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Shelf Monkey
Thomas Friesen has three goals in get a job, make friends, and find a good book to curl up with. After landing a job at READ, the newest hypermegabookstore, he feels he may have accomplished all three. All is not peaceable within the stacks, however, as discontent steadily rises, aimed squarely at talk show host Munroe Purvis, whose wildly popular book club is progressively lowering the IQ of North America. But the bookworms have a plan - plots are being hatched and the destruction of Munroe is all but assured. As Thomas finds himself swept along in the maelstrom of insanity, he wonders if reading a book is all it's cracked up to be.
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First published April 1, 2007
2 people are currently reading
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About the author
Corey Redekop
11 books180 followersCorey Redekop's debut novel,
Shelf Monkey
— winner, Gold Medal for Popular Fiction, 2008 Independent Book Publisher Awards: a Top 40 Essential Canadian Novel of the Decade, CBC Canada Reads — is either a work of insane genius or an intolerable left-wing screed, depending on which review you read.
Husk
(ECW Press, 2012) was shortlisted for the 2013 ReLit Award and was named a Top Book of 2012 by editors of Amazon.ca. His short stories have found homes in anthologies such as The Exile Book of New Canadian Noir, Licence Expired: The Unauthorized James Bond, Superhero Universe: Tesseracts Nineteen, and Those Who Make Us: Creature, Myth and Monster Stories.
Stunningly handsome, supremely talented, superbly gifted at hyperbole, Corey abides in Fredericton, New Brunswick.
"I’ve often wondered how a novel’s characters might assess the book they’ve been thrust, unwillingly, into - like victims of a kidnapping. Well, now it’s actually happened to me. Yes, Eric McCormack appears as a character in Shelf Monkey. Once I got over the shock of finding myself there and settled in for the long haul, I thought: What a literate, witty, suspenseful, alternate world Corey Redekop’s created. I’m not so sure I want to be rescued from it!"Eric McCormack, author, The Dutch Wife , on Shelf Monkey
"A playful — yet very serious — ode to bibliophilia. Corey Redekop writes with energy and imagination, deft little jabs that go straight to the solar plexus. I laughed, and thought — a great deal — reading Shelf Monkey."Paul Quarrington, author, Galveston, The Ravine, on Shelf Monkey
"I read several promising first novels in 2007, all so different that I am unable to choose a favorite...Corey Redekop provided this year's gonzo fun with his Shelf Monkey, an utterly enjoyable novel about radical bookworms."Jeff Vandermeer, author, City of Saints and Madmen , on Shelf Monkey
"... stylistically playful ... reminiscent of Stephen King's approach in Carrie. That it feels neither redundant nor artificial is a testament to Redekop's control over his material and his ability to push his story effortlessly forward.What is most praiseworthy about Shelf Monkey is its tone, which is blackly comic, and not afraid to get its hands dirty ... bracing and edgy and skirts the line of cruelty without ever quite tripping over it ... Redekop plays with this tension nicely throughout the novel, providing a critique of a literary culture that prizes shallowness and false sentiment over an authentic engagement with difficult texts, while at the same time assuring all of us who love books that, whatever our literary tastes or predilictions, and for better or for worse, we're all in this together."Steven W. Beattie, That Shakespeherian Rag, on Shelf Monkey
Stunningly handsome, supremely talented, superbly gifted at hyperbole, Corey abides in Fredericton, New Brunswick.
"I’ve often wondered how a novel’s characters might assess the book they’ve been thrust, unwillingly, into - like victims of a kidnapping. Well, now it’s actually happened to me. Yes, Eric McCormack appears as a character in Shelf Monkey. Once I got over the shock of finding myself there and settled in for the long haul, I thought: What a literate, witty, suspenseful, alternate world Corey Redekop’s created. I’m not so sure I want to be rescued from it!"Eric McCormack, author, The Dutch Wife , on Shelf Monkey
"A playful — yet very serious — ode to bibliophilia. Corey Redekop writes with energy and imagination, deft little jabs that go straight to the solar plexus. I laughed, and thought — a great deal — reading Shelf Monkey."Paul Quarrington, author, Galveston, The Ravine, on Shelf Monkey
"I read several promising first novels in 2007, all so different that I am unable to choose a favorite...Corey Redekop provided this year's gonzo fun with his Shelf Monkey, an utterly enjoyable novel about radical bookworms."Jeff Vandermeer, author, City of Saints and Madmen , on Shelf Monkey
"... stylistically playful ... reminiscent of Stephen King's approach in Carrie. That it feels neither redundant nor artificial is a testament to Redekop's control over his material and his ability to push his story effortlessly forward.What is most praiseworthy about Shelf Monkey is its tone, which is blackly comic, and not afraid to get its hands dirty ... bracing and edgy and skirts the line of cruelty without ever quite tripping over it ... Redekop plays with this tension nicely throughout the novel, providing a critique of a literary culture that prizes shallowness and false sentiment over an authentic engagement with difficult texts, while at the same time assuring all of us who love books that, whatever our literary tastes or predilictions, and for better or for worse, we're all in this together."Steven W. Beattie, That Shakespeherian Rag, on Shelf Monkey
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
March 19, 2024
I don’t think I’ve ever thought so carefully about how I might comment on a story. And not just after completing it, but whilst reading it.
I’m still not sure of what to write. I thoroughly enjoyed it, that’s certainly true. But there are so many points at which I tensed, so many places where I stopped to wonder. There are also so many places I was pleased to see my favourite books praised and others where I had to look up those (I’m embarrassed to admit), with which I’m unfamiliar. I’ve added them to my ‘to read’ pile!
The end is perfect.
So it goes.
I’m still not sure of what to write. I thoroughly enjoyed it, that’s certainly true. But there are so many points at which I tensed, so many places where I stopped to wonder. There are also so many places I was pleased to see my favourite books praised and others where I had to look up those (I’m embarrassed to admit), with which I’m unfamiliar. I’ve added them to my ‘to read’ pile!
