Parnassus on Wheels - bookrastinating.com

No cover — Christopher Morley: Parnassus on Wheels (2017, Standard Ebooks)

English language

Published Nov. 16, 2017 by Standard Ebooks.

Parnassus on Wheels is Christopher Morley’s first novel, and the first of two written from a woman’s perspective, the second being The Haunted Bookshop, this book’s sequel. Parnassus on Wheels was inspired by a novel by David Grayson (pseudonym of Ray Stannard Baker) called The Friendly Road, and is prefaced by a letter to Grayson from Morley. The word “Parnassus” from the title refers to “Mount Parnassus,” the home of the Muses in Greek mythology.

        <p>The protagonist is 39-year-old Helen McGill, who lives on a farm owned by her brother Andrew. The book’s Parnassus is a large, horse-drawn van owned by Roger Mifflin, out of which he buys and sells books while traveling around the New England countryside. Mifflin arrives at the McGill farm, looking to sell the business to someone interested in the noble cause of spreading literature to the common man. Helen is at first …

Parnassus on Wheels is Christopher Morley’s first novel, and the first of two written from a woman’s perspective, the second being The Haunted Bookshop, this book’s sequel. Parnassus on Wheels was inspired by a novel by David Grayson (pseudonym of Ray Stannard Baker) called The Friendly Road, and is prefaced by a letter to Grayson from Morley. The word “Parnassus” from the title refers to “Mount Parnassus,” the home of the Muses in Greek mythology.

        <p>The protagonist is 39-year-old Helen McGill, who lives on a farm owned by her brother Andrew. The book’s Parnassus is a large, horse-drawn van owned by Roger Mifflin, out of which he buys and sells books while traveling around the New England countryside. Mifflin arrives at the McGill farm, looking to sell the business to someone interested in the noble cause of spreading literature to the common man. Helen is at first turned off by Mr. Mifflin, but decides on a whim that an escape from her dreadful farm—and her insufferable brother Andrew—is just what she needs. She buys the Parnassus, and embarks on exactly the type of adventure she had hoped for.</p>

46 editions

Acton reviewed Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley

Review of 'Parnassus on Wheels' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

This is a quaint, sweet novella. The term Parnassas on Wheels describes a moble used book store--a veritable mountain of books run by a rather eccentric middle-aged little man named Roger Mifflin. Roger is all alone with Pegasus, his chubby white horse and Bock, his little terrier, until he decides to sell his venture to someone else so that he can relax and write his own book. Enter Helen McGill, the overworked and bored spinster sister of a successful author. Their first meeting is not friendly, as Helen tries to get rid of Roger for fear that her brother will actually buy this venture and leave her with even more of the farm work. Then, on a whim, she thinks--why shouldn't SHE have a little adventure, a break from all this dull house work and cooking and such?

This turns into an eventful love story, with a delightful ending for …

This is a quaint, sweet novella. The term Parnassas on Wheels describes a moble used book store--a veritable mountain of books run by a rather eccentric middle-aged little man named Roger Mifflin. Roger is all alone with Pegasus, his chubby white horse and Bock, his little terrier, until he decides to sell his venture to someone else so that he can relax and write his own book. Enter Helen McGill, the overworked and bored spinster sister of a successful author. Their first meeting is not friendly, as Helen tries to get rid of Roger for fear that her brother will actually buy this venture and leave her with even more of the farm work. Then, on a whim, she thinks--why shouldn't SHE have a little adventure, a break from all this dull house work and cooking and such?

This turns into an eventful love story, with a delightful ending for two people who thought they'd be alone forever.

(I'm reading the sequel now)

Fun read.

Subjects

Booksellers and bookselling -- Fiction
Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) -- Fiction