Penelope Fitzgerald is my people.

So, if I'm reading Penelope Fitzgerald's spectacular short novel The Bookshop correctly (and I think that I am), what she's saying is:

1. People are real shits; and

2. If you're not a real shit, you don't have a chance in hell of beating them.

Or, as a corollary to number 2, you might in fact "beat" the shits in that you will win a moral victory, but 2 1/2: You will never know you have won the moral victory, or 2 3/4: it will not help you to win the moral victory.

If she is, in fact, saying all these things, then there's really only one thing left for me to say: I think me and this Penelope Fitzgerald are going to get along.

It's a small story, about a very ordinary but sometimes enthralling lady named Florence Green, and her desire and plan to open a bookstore in her small British village of Hardborough. The year is 1959, and the class structure is clearly still in place (as it is today, too, just not as obviously). But what could possibly go wrong in a nice little local village where everyone knows each other? Um, yeah...

I'm off to find more books by this woman. This book was bleak as hell but meeting her heroine Florence Green, oddly enough, gave me faith in (some) human nature. I'll take it. Please go read this book, and come back to tell me what you think. I'm dying to talk it over with someone.

Comments

[Venta]

Is there a 2 7/8 that the shitty people don't know that you won the moral victory? This sounds like a great book. Bleak book about class conflict - I'm looking for it today.

[bybee]

Oh, I want this! Thanks for reviewing it.

[Citizen Reader]

Venta,
Yes, I think you have a good grasp of the math of the world. There's all sorts of chances the shitty people won't know any kind of moral victories you're winning.

Bybee,
I do hope you like it. I tried it many years ago and couldn't get into it--maybe I was just ready for it now.

[Jessica]

Okay this is freaking me out. I just put a hold on this book a week and a half ago, and it's on the way now.

[Citizen Reader]

Freaky COOL, man.

[Venta]

Just finished the book while at work, and now I have to face people at the reference desk...

[Citizen Reader]

Venta,
Brutal! Don't you just want to stop everything else, find anyone else who's read the book, and discuss it? Can't wait to hear your thoughts on it. Did you like it?

[Venta]

Potential spoiler alert...

When I first began the book, I didn't get it. It seemed so slow. I thought maybe housing Lolita would be the conflict. Then all of a sudden while reading I thought to myself, "This is brilliant. This is an amazing book." The characters I thought were undeveloped came to life. I loved it when Christine wouldn't show any favoritism toward Mrs. Gambert to the point of slapping her hand with a ruler. I also wanted to be Florence's ally/friend. All she wanted to do was open a bookstore, for God's sake. It was obvious why Mrs. Gambert did the shitty things she did, but I'm still trying to figure out what was in it for the other people especially those who were sort of friends. I guess the operative phrase is "sort of friends."

[Citizen Reader]

VENTA!!

Awesome, just awesome. My thoughts exactly. In fact, that slow beginning is the reason I never finished the book years ago. But somewhere in the middle....wowza. And boy how I loved Christine. I won't ask any more spoiler questions now but I've got some for when you come visit.

All told, and as stated earlier, I simply think Ms. Fitzgerald had an excellent grasp of the concept that people are shits. For no reason, a lot of times.

[Jessica]

Just finished it yesterday. This book really made me hate people. The end was a heartbreaker, and that last line sort of summed up everything about how "you can lead a horticulture" and all that.

I started the book thinking it would be in the vein of Helene Hanff, and that it would be all cute and heartwarming. Instead it reminded me more of the Bradbury story "All Summer in a Day."

What do you suppose Mrs. Green wound up doing next?

[Citizen Reader]

Jessica,
Yes, the end was a heartbreaker, but I think Florence is going to be all right. She strikes me as a lady who may now be sadder and wiser in the ways of the world, but I don't think it'll break her. Man, I wish I could have talked with this Penelope Fitzgerald. I'll bet she was an interesting person.

Not sweet like the Hanff, but Hanff kind of reminded me of Florence. Tough, interested in her books, nice when she wanted to be, but mainly in her own world of reading and books. I wish I could have a talk with both Helene and Penelope together.

[Jessica]

I was thinking about something along those lines last night. We should do a thing where we pull two characters or historical figures together and imagine what they would talk about if they met. I thought it would be fun to play matchmaker between characters who we think would make better couples than the ones they fictionally did.

[lesbrarian]

I read this review when you first posted it, added the title to my TBR list, and then felt bewildered when it finally showed up for me, because I'd completely forgotten why I'd wanted it in the first place, i.e., I couldn't remember if somebody had recommended it or if I'd read a good review or what. The point here is that I had no idea what the book would be about, and I had no idea that it would turn out to be so bleak and miserable. I just LOVE surprises like that!

One little plot question: I'm guessing this probably isn't the case, because it would be uncharacteristically lurid for Penelope, but: any chance that the mean rich lady (what was her name? the antagonist of the book, that's who I mean) killed off Nice Mister Benefactor at the end? Probably he just had a heart attack, but maybe she poisoned him...?