The end is perfect.
So it goes.
November 4, 2011
I didn't know whether to laugh or shudder reading Corey Redekop's Shelf Monkey. So I did both.
The novel tells the tale of failed lawyer turned bookstore widget Thomas, who finds his soulmates in an eccentric group of fellow employees at hypermegabookstore READ. The only problem is they're more crazy than eccentric. They hold secret meetings where they burn offensive books -- you know, Michael Crichton, Candace Bushnell, the Left Behind series -- while assuming the monikers of beloved fictional characters. Oh, Corey, you had me at Yossarian. They have a particular hatred for a book club host called Munroe Purvis, who's sort of a sordid cross between Oprah and Morton Downey Jr. and whose book club selections represent everything wrong with western society -- imagine your grandmother's diaries turned into bestsellers, and you'll have an idea of what Purvis's book club represents.
Of course, Purvis isn't what he appears to be, and neither are many of Thomas's bookstore friends. Some of them turn out to be hiding deep secrets about the bookstore, while others are just plain dangerous in the way only geeks can be dangerous. When Purvis goes on tour and comes to town, the secrets and craziness collide as Thomas's friends set out to destroy Purvis, and the novel quickly moves from the Nick Hornby section of the bookstore to the Joseph Heller and Chuck Palahniuk table.
Redekop manages to keep his own voice throughout the novel, while winking, nodding and even raising a beer every now and then to literary culture. He name-drops authors more than a fourth-year English student, and he makes some literary traditions his own, such as adopting the epistolary novel and turning it into an email exchange while Thomas is on the run from the authorities. Even this is a bit of a literary joke for Redekop, though, as the recipient of his emails is Eric McCormack, a real-life Canadian author. At least I think he's a real-life Canadian author. I've never met him, and after reading Shelf Monkey I am beginning to wonder if he's a clever construct on the part of Redekop to flesh out the book.
Shelf Monkey is a literary thriller but it's also a fun romp -- unless, presumably, you're an Oprah fan. But if so, you're not Redekop's imagined audience. His ideal reader knows this book is blackly, blackly funny because it's all too true.
Full disclosure: Redekop gave one of my novels a fine review at his site, but I would have liked this book just as much anyway.
The novel tells the tale of failed lawyer turned bookstore widget Thomas, who finds his soulmates in an eccentric group of fellow employees at hypermegabookstore READ. The only problem is they're more crazy than eccentric. They hold secret meetings where they burn offensive books -- you know, Michael Crichton, Candace Bushnell, the Left Behind series -- while assuming the monikers of beloved fictional characters. Oh, Corey, you had me at Yossarian. They have a particular hatred for a book club host called Munroe Purvis, who's sort of a sordid cross between Oprah and Morton Downey Jr. and whose book club selections represent everything wrong with western society -- imagine your grandmother's diaries turned into bestsellers, and you'll have an idea of what Purvis's book club represents.
Of course, Purvis isn't what he appears to be, and neither are many of Thomas's bookstore friends. Some of them turn out to be hiding deep secrets about the bookstore, while others are just plain dangerous in the way only geeks can be dangerous. When Purvis goes on tour and comes to town, the secrets and craziness collide as Thomas's friends set out to destroy Purvis, and the novel quickly moves from the Nick Hornby section of the bookstore to the Joseph Heller and Chuck Palahniuk table.
Redekop manages to keep his own voice throughout the novel, while winking, nodding and even raising a beer every now and then to literary culture. He name-drops authors more than a fourth-year English student, and he makes some literary traditions his own, such as adopting the epistolary novel and turning it into an email exchange while Thomas is on the run from the authorities. Even this is a bit of a literary joke for Redekop, though, as the recipient of his emails is Eric McCormack, a real-life Canadian author. At least I think he's a real-life Canadian author. I've never met him, and after reading Shelf Monkey I am beginning to wonder if he's a clever construct on the part of Redekop to flesh out the book.
Shelf Monkey is a literary thriller but it's also a fun romp -- unless, presumably, you're an Oprah fan. But if so, you're not Redekop's imagined audience. His ideal reader knows this book is blackly, blackly funny because it's all too true.
Full disclosure: Redekop gave one of my novels a fine review at his site, but I would have liked this book just as much anyway.
March 19, 2012
I finished this book last night and then let myself think about it awhile before posting my review. At first I was appalled by this book. Book burning? BOOK BURNING!?!?!?!!! You can't... I mean... No... Didn't we learn anything from Fahrenheit 451? Book burning is bad.
But it was being done by people who proclaimed a love for books and literature. Shouldn't they know better?
Most of a day later and I see that it is less about the books and more about people and the lengths we'll go to prove a point. That said, I also find myself questioning whether or not the meaning I got out of this book is the meaning I was really supposed to get out of the book. What if I'm wrong? Will a Shelf Monkey look at my Read list and scoff at the books they find there? Does my love of bestsellers and contemporary fiction overshadow the fact that I've never even picked up a book written by Stephanie Meyer?
Does all of that leave my review null and void?
All kidding aside, it was an interesting novel for me to read. I love books and while I can be a book snob at times, I've also read my fair share of pure and utter guilty-pleasure crap. But does the value in the book come from themes, meaning and all of the higher concepts? Or is there value in a story that exists to simply be a good, entertaining story?
While I think the characters in the book were messed up, I think the author wrote them very well. I didn't need to get all of the literary references to understand the book. They actually contributed more in the way of characterization than they did plot - for me. So while I'm thinking, "geez, you could've done this without all of the literary references," I also realize that that is who Thomas WAS. That's how he thought and interacted with the people around him.
And at the end of the day all of that knowledge and biblio-superiority ended up being the downfall of all of them.
