Christopher Morley: Two Classic Novels in One Volume: Parnassus on Wheels and the Haunted Bookshop

1 - Parnassus on Wheels A wonderful, short, simple tale. A good read for any booklover. You'll find yourself daydreaming of a time when you could have followed the Professor's lead and hit the road with a wagonload of books. The book is set on the rural coastal area around NYC around the turn of the century, when books were still hard to come by away from the cities. I highly recommend an edition with illustrations by Douglas Gorsline. 2 - The Haunted Bookshop Interesting for any book (or bookshop) lover. A fun read, but a mediocre mystery. Loaded with stereotypes, but forgivable for the time period. The story of a used bookshop in Brooklyn at the very end of WWI, and strange incidents that befall a young ad salesman who befriends the shop owners.

"Parnassus on Wheels," originally published in 1917, charmed me when I read it (in the 1950s), and is probably "the reason" why I became a librarian, and now a book supplier. (I'm not sure having a horse-drawn wagon and selling books that way, would be fun today, but it's still a charming book.)

This is the first time I've seen both "Parnassis on Wheels" and its sequel, "The Haunted Bookshop", together in one volume. These are hard books to peg into a certain category - they are mainly conversation-driven, as opposed to being action-driven, but there *is* some adventure. I hate to say any more about them because I hate giving away storylines. I would not recommend this book to die-hard "action" or "romance" readers, though there is a little of both in these books... Bibliophiles would definitely enjoy these books. For example, if you liked "Bachelor Brothers' Bed and Breakfast" by Bill Richardson, you will like this book. Both are funny, charming, and light-hearted, and talk about (my favorite subject) books. If you love books, I think these two (Parnassis and Bookshop) will give you a delightful read.