Last year, I read the enchantingly bookish novel Parnassus on Wheels, by Christopher Morley, a book that I had regularly seen on lists of the best books for bibliophiles. I had no idea it had a sequel until I happened to find The Haunted Bookshop in my own library. I may have squealed I was so happy I stumbled across it.
The Haunted Bookshop takes place some years after the events of Parnassus on Wheels and shortly after World War I. Roger and Helen Mifflin have put down roots in Brooklyn, where they run the Haunted Bookshop. A sign in the shop informs customers that it is haunted by great literature, as advertising man Aubrey Gilbert learns when he stops by to see if the Mifflins are interested in signing on with the firm he works for. Readers who are familiar with Roger Mifflin will know what to expect when anyone asks him a question. Aubrey, however, is astonished at the flood of words that pour out of Roger about the power of words and literature to uplift readers. Aubrey might have wandered away after being buried by Roger’s philosophizing, but he sticks around when he learns that the very attractive Miss Titania Chapman takes a job with the Mifflins.
The first chapter or so, in which Roger and Aubrey get acquainted, led me to think that it would be much like Parnassus on Wheels: a quiet story with a little bit of gentle adventure and a lot of talk about books. I was right about the second half of that. The Haunted Bookshop develops into a pretty cracking thriller from humble origins. The plot kicks off with strange happenings. A copy of The Letters and Speeches of Oliver Cromwell, edited by Thomas Carlyle, appears and then disappears more than once. Then shifty characters start showing up around the store. It’s hard to say whether or not it’s Miss Chapman that keeps Aubrey on the case or the mystery of what on earth is going on with the Cromwell. Whatever it is, he finds himself on a fast track to becoming a hero.
The Haunted Bookshop is a delightful read, almost better than Parnassus on Wheels. This book had a better balance of long, bookish discussions and plot. It’s also full of mirthful little jokes and gags. That said, I wish I had been able to spend a bit more time with the Mifflins, especially Helen. I feel like they’re old friends. Aubrey and Titania are interesting enough, but they’re not as fun as the eccentric Mifflins. This book was a joy.