But it was being done by people who proclaimed a love for books and literature. Shouldn't they know better?
Most of a day later and I see that it is less about the books and more about people and the lengths we'll go to prove a point. That said, I also find myself questioning whether or not the meaning I got out of this book is the meaning I was really supposed to get out of the book. What if I'm wrong? Will a Shelf Monkey look at my Read list and scoff at the books they find there? Does my love of bestsellers and contemporary fiction overshadow the fact that I've never even picked up a book written by Stephanie Meyer?
Does all of that leave my review null and void?
All kidding aside, it was an interesting novel for me to read. I love books and while I can be a book snob at times, I've also read my fair share of pure and utter guilty-pleasure crap. But does the value in the book come from themes, meaning and all of the higher concepts? Or is there value in a story that exists to simply be a good, entertaining story?
While I think the characters in the book were messed up, I think the author wrote them very well. I didn't need to get all of the literary references to understand the book. They actually contributed more in the way of characterization than they did plot - for me. So while I'm thinking, "geez, you could've done this without all of the literary references," I also realize that that is who Thomas WAS. That's how he thought and interacted with the people around him.
And at the end of the day all of that knowledge and biblio-superiority ended up being the downfall of all of them.
December 4, 2010
So I'm 90% done and enough to give 4 stars...
It got 3 stars just for coming up with the word "Literati" Everything else was just icing on the cake. Like code name Yossarian Nice!
Reminds me much of Plato's Allegory of the Cave;
Chained masses staring at simple books (read wall of cave with shadow forms... there is an awesome claymation on utube that is a great intro to the dialogue)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69F7Gh...
Shelf monkeys try to inform them to redirect gaze.
Masses reject offer.
And the book now explores the fork Plato/Socrates didn't.
P/S envision that that people free from fetters would wish to help those out of a sense of altruism..
Shelf monkeys do it out of a sense of superiority/entitlement/arrogance.
P/S nor Shelf monkeys envision that chained masses are a palatable option.
Conflict here is not the righteous revolution but rather an attempt to destroy the other rather than understand their position
It got 3 stars just for coming up with the word "Literati" Everything else was just icing on the cake. Like code name Yossarian Nice!
Reminds me much of Plato's Allegory of the Cave;
Chained masses staring at simple books (read wall of cave with shadow forms... there is an awesome claymation on utube that is a great intro to the dialogue)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69F7Gh...
Shelf monkeys try to inform them to redirect gaze.
Masses reject offer.
And the book now explores the fork Plato/Socrates didn't.
P/S envision that that people free from fetters would wish to help those out of a sense of altruism..
Shelf monkeys do it out of a sense of superiority/entitlement/arrogance.
P/S nor Shelf monkeys envision that chained masses are a palatable option.
Conflict here is not the righteous revolution but rather an attempt to destroy the other rather than understand their position
June 20, 2013
Great book from a great Canadian. Reading each page left me thirsty for more as I joined the narrator in elitism, letter writing and the run from the law. Hoping for lots more from Redekop.
January 4, 2017
I think 2016 was the year of reading books that I found difficult to rate. This one might be the hardest.
I kind of hated the first half of this book. Like, really hated it. Around page 50, I was this close to DNFing this mofo. But I was so close to my year end reading goals, and it wasn't a super long book, so I pushed on through, with mixed results.
Thomas is such a turd, for starters. I am not saying he is an unlikable character, because unlikable characters don't generally turn me off on their own. He is just kind of... there. I am not sure what made him so boring for me, as the author made efforts to give this guy some dimension - he's got a slew of mental health issues, his life has been disrupted by his abandoning a difficult career path that he has been pushing through for years (and hey, who seriously quits halfway through articling, after getting an undergrad degree and then slogging through law school - seven or eight years of school, with law school being very time consuming and demanding and difficult - and you give up halfway through articling? I know a fair few people who have gone through this process and it seems bizarre to me), he's got this love interest, his relationship with whom is in constant flux and confusion... I get that Thomas is supposed to be a bit boring, that antihero who is not supposed to excite us. He points out, if I recall correctly, that he is like Nick Carraway and Aubrey is like Jay Gatsby, and guess what? I didn't like the Great Gatsby either, and I also thought Nick was a dweeb and boring as hell.
Thomas' love interest, Danae, is such a disappointment. Ah, she walks in, all curves and dark hair and mystery, and Thomas has an instaboner for her. But that's all she is. Danae proves over and over again that she serves no purpose but to be a sexual object - indeed her main role in the climax is to be a seductress - and for some reason Thomas is somehow mystified and confused by her, even though she has no personality and is the token sex appeal. I was utterly bored by their dynamic, and disappointed in Corey Redekop for his inability to write interesting women. Other women are only seen briefly, with the next significant woman being Paige, the manager of the book store, who falls into the cliche of the bitchy woman boss that nobody likes because she is the bitchy boss. WHERE ARE THE INTERESTING WOMEN?
Where are the interesting characters at all? Aubrey is supposed to be this novel's Gatsby, he is this novel's Tyler Durden, and yet he is a grey slate. In fact, the only character whom I found interesting was probably Munroe Purvis, for once his mask is revealed, he is a much more complex and interesting character than any of the others.
I mentioned Tyler Durden. Let's talk about this book burning club. This is Fight Club for intellectuals (and Canadians, apparently - I did enjoy the repeated reminder that this takes place in Winnepeg, Manitoba, arguably the ONLY place in Canada more forgettable than us tiny provinces over in the maritimes, and possibly one of the least remarkable places in the world - this added something to the atmosphere of the novel), where instead of angry young men starting a revolution by fighting each other, the angry young nerds (who weren't invited to join Fight Club because they were too busy reading) get to argue and vent about everything wrong with the world via literature, and burn books as a way to find some sort of resolution. In theory, I love this idea. Not the burning books, which I am generally against, but this literary Fight Club.
