and it honestly annoyed all of us. He's my brother and that's all I'm going to treat him as - he's not made of glass.
We annoy and nag each other just like every day siblings - of course I don't tolerate him being bullied and either would my sister. Sorry about my little rant! Overall, it was a good and interesting book. Mar 03, Fred rated it it was amazing Shelves: This Cynthia Swanson's first novel. Kathryn Anderson 30 married to a rich Man. Her best friend, Frieda Green's advertisement job has too much pressure.
But after waking, Kitty reads in the newspaper why he did not show a Lars Anderson death notice Later, she must step back to see if the best both worlds were ever possible?
Mar 12, Gloria rated it liked it. An interesting twist on the classic "what if" tale. One huge pet peeve: Seriously, couldn't Harper get someone who actually knows Spanish to check that the author's Spanish was accurate? View all 5 comments. Jan 01, Jess rated it really liked it Shelves: This was a read I quickly became immersed in.
The gentle cadence and details of the story absorbed my attention and I couldn't put the book down this morning as my coffee grew cold. One of the aspects of the unfolding of the story was in the beginning there is a clear delineation between reality and the fantasy world that the main character dreams herself into. Toward This was a read I quickly became immersed in. Towards the end of the book, I was questioning which life was real and which was fake. When the reason for the entire dual realities is revealed, I was shaken.
This is a book where the characters are easy to love. I cried at the end scene where she meets her parents on the street. I rallied with support when Katharyn embraces her reality and reclaims the aspects of her life that she needs to. Fantastic read and I recommend! Jan 31, Jody McGrath rated it liked it.
The Bookseller
The book is about a woman named Kitty who lives another life in her dreams where she is Katharyn. It is one of those books where one decision could have lead to a different path. This book had many layers, and presented some twists which were blatantly obvious. It was well written and engaging, but at the same time predictable.
It was a good read though. What an interesting concept. When Kitty Miller goes to sleep she is in a different life only a few months ahead of where she is now in her life. She is married with three kids. In her real life she is single running a bookstore with her best friend Frieda. Her dreams feel very real with her and she is finding out there are parts of her dreams she likes and parts of her awake life she likes. There are also parts that are disappointing in both lives. But are they really dreams. I really enjoyed th What an interesting concept. I really enjoyed this book an highly recommend it.
Aug 08, Denise rated it really liked it. The Bookseller is a first-time novel for Cynthia Swanson. In the Bookseller, Swanson takes us on a startling journey where a woman is thrust into an alternate world that might have been, if she had made different decisions. The Bookseller is a wonderful exploration of identity, love and loss. The 's tone is elegant, slightly mysterious, and thoroughly engrossing. The Bookseller's plot fascinated me, was well wri The Bookseller is a first-time novel for Cynthia Swanson.
The Bookseller's plot fascinated me, was well written and the many twists and turns kept me engaged until the final page. The Bookseller is an unique, intriguing read. This book is beautiful! Absolutely heart wrenching, heartbreaking, and heartwarming! The biggest question in this book is "What if? It's also set in the sixties which is different and interesting.
I highlighted ALL the books mentioned here! I must read them all! Sep 05, Camie rated it liked it. It's tough to say much about this book without giving away the entire plot. It's and Kitty is torn between two lives. One in which she's a conventional married mother of triplets, and the other where she's a single 38 year old woman who runs a small bookshop with her long time best friend Frieda.
Presented in dreams and flashbacks the mystery is of course trying to figure out which parts are reality. The book references are fun, and what mother hasn't wondered what life would have been like It's tough to say much about this book without giving away the entire plot. The book references are fun, and what mother hasn't wondered what life would have been like sans children?
Pretty standard chick lit fare. I received an uncorrected proof copy of this novel from HarperCollins. In Denver, Kitty Miller is content with her unconventional life as an unmarried woman who runs a bookshop with her best friend, Frieda. That is until she begins to dream about an alternate path her life may have taken - one in which she goes by Katharyn and is married to the love of her life and is a stay at home mother. Kitty begins to question the path her life has taken at the same time that the division between her t I received an uncorrected proof copy of this novel from HarperCollins.
Kitty begins to question the path her life has taken at the same time that the division between her two lives begin to blur and merge. It's hard to discuss the conclusion of this book without giving away spoilers, but some discussion is necessary. I was concerned with how this novel could possibly conclude from its opening pages. That being said, it was unbelievable that no one was more concerned about her apparent memory disturbances and periods of apparent incoherence where she would drift off into another world.
I was disappointed by the way that Kitty "discovers" which world is reality; "This I thought there would be some clue that helped Kitty come rushing back her reality or some other grand realization rather than a sort of inane verbal confirmation of reality. Some serious suspension of disbelief is necessary to make the conclusion work.
