The Bookseller, by C. Robert Cales, tells the stories of three different people from completely different walks of life. George Saunders lives with his wife Elizabeth above their rare book store in a small town outside of Boston. They are visited by an old friend, Frank Richter, who owns a funeral home and comes to visit to gift them a rare book he received from a former client. John Stoner is on assignment for one of the largest construction companies in the country to clear away an old house in order to build a shopping mall. There he meets a local named Jimmy and they become fast friends. Conversely, there is a man named Carlos Ramirez who is the man behind a large South American drug cartel. So how do all of these people and stories intermingle? In ways you cannot even begin to fathom.
Being a huge book fiend, I was excited to start reading the book, namely because I especially love books about books. When I read the description and learned that the story centered around a man who owned a rare book store, I was intrigued. But I must say, this is one story that will keep you guessing until the end. While the story starts out a little slow, it quickly gets going and veers off into a way different direction than the reader expects. Interspersed with paranormal elements — a haunted house and a man who has traveled through time through reincarnation, the story builds and builds upon these scattered paranormal elements to finally culminate in a completely unearthly and mystical ending.
Although the book was a bit too long, I can honestly I have never read something like this before. It certainly kept me entertained and I had no idea where it was going. I liked the unpredictability of the book and the complete originality. The author has no shortage of ideas and keeps you guessing until the end. This thriller starts at one spot and ends at a completely different one, all the while making the reader fall in love with the characters (and absolutely loathe others)>
Twisted Talk: Do you like paranormal novels? What was the last one you read? Discuss below!