But, as I said, I don't find the characters of this book at all compelling, and Aubrey (literary Tyler) is no exception, and therefore his club is not compelling. Thomas, as this Fight Club's Jack the Narrator, is feeble in his distress and half hearted "hey guys? Guys? This is going to far, eh?" Danae as this novel's Marla is flat and cliche.
But let's get to the climax of the book. Spoilers ahead.
So they kidnap Munroe. They have a bizarre ritual where Thomas acts as his attorney, and then they torture the shit out of him. Everything from Munroe's kidnap forward, I was finally engaging with (except for Thomas, nothing was helping that guy in my eyes) this book, and I absolutely couldn't put it down! What? Where did this sudden entertainment come from?! Even as I was reading, thinking to myself how much I did not care for Thomas or how disappointing and uninteresting Danae was, I was still eager to keep going and see what was going to happen!
I love that Thomas was caught in a bookstore, using books as his body armor. Amazing and hilarious. Finally, some of the dark humour of the book struck a cord with me.
And when I finished, I was satisfied with the ending, somehow. That surprised me.
Last bone to pick: I hated that this book was epistolary. I did not think it worked for this narrative. I hated that Thomas told his stories in emails. I would have much preferred a normal narrative, with the author still including newspaper clippings and other supplementary documents in addition to the narrative. And I'm a fan of epistolary novels, so don't think I just don't like that format.
So, you know, I am really confused about how I feel about this book. I really liked certain parts of it, but it took me like 200 pages of hating just about everything to finally get to the good bit.
2 to 2.5 stars, but as this is goodreads, I will settle on 2. "It was okay."
I kind of hated the first half of this book. Like, really hated it. Around page 50, I was this close to DNFing this mofo. But I was so close to my year end reading goals, and it wasn't a super long book, so I pushed on through, with mixed results.
Thomas is such a turd, for starters. I am not saying he is an unlikable character, because unlikable characters don't generally turn me off on their own. He is just kind of... there. I am not sure what made him so boring for me, as the author made efforts to give this guy some dimension - he's got a slew of mental health issues, his life has been disrupted by his abandoning a difficult career path that he has been pushing through for years (and hey, who seriously quits halfway through articling, after getting an undergrad degree and then slogging through law school - seven or eight years of school, with law school being very time consuming and demanding and difficult - and you give up halfway through articling? I know a fair few people who have gone through this process and it seems bizarre to me), he's got this love interest, his relationship with whom is in constant flux and confusion... I get that Thomas is supposed to be a bit boring, that antihero who is not supposed to excite us. He points out, if I recall correctly, that he is like Nick Carraway and Aubrey is like Jay Gatsby, and guess what? I didn't like the Great Gatsby either, and I also thought Nick was a dweeb and boring as hell.
Thomas' love interest, Danae, is such a disappointment. Ah, she walks in, all curves and dark hair and mystery, and Thomas has an instaboner for her. But that's all she is. Danae proves over and over again that she serves no purpose but to be a sexual object - indeed her main role in the climax is to be a seductress - and for some reason Thomas is somehow mystified and confused by her, even though she has no personality and is the token sex appeal. I was utterly bored by their dynamic, and disappointed in Corey Redekop for his inability to write interesting women. Other women are only seen briefly, with the next significant woman being Paige, the manager of the book store, who falls into the cliche of the bitchy woman boss that nobody likes because she is the bitchy boss. WHERE ARE THE INTERESTING WOMEN?
Where are the interesting characters at all? Aubrey is supposed to be this novel's Gatsby, he is this novel's Tyler Durden, and yet he is a grey slate. In fact, the only character whom I found interesting was probably Munroe Purvis, for once his mask is revealed, he is a much more complex and interesting character than any of the others.
I mentioned Tyler Durden. Let's talk about this book burning club. This is Fight Club for intellectuals (and Canadians, apparently - I did enjoy the repeated reminder that this takes place in Winnepeg, Manitoba, arguably the ONLY place in Canada more forgettable than us tiny provinces over in the maritimes, and possibly one of the least remarkable places in the world - this added something to the atmosphere of the novel), where instead of angry young men starting a revolution by fighting each other, the angry young nerds (who weren't invited to join Fight Club because they were too busy reading) get to argue and vent about everything wrong with the world via literature, and burn books as a way to find some sort of resolution. In theory, I love this idea. Not the burning books, which I am generally against, but this literary Fight Club.
But, as I said, I don't find the characters of this book at all compelling, and Aubrey (literary Tyler) is no exception, and therefore his club is not compelling. Thomas, as this Fight Club's Jack the Narrator, is feeble in his distress and half hearted "hey guys? Guys? This is going to far, eh?" Danae as this novel's Marla is flat and cliche.
But let's get to the climax of the book. Spoilers ahead.
So they kidnap Munroe. They have a bizarre ritual where Thomas acts as his attorney, and then they torture the shit out of him. Everything from Munroe's kidnap forward, I was finally engaging with (except for Thomas, nothing was helping that guy in my eyes) this book, and I absolutely couldn't put it down! What? Where did this sudden entertainment come from?! Even as I was reading, thinking to myself how much I did not care for Thomas or how disappointing and uninteresting Danae was, I was still eager to keep going and see what was going to happen!
I love that Thomas was caught in a bookstore, using books as his body armor. Amazing and hilarious. Finally, some of the dark humour of the book struck a cord with me.
And when I finished, I was satisfied with the ending, somehow. That surprised me.
Last bone to pick: I hated that this book was epistolary. I did not think it worked for this narrative. I hated that Thomas told his stories in emails. I would have much preferred a normal narrative, with the author still including newspaper clippings and other supplementary documents in addition to the narrative. And I'm a fan of epistolary novels, so don't think I just don't like that format.