Additionally, I was a little disappointed that Kitty seems to be poised between choosing an "independent" life and the more conventional path of wife and mother. The narrative seems to confirm that being a mother is a more selfless way to live, which I don't necessarily agree with. Of course, I love and care about other people - many other people.
But at the end of the day, my thoughts and actions are mainly about managing my own life and my own emotions" It seems that Katharyn's role as a mother is viewed by Kitty as a more worthwhile pursuit. Yet Kitty's tutoring of her young neighbor Greg, and developing easy to read books for children who struggle to read like Greg could be seen as more selfless and pivotal for a larger number than her work as a mother.
In short, I didn't like the assessment of the worth of one lifestyle over another - I see both as worthy choices. I found this an easy read, and was propelled easily through the narrative, curious to see what would happen with Kitty and her alternative reality Katharyn. It's interesting to me to contemplate how one's life could easily have taken a very different path.
I thought her relationship with her best friend Frieda was an interesting element to the book, as was her autistic son, Michael. I appreciated that Katharyn struggled with parenting Michael - it made her seem human and realistic when she lost patience or felt at a loss with how to deal with a child, particularly since Michael would have been seen with significant stigma in the s. On another note, Aslan, Kitty's cat, was most aptly named after the lion from the C.
It was appropriate that Aslan's namesake also comes from a work of fiction that features an alternate world. Mar 30, Diane rated it it was amazing. Kitty wakes up and she's not in her bedroom. She is in an unfamiliar room, but the last thing she remembers is painting her bedroom with help from her best friend and co-owner of their bookstore.
So begins Cynthia Swanson's compelling novel, The Bookseller. A handsome man comes into the unfamiliar room, claiming to be her husband, and reminding her that she has two young children who need her, one of whom is running a fever. But Kitty is not married and does not have children, a Kitty wakes up and she's not in her bedroom.
But Kitty is not married and does not have children, and why is this man calling her Katharyn, her given name, instead of Kitty, the name everyone calls her? Kitty awakens from the realistic dream and it's still and she has to get to work at the bookstore, where Frieda will be waiting for her. Slowly we find out more about Kitty: Things at the bookstore haven't been going so well since the bus line that ran right in front of the store changed routes, and Frieda wants to consider moving the shop to a better location in a shopping center.
But the dreams continue, where it appears that Kitty leads a completely different life. We find out more about her family, including the fact that her young son has autism. I found this fact very intriguing as I don't know how much was known about autism in In her dream life, Kitty and Frieda no longer own the store together, and they don't see each other anymore.
She has trouble dealing with her son, while her loving husband seems more capable in this area. Some things are the same in her dream life and her real life. She has the same cat, and in her dream home, her photos are on the wall are the same ones in her real life. As her dream life goes on, it appears that something traumatic has happened. Her husband is concerned about her and he references things that have happened that neither the reader nor Kitty seem to be aware of.
In her real life, Kitty begins to lose days. She doesn't know what has happened in the days prior, and things begin to confuse her. Fans of Liane Moriarty's What Alice Forgot will enjoy this page-turner of a novel, one that I finished in two sittings. Swanson weaves a riveting story, one that will keep the reader guessing as to what exactly is going on in Kitty's life to cause these dreams.
Her descriptions of Kitty's surroundings are particularly well done, and that is no surprise considering the author is also a mid-century designer. I liked the characters, especially the relationships between Kitty and her parents and Kitty and Frieda. I found it interesting that the father knew how to better deal with the autistic son than the boy's mother, given that back in generally fathers were less involved with their children's daily lives than their mothers.
The resolution of the story surprised me a bit, and I'm not sure exactly how I feel about it, but the journey Swanson took us on to get there was a thought-provoking, emotional and compelling one. Feb 01, Jackleen rated it liked it. I went back and forth two or three stars. The writing quality was excellent but the plot construction was poor with a big- losing the reader why am I even reading this middle.
Plot Description
The end was neatly done with a good twist and I can see what the writer was trying to accomplish. A Character moping around is not a good plot device. A rewrite would have done wonders for this book. My rating is more a 2. I could not connect with Kitty at all. Ready to move on! Apr 01, Barbara rated it really liked it Shelves: The novel is told from the prospective of Kitty, aka, Katharyn. We learn that Kitty loves to dream and her imagination is impressive.
Where Cynthia Swanson shines in this novel is having the reader consider coping mechanisms and how dreams reflect our coping skills. Yet at other times, dreams are just our own entertainment system. In addition, Swanson has the reader considering stress; how little and big events add up and what mechanisms do we utilize to manage. The novel takes place in and Denver. Given that Kitty is a Bookseller, the popular books in the time period is enjoyable to be reminded.
