Author: Carsten Henn
Translator: Melody Shaw
Publisher: HarperCollins India
When was the last time you walked into a bookstore to purchase a book?
There's a book written for every one of us. Carl may be 72 years old, but
he's young at heart. Every night he goes door-to-door delivering books by hand
to his loyal customers. He knows their every desire and preference, carefully
selecting the perfect story for each person. One evening as he makes his
rounds, nine-year-old Schascha appears. Loud and precocious, she insists on
accompanying him - and even tries to teach him a thing or two about books. When
Carl's job at the bookstore is threatened, will the old man and the girl in the
yellow raincoat be able to restore Carl's way of life, and return the joy of
reading to his little European town? THE DOOR-TO-DOOR BOOKSTORE is a
heart-warming tale of the value of friendship, the magic of reading, and the
power of books to unite us all.
There are very few books that reach into your psyche and connects with you on a deeper level. The Door-To-Door Bookstore is a story that explores the importance of bookstores, booksellers and the ability to read and connect with people. What I loved in the book was that the story has been simply told and the author has focused on the message rather than the setting up of the plot. The author has also taken time to introduce you to the protagonist, his quirks and what makes him important in the lives of the other characters in the book. Another thing that I loved in the book was the two primary characters are on opposite ends of the spectrum and thus a wonderful contrast of understanding of people is seen, and that becomes quite important in the second half of the book. The storytelling is very visual and I loved how the author paints a picture of the bookstore, the route that Carl takes on his rounds as well as the homes of his customers that stay with you as a reader. The changes in the bookstore are also visually indicated and the change is mood is as much shown to you as it is written. The climax of the book is quite touching and will incite a few tears, specially if you were engrossed in the story.
Coming to the characters, I loved how the author created and developed
Carl’s character. Right from the very first page, you find him endearing and
relatable. If you have been a regular at any bookstore and if you are lucky
enough, you’ll have your own Carl who will know just the right book that you
need to read. His connection with his customers was quite fun to read. His dedication
and passion for books is very well ingrained into his character which makes him
a fun person to know. Schascha’s character was equally endearing to read and
her contrasting viewpoint to Carl’s was a fresh whiff in the plot. The other
characters are equally wonderful and in this story of human connections and
relationships, the interconnectedness of lives is wonderfully represented and
the way everyone intermingles and comes together was a nice end to the story.
This is a wonderful book that I think every reader should read once for
it shows the magic of human connections and books. The book scores a 4.94/5 for
me.
Grab a copy of the book from a bookstore near you or on Amazon India.