So, you know, I am really confused about how I feel about this book. I really liked certain parts of it, but it took me like 200 pages of hating just about everything to finally get to the good bit.
2 to 2.5 stars, but as this is goodreads, I will settle on 2. "It was okay."
January 27, 2018
I'm very ambivalent about this novel. On the one hand, it's very much a black comedy, heavy on the black, with several laugh out loud moments, and an interesting message about the snobbery and elitism that exists among the bullied. However, it hurtles down a very uncomfortable & disturbing path in its final act, and I feel some of the message is buried under the extreme actions presented in the pseudo-Wicker Man finale. The humour is also trying very hard for an extra-dark Douglas Coupland-ish style...but for every success, there are also moments it feels as if it's trying too hard (wearing a sign that says "look how dark & witty I am"). This novel has much to say, and much of it is engrossing and compelling and funny...but it walks a fine line around repulsive & obsessed, and occasionally slips off that line. It doesn't make for an easy reading experience, but definitely a fascinating one.
August 13, 2010
Shelf Monkey is an entertaining and iconoclastic look at the world of books.
It’s a little like Catch-22, but instead of bombers and Italian prostitutes there are big box book stores and people eating pizza. The role of Yossarian is played by a confirmed and inveterate book nerd (named Thomas).
Thomas has recently quit his career as a lawyer, and decided to work at a book store, because he loves book. At least, he THOUGHT he loved books. Turns out, he only likes good books. And working at a big-box-book store, Thomas discovers that not everyone has the same (good) taste. Especially when the execrable predilections of the wildly popular Munroe Purvis encourage the great unwashed to buy books of dubious value.
Unlike Yossarian, Redekop's protagonist is actually able to accomplish something. Something weird, a bit dangerous, and even anarchic -- burning books. Not all books, just the overhyped, the unredeemably bad, the dreck of the literary world.
Part Chuck Palahniuk, part readers guide to great literature, Shelf Monkey is a must for anyone with pretensions to being a bibliophile. You'll love it. For those of you who are okay with not reading every great book in the history of literature, you may find the continual literary references a bit tiring, but there's still lots to love.
Redekop's book is witty, and dare I say, aflame with excellent satire. (Yes, I dare.)
It’s a little like Catch-22, but instead of bombers and Italian prostitutes there are big box book stores and people eating pizza. The role of Yossarian is played by a confirmed and inveterate book nerd (named Thomas).
Thomas has recently quit his career as a lawyer, and decided to work at a book store, because he loves book. At least, he THOUGHT he loved books. Turns out, he only likes good books. And working at a big-box-book store, Thomas discovers that not everyone has the same (good) taste. Especially when the execrable predilections of the wildly popular Munroe Purvis encourage the great unwashed to buy books of dubious value.
Unlike Yossarian, Redekop's protagonist is actually able to accomplish something. Something weird, a bit dangerous, and even anarchic -- burning books. Not all books, just the overhyped, the unredeemably bad, the dreck of the literary world.
Part Chuck Palahniuk, part readers guide to great literature, Shelf Monkey is a must for anyone with pretensions to being a bibliophile. You'll love it. For those of you who are okay with not reading every great book in the history of literature, you may find the continual literary references a bit tiring, but there's still lots to love.
Redekop's book is witty, and dare I say, aflame with excellent satire. (Yes, I dare.)
December 25, 2012
2.5 stars, really. Black humour, definitely a book for book nerds, but also a bit snobbish. I'm surprised that Redekop is from Manitoba and not Toronto (OUCH! did I type that! haha). But in all honesty, the book is pretentious in a dozen ways, thank goodness the narrator/protagonist has a bit of integrity or I would have just given this novel one star.
Lots of name dropping of authors and books, it was almost as if the author was trying to be a bit too heady, or send the reader straight to a google search. I like Pynchon and Bukowski as much as the next geek but come one- Bukowski is just weird, not necessarily learning big life lessons from that one. How many references does that author need? And incidentally, I thought that The Stone Angel was pretty good, too bad Redekop can't get over the main character being an "old hag." Harsh sir, harsh.
Lots of name dropping of authors and books, it was almost as if the author was trying to be a bit too heady, or send the reader straight to a google search. I like Pynchon and Bukowski as much as the next geek but come one- Bukowski is just weird, not necessarily learning big life lessons from that one. How many references does that author need? And incidentally, I thought that The Stone Angel was pretty good, too bad Redekop can't get over the main character being an "old hag." Harsh sir, harsh.
July 24, 2011
This book made me laugh out loud so many times by making me remember my days as a bookstore employee. However, when I read parts out loud to a family member or friend that has not ever worked in a bookstore, I got blank stares and fake chuckles.
As wonderfully amazing as this book is, it is of this writer's opinion that it is not for those who have never worked in a bookstore. Some of the common yet ridiculous questions asked, or books requested would be lost on those who have never worked in a bookstore (or possibly a library)
Another thing that may help would be a wide knowledge of classic and modern fiction. I found myself googling or wikipediaing classic novel character names so that I knew what was being referenced.
In summary, a wonderful novel for those with bookstore experience, but not for everyone.
As wonderfully amazing as this book is, it is of this writer's opinion that it is not for those who have never worked in a bookstore. Some of the common yet ridiculous questions asked, or books requested would be lost on those who have never worked in a bookstore (or possibly a library)
Another thing that may help would be a wide knowledge of classic and modern fiction. I found myself googling or wikipediaing classic novel character names so that I knew what was being referenced.
In summary, a wonderful novel for those with bookstore experience, but not for everyone.
January 3, 2009
Reading this novel made me feel less crazy about my addiction to literature. I am still torn on the debate raised in this book as to whether all authors deserve respect regardless of the quality of the work. My feeling is that if someone has written a book with the intent of creating debate or raising important questions and remain true in their intentions(meaning that they are not simply hoping to cash in) then they deserve respect even if the work is flawed. But hey that is just my two cents. Highly recommend this novel to anyone who finds themselves always in arms reach of a book.
