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Fixed on Fiction

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

On Thursday, June 11th, the Fixed on Fiction book group met to discuss The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. Below is a summary of the novel courtesy of Goodreads:

On the faded Island Books sign hanging over the porch of the Victorian cottage is the motto "No Man Is an Island; Every Book Is a World." A. J. Fikry, the irascible owner, is about to discover just what that truly means. A. J. Fikry's life is not at all what he expected it to be. His wife has died, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. Slowly but surely, he is isolating himself from all the people of Alice Island-from Lambiase, the well-intentioned police officer who's always felt kindly toward Fikry; from Ismay, his sister-in-law who is hell-bent on saving him from his dreary self; from Amelia, the lovely and idealistic (if eccentric) Knightley Press sales rep who keeps on taking the ferry over to Alice Island, refusing to be deterred by A.J.'s bad attitude. Even the books in his store have stopped holding pleasure for him. These days, A.J. can only see them as a sign of a world that is changing too rapidly. And then a mysterious package appears at the bookstore. It's a small package, but large in weight. It's that unexpected arrival that gives A. J. Fikry the opportunity to make his life over, the ability to see everything anew. It doesn't take long for the locals to notice the change overcoming A.J.; or for that determined sales rep, Amelia, to see her curmudgeonly client in a new light; or for the wisdom of all those books to become again the lifeblood of A.J.'s world; or for everything to twist again into a version of his life that he didn't see coming. As surprising as it is moving, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry is an unforgettable tale of transformation and second chances, an irresistible affirmation of why we read, and why we love.

A.J. Fikry appeared to receive mixed reviews among the group with three thumbs-up votes, five so-so’s, and two thumbs down. Although two members who were unable to attend the discussion emailed in their votes, both of which were thumbs up. Here are some of the initial comments readers shared when explaining their votes:

  • This wasn’t abysmal, but it wasn’t good. I don’t like being emotionally manipulated and I also thought Zevin was trying to be too cutesy. But I would give it 2 out of 5 stars because I laughed three times.
  • This was all right. A very simple book but it was interesting.
  • I liked it but I wouldn’t recommend it because I didn’t like it that much. I did love how each chapter began with a short story reference and I also liked the surprise of Maya’s parentage.
  • I hated it. I felt like the author took advantage of name dropping other books…it was snobbish. The characters didn’t have any depth and it was tied up too neatly at the end.
  • This was so-so for me. A very quick read but I wanted more depth in the characters.
  • I enjoyed it as a light, summer read but it was predictable.
  • Thumbs up! The librarian in me loved the parts about matching readers to books.
  • Thumbs up…it was nice to have a book that I could finish easily. I think this was a book that was meant to make you feel good and I liked that I wasn’t so deep in emotionally that I wasn’t a (crying) wreck by the end.

Additionally, I asked the group to share some of their favorite books as this was a theme throughout the novel. Below are some of the titles that readers shared:

  • A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
  • A Wrinkle in Time
  • Crime and Punishment
  • To Kill a Mockingbird
  • Pride and Prejudice
  • 100 Years of Solitude
  • Master of the Game
  • The Sirens of Titan
  • Atlas Shrugged
  • Prep
  • Wuthering Heights
  • Jane Eyre
  • Cutting for Stone
  • Franny & Zooey
  • Catcher in the Rye

On the book business and the importance of reading-

  • The book business is so tough- it’s the survival of the fittest
  • But the bad books get published (and purchased!) all the time!

*This comment led to a discussion on the importance of reading for pleasure, even if the reader doesn’t want to read “high quality” literature…

  • If you’re not a reader, perhaps you just haven’t found the right book yet. Think about all those teenagers that are forced to read classics in high school- of course they don’t enjoy them as they were never the intended audience for those books
  • Everything in life is timing. You could read something as a teenager or child and completely hate it, but then you could revisit that same title as an adult and fall in love
  • I don’t think you should cramp kids’ reading choices. Let them choose the books that get them reading.
  • But is reading NOVELS that important? Can’t you get the same benefits of reading through non-fiction and magazine articles?
  • Novels are a luxury…they’re like brain candy
  • Reading (novels) is an escape but it also helps you develop empathy
  • You don’t need to be snobby about reading preferences. If someone wants to read 50 Shades of Grey or Twilight or whatever, good for them!
  • I think you’re more well-rounded if you ready broadly anyway

These were just a few highlights from our discussion. Please feel free to add additional thoughts on The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry in the comments section below!  

 

 

Comments

Additional Fikry reading sent from one of our book group members!

NPR interview with Gabrielle Zevin: http://www.npr.org/2014/03/28/294393870/in-storied-life-characters-come-...

A Guide to the Books and Literary References in A.J. Fikry: http://gabriellezevin.com/ajbooks/

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