The novel is entertaining. I read 6 hours straight one Sunday. For me, it shifted from book candy to thought provoking. Dec 23, Danielle Bauter rated it really liked it. I've often wondered what my life would be like if a different path had been taken-- both literally and figuratively. Debut author Cynthia Swanson tackles this idea with her novel The Bookseller, in which a woman must reconcile the life she currently has with one that she could have had if things had been different.
The alternate life begins to haunt her in her dreams, so much so that she starts to question her own reality. Set in the s with countless cultural references including books that I've often wondered what my life would be like if a different path had been taken-- both literally and figuratively. Set in the s with countless cultural references including books that were popular at the time , I read it compulsively and was completely surprised at the ending. Aug 30, Silvia Kay rated it it was amazing.
It was a total impulse buy and honestly I wouldn't have cared too much if it had ended up disappointing me. For some reason, I rarely end up giving them 5 stars. This time, though, I was rewarded with a book that far exceeded my wildest expectations. Things I loved in no particular order: Are they both real? Highly recommended to anyone who likes the sound of all of the above. Oct 29, Stephanie rated it it was amazing.
I so enjoyed reading this book. The premise was one that immediately intrigued me and I just knew I had to read it. From the moment I started the book I knew it was going to be one that would keep me up reading late in to the night. I felt as if I really got to know Kitty Katharyn and could really feel and understand her struggle between her real life and her imaginary life. Once I reached about the middle of the book I found that I did not want to put it down! There were many questions I had a I so enjoyed reading this book.
There were many questions I had about Kitty's two lives; her imaginary dream life started to become more and more real and there were so many questions left unanswered after every chapter spent there. I was quite surprised by the ending, it was not one I predicted and was a bit heartbreaking, but I loved every minute of this book! Dec 19, Charlene Intriago rated it it was amazing Shelves: I purposely didn't read any reviews of this book while I was reading it. I didn't want anything to spoil my read!!
The Bookseller by Cynthia Swanson
Kitty Miller and Frieda Green are best buds, have been that way since high school, and now they own a small bookstore "Sisters Bookshop" in Denver. Kitty keeps having recurring dreams.
She's not Kitty - she's Katharyn and she's living a totally different life. She even has kids in these dreams. She loves the dreams but she loves coming back to her real lif I purposely didn't read any reviews of this book while I was reading it. She loves the dreams but she loves coming back to her real life and being just Kitty with the bookstore. The dreams come back every time she sleeps and they seem so real. After awhile she can't tell which life is her real one. She's had some things happen that might make her want to live in a fantasy world and she's right on the edge of keeping her sanity.
You can see how easy it would be to lose it. May 26, Judy Collins rated it really liked it Shelves: One troubled woman in search of a different life. Caught between two mysterious worlds; confusing fact and fiction. This remarkable novel will transport you to another place. It is almost, spellbinding. Katharyn Kitty operates Sisters, a Denver bookstore she owns with her best friend, Frieda. She is single, loves her apartment and her lifestyle. They have been friends for years and worked so hard to get the business loan; finally, their dream business.
She is married to a man named Lars, a successful architect. She is a housewife with children. He is talking to her in bed. He seems kind, good-looking, and thoughtful. Her mom would be proud, she landed this one with beautiful children, possibly twins? However, she cannot imagine living this life and caring for other people.
She likes being independent. Who are these children? Why is anyone depending on her? Who is the housekeeper? Why is she here? Then she recalls her mom and dad are on a trip. She misses her mom and needs to talk with her. Set in the early sixties, everyone got married when they graduated from high school or during college.
It was all about marriage before the ripe old age of However, when did the bookstore start to fail? Everyone loved quaint bookstores? What is this about malls and the internet? As she drifts off to sleep, her world spins out of control. Which life is real; is she married to Lars and do they have children? Swedish-born author, Gunilla Caulfield, has written a strong debut short-story collection that draws on her Scandinavian heritage.
The Bookseller and Other Stories contains thirteen stories, most of which focus on the nuances of relationships within contemporary families, but some read like European folk tales or medieval sagas. Rather, her characters speak plainly and are described in straightforward terms, a style which has the effect of making her characters seem timeless and universal. Therein, the author describes the journeys of the small adornment as it is tucked into or sewn on the uniforms of a line of soldiers throughout European military history.
Caulfield subtly changes tone and builds to an intense ending in this well-crafted fantasy. It is a gem that aspiring writers may want to reread and study for its dramatic effect. Caulfield often uses ironic twist at the end of her stories; a technique which succeeds in most cases. Reminiscent of the best work of O. Henry, there are dramatic changes in fortune that turn on a single detail.
Unfortunately, the title story, which otherwise creates a jewel-box setting full of delicate, damaged characters with strong back stories, disintegrates at the end with unconvincing dialogue and an inelegant denouement. However, the tale also includes many wonderfully descriptive scenes of bookstore poetry readings and artist gallery receptions, so as to make the rushed ending almost unnecessary.