June 6, 2016
Yes, I could be a Shelf Monkey so easily. This book was such a fun read - I mean it was disturbing at times, but so spot on in its assessment of readers and non-readers. I totally understand the frustration of accepting that everyone has different tastes in reading and those "tastes" aren't necessarily very sophisticated while wanting everyone to appreciate better literature.
August 2, 2012
This book was insane and brilliant in equal measure; I recommend this to anyone who has ever worked in a big-box bookstore, or who is a bibliophile with a delightfully twisted sense of humour.
Read
September 20, 2012UGGGGHHHHH
Worst read of the year, maybe even of my life. Do not waste your time.
Worst read of the year, maybe even of my life. Do not waste your time.
April 9, 2014
A strange and wonderful book. The story is just odd but compelling and there is something joyous about it all. I look forward to future books.
January 6, 2025
So here’s the thing, I am not ashamed of my situation at the time as I have since grown and moved on with my life, but I was in jail ironically for missing a court date on a case that I was let go of and deemed innocent of any wrongdoing (but that does matter, I guess in a way I do care that people know I’m not a criminal!) but to the review, I had never heard of this book before, but there it was and being a avid reader I spent the most of my time reading in jail cause what else can you do! Now, Why do I include this in my review of this book (if you’ve read it you might already know, if not spoilers!) because not only did Shelf Monkeys give me a lot to think about in my current situation I was in but I forgot to mention that I’m also Canadian so when certain events happened in the book that related heavily to my situation I got to say I was both very amazed by the accuracy of how the Canadian jail system works and almost frightened with the coincidence that I had picked this book! It gave me hope, I was really down and out at the time and it was a really great escape to have had and the list of books I had to read afterwards was very nice too lol as I’ve seen mentioned in other comments, I too found myself relating to the characters love for certain books but also found myself writing down titles to look up later (there’s no google in jail lol) overall a really interesting and great book! I remember the inmate that gave it to me told me “it’s like Fight Club but for nerds or book lovers” and although I think it’s not totally accurate I do see what he means! It is just a thrilling story you can’t put down with twists that aren’t really twists but still make you think “where did that come from?” and even points where you are kind of routing for the bad guy in the end! I guess what I am trying to say in all this is if you enjoy classic novels, good storytelling, eccentric characters and a good book all in all, then this is the book for you! Aside from that I just want to thank the author for such and amazing uplifting feeling in o e of my worst times :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2017
Shelf Monkey is one of the more unusual books I've ever read, and I'd have to describe it as weirdly entertaining. At times I found it hilarious, at others, uncomfortable. The story unfolds in a series of emails, following the narrative of Thomas Friesen, who has apparently done something very, very bad, and is currently on the run. He is unveiled as a former lawyer who suffers from anxiety, found himself on anti-depressants and was working in a bookshop. He and his bookshop colleagues were well-read, well-educated extreme book enthusiasts who were subjected on a daily basis to the horrors of customers eschewing good literature in favour of horribly written, lightweight, book club recommendations made by one, Munroe Purvis, talk show host and destroyer of minds. After months of wondering what grand secret his co-workers are excluding him from, Thomas was finally inducted into the ranks of the Shelf Monkeys, who are ridding the world of horrible literature, one hideous book at a time. What he did not realise is how far they were willing to go when Purvis came to town, and how deeply it would affect his life.
What I especially enjoyed: The writing style in this book was flamboyant and fluid. The story was unexpected and unconventional. The actions of the characters made me pause and think about my own prejudices and how I react to things I absolutely can't stand in others' behaviour, which is what made me uncomfortable: this story's reach is deep.
A critical point: I thought Thomas could have gone farther down the path he ultimately, although ambivalently chose, and it would have made the ending more (hilariously) horrifying.
Overall: An excellent, well written book: the work of a master craftsman. Definitely recommended.
What I especially enjoyed: The writing style in this book was flamboyant and fluid. The story was unexpected and unconventional. The actions of the characters made me pause and think about my own prejudices and how I react to things I absolutely can't stand in others' behaviour, which is what made me uncomfortable: this story's reach is deep.
A critical point: I thought Thomas could have gone farther down the path he ultimately, although ambivalently chose, and it would have made the ending more (hilariously) horrifying.
Overall: An excellent, well written book: the work of a master craftsman. Definitely recommended.
April 15, 2019
A fantastic look into the issue that is society's sheepish mentality. How sad it is that people live inside a phone, looking at funny pictures or watching a video of someone's sob story, instead of challenging themselves with an interesting book; they ignore the soft pages, brimming with life through the blood of the ink, due to "not having the time" when they spend hours on Facebook. And when they do read, it is akin to literary fluff or something painfully agreeable, with small words and few pages.
I don't agree with the actual burning of books, personally, and I think even if they had done away with Munroe, another would soon take his place. But I completely understand their frustration. This unexplainable upset with the world for walking through life blind and exceedingly uneducated; unable to even use proper grammar, let alone try to better themselves further than ten minutes of Bill Nye the Liberal Guy.
It's absolutely heartbreaking to think my daughter will grow in a world that is only getting worse. But I know there will be a few Shelf Monkeys out there that she will hopefully find a friend in; those who can still appreciate a good read. ...or is it "red" ? (;
All over, I truly enjoyed this book. And cannot wait for Corey Redekop to release more fiction of fantastic calibre.
I don't agree with the actual burning of books, personally, and I think even if they had done away with Munroe, another would soon take his place. But I completely understand their frustration. This unexplainable upset with the world for walking through life blind and exceedingly uneducated; unable to even use proper grammar, let alone try to better themselves further than ten minutes of Bill Nye the Liberal Guy.
It's absolutely heartbreaking to think my daughter will grow in a world that is only getting worse. But I know there will be a few Shelf Monkeys out there that she will hopefully find a friend in; those who can still appreciate a good read. ...or is it "red" ? (;
All over, I truly enjoyed this book. And cannot wait for Corey Redekop to release more fiction of fantastic calibre.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 13, 2009
Thomas Friesen has three goals in life. Get a job. Make friends. Find a good book to curl up with. After landing a job at READ, the newest hypermegabookstore, he feels he may have accomplished all three.
All is not peaceable within the stacks, however. Dis content is steadily rising, and it is aimed squarely at Munroe Purvis, a talk show host whose wildly popular book club is progressively lowering the IQ of North America.
But the bookworms have a plan. Plots are being hatched. The destruction of Munroe is all but assured. And as Thomas finds himself swept along in the maelstrom of insanity, he wonders if reading a book is all it's cracked up to be.
Definitely a zippier read than the last one, although I have to admit, not what I was expecting. I was kind of expecting some fairly light-hearted satire about working in a bookstore, maybe something almost along the lines of Microserfs or JPod (assuming the latter - which I have not yet read - is anything like the TV show - of which a few episodes I have seen) filled with hilarious situations that, as a fellow bookseller, I could totally relate to and laugh along with. The "destruction of Munroe" would, I figured be some sort of hilarious prank that would humiliate and utterly discredit him, but be ultimately harmless. But that is not what this book is.
For starters, aside from describing Thomas's first few days at the bookstore, while he acclimatizes to what it's like to work there, the book doesn't really deal with working there at all. It's much more about the relationships between the people, and their relationships with books. It especially focuses on the Shelf Monkey meetings, where a group of disaffected bookstore employees, tired of having the sell utter crap to customers at the expense of good stuff, gather together to burn copies of some of the offending crap.
Then there's Munroe Purvis. When I sarted reading, I assumed he was supposed to represent Oprah and her omnipresent book club, and booksellers' mild to severe aggravation about that. However, as even the book points out, while it's irritating that people won't read something amazing like A Fine Balance, for example unless Oprah tells them to, and then you better believe they're all over it, the fact remains that she does pick such things. If you look back at Oprah's picks, there is some pretty fantastic stuff in there. There's the occasional tripe, too, but yeah. She picks some decent stuff. Munroe Purvis, on the other hand, is basically blatantly opposed to anything worthwhile. His picks are exclusively overwrought, heartwrenching, steaming piles of crap. Redekop must have had a blast writing a few excerpts from one of these books, because it is the most painfully, nauseatingly saccharine bit of tripe I've ever had the dubious pleasure of reading (Oh who am I kidding. I loved reading it. Actually laughed out loud about it. But would definitely hurl a book across the room if I ever had to read more than one page of such inanity.). So he was a great maddeningly omnipotent presence, and all the customers his mindless zombies, ready to chew up the latest dreadful offering from him, and while we real-life booksellers may not have it quite that bad, we can definitely still relate to everything that goes on as a result of this man and his atrocious books.
Except the final thing. As I said before, I fully expected some sort of prank that would be funny. But what the Shelf Monkeys ultimately ended up doing was pretty intense and horrifying. And while I understand their frustration, yeah. It really changed some of the characters in my view, and makes them much less likable, because no one deserves what they did, really. I can sort of get behind the ones who, like Thomas, got swept up in it, but as soon as it was over, went "Oh my god, what did we do?", but a few of them seemed to still believe, even after the mania wore off, that what they did was perfectly justified, and it's kind of hard to accept that.
But there it is. And lest you think I don't think it was good, I did. It was a good book. Quick read, quite compelling, and for sure relatable, at least in some places, if you've ever worked with books. Just be warned that it's not as light-hearted as you might think.
All is not peaceable within the stacks, however. Dis content is steadily rising, and it is aimed squarely at Munroe Purvis, a talk show host whose wildly popular book club is progressively lowering the IQ of North America.
But the bookworms have a plan. Plots are being hatched. The destruction of Munroe is all but assured. And as Thomas finds himself swept along in the maelstrom of insanity, he wonders if reading a book is all it's cracked up to be.
Definitely a zippier read than the last one, although I have to admit, not what I was expecting. I was kind of expecting some fairly light-hearted satire about working in a bookstore, maybe something almost along the lines of Microserfs or JPod (assuming the latter - which I have not yet read - is anything like the TV show - of which a few episodes I have seen) filled with hilarious situations that, as a fellow bookseller, I could totally relate to and laugh along with. The "destruction of Munroe" would, I figured be some sort of hilarious prank that would humiliate and utterly discredit him, but be ultimately harmless. But that is not what this book is.
For starters, aside from describing Thomas's first few days at the bookstore, while he acclimatizes to what it's like to work there, the book doesn't really deal with working there at all. It's much more about the relationships between the people, and their relationships with books. It especially focuses on the Shelf Monkey meetings, where a group of disaffected bookstore employees, tired of having the sell utter crap to customers at the expense of good stuff, gather together to burn copies of some of the offending crap.
Then there's Munroe Purvis. When I sarted reading, I assumed he was supposed to represent Oprah and her omnipresent book club, and booksellers' mild to severe aggravation about that. However, as even the book points out, while it's irritating that people won't read something amazing like A Fine Balance, for example unless Oprah tells them to, and then you better believe they're all over it, the fact remains that she does pick such things. If you look back at Oprah's picks, there is some pretty fantastic stuff in there. There's the occasional tripe, too, but yeah. She picks some decent stuff. Munroe Purvis, on the other hand, is basically blatantly opposed to anything worthwhile. His picks are exclusively overwrought, heartwrenching, steaming piles of crap. Redekop must have had a blast writing a few excerpts from one of these books, because it is the most painfully, nauseatingly saccharine bit of tripe I've ever had the dubious pleasure of reading (Oh who am I kidding. I loved reading it. Actually laughed out loud about it. But would definitely hurl a book across the room if I ever had to read more than one page of such inanity.). So he was a great maddeningly omnipotent presence, and all the customers his mindless zombies, ready to chew up the latest dreadful offering from him, and while we real-life booksellers may not have it quite that bad, we can definitely still relate to everything that goes on as a result of this man and his atrocious books.
Except the final thing. As I said before, I fully expected some sort of prank that would be funny. But what the Shelf Monkeys ultimately ended up doing was pretty intense and horrifying. And while I understand their frustration, yeah. It really changed some of the characters in my view, and makes them much less likable, because no one deserves what they did, really. I can sort of get behind the ones who, like Thomas, got swept up in it, but as soon as it was over, went "Oh my god, what did we do?", but a few of them seemed to still believe, even after the mania wore off, that what they did was perfectly justified, and it's kind of hard to accept that.
But there it is. And lest you think I don't think it was good, I did. It was a good book. Quick read, quite compelling, and for sure relatable, at least in some places, if you've ever worked with books. Just be warned that it's not as light-hearted as you might think.
August 11, 2021
I loved this book, especially the ending. I identified a lot with the characters' frustration with the dumbing down of books and readers. While a nice fluffy book certainly has it's place, literature should challenge us to think more about making the world a better place, or at least have compassion for other people. I'll certainly be recommending this to others.
February 24, 2017
Brilliant! Full of bookish reference and slanders against the ignorant masses, their book choices, and the big box stores. Canadian, and highly enjoyable.
May 1, 2017
I picked this book out randomly at the Library. I was looking for something quirky and funny. I was right, it is very quirky and has some humour to it that can be a little hit and miss - but I get what the author was going for and can appreciate it.
On the back there's a quote from Eric McCormack, an unwilling and real life character in the book, "I've often wondered how a novel's characters might asses the book they've been thrust, unwillingly, into - like the victims of a kidnapping. Well now it's actually happened to me. Once I got over the shock of finding myself there..." and he goes on to say something nice. Well, I know Eric McCormack, he was an English Professor of mine at UofW. I thought it was quite odd to use a real person in a novel without them knowing.
The main character, Thomas, works in a book store where the employees form a snobby club and burn what they deem to be crappy books. A C-level celebrity who promotes these crappy books becomes enemy #1, and he is kidnapped and beaten. Thomas runs from authorities, and we read about this story from his on-the-lamb letters to Eric, with clips or newspaper articles scattered throughout.
Here's where my low rating comes from... The author uses real books, real names of authors, and bashes the hell out of them. A couple of times might have been somewhat amusing and would have made the point. The continual bashing and complaining made the book come across as a whiny, soap-box speech. The funny parts became less funny, and it took a long time to get to the conclusion. I just wasn't enjoying it.
I picked it off the shelf because I really liked the title, still do! But I didn't like the characters, who didn't really develop or learn anything in the end. I wanted to like it more.
As an author, and I happened to be using my most recent .31 cent cheque as a bookmark, I thought writing a non-literary, quirky book that absolutely slams non-literary books...was a lot to overcome.
On the back there's a quote from Eric McCormack, an unwilling and real life character in the book, "I've often wondered how a novel's characters might asses the book they've been thrust, unwillingly, into - like the victims of a kidnapping. Well now it's actually happened to me. Once I got over the shock of finding myself there..." and he goes on to say something nice. Well, I know Eric McCormack, he was an English Professor of mine at UofW. I thought it was quite odd to use a real person in a novel without them knowing.
The main character, Thomas, works in a book store where the employees form a snobby club and burn what they deem to be crappy books. A C-level celebrity who promotes these crappy books becomes enemy #1, and he is kidnapped and beaten. Thomas runs from authorities, and we read about this story from his on-the-lamb letters to Eric, with clips or newspaper articles scattered throughout.
Here's where my low rating comes from... The author uses real books, real names of authors, and bashes the hell out of them. A couple of times might have been somewhat amusing and would have made the point. The continual bashing and complaining made the book come across as a whiny, soap-box speech. The funny parts became less funny, and it took a long time to get to the conclusion. I just wasn't enjoying it.
I picked it off the shelf because I really liked the title, still do! But I didn't like the characters, who didn't really develop or learn anything in the end. I wanted to like it more.
As an author, and I happened to be using my most recent .31 cent cheque as a bookmark, I thought writing a non-literary, quirky book that absolutely slams non-literary books...was a lot to overcome.
October 26, 2012
Receiving this as a giveaway win, I was both excited and a tad bit intimidated as I started chewing into this one. I wasn't quite sure why the synopsis made it seem like a light-hearted romp through a serious plot line.
I needn't have worried.
While narrating from the voice of someone who may very well be certifiably insane from the first interview, Redekop maintains a superior point of view in his characters' taste in literature, but doesn't drown the reader in it. Obscure references are explained within the context, and most are basic, well-known thematic ideas that serve to illustrate the frustration throughout the story. In fact, toward the end, I admit it infected me with a bit of self-righteousness as well.
To address some of the other reviews, which I mistakenly perused prior to completing this novel: Of course some of the characters are hyperbolic - refer back to 'certifiable narrator' - and by the end, they really needed to have been drawn that way. The narrator himself may not be taken seriously by some readers, but anyone even casually familiar with mental disorders will understand him completely. And I'm actually glad that the much-hated Munroe Purvis was made out to be a contemporary of the well-known talk show hosts, and not an actual famous personality placed into that role. (Set aside the legal implications of doing such a thing; creating a separate target was necessary for this plot.)
In short: Thanks, Corey, for the ARC. Finding a dog-eared page was one of the highlights of this adventure.
I needn't have worried.
While narrating from the voice of someone who may very well be certifiably insane from the first interview, Redekop maintains a superior point of view in his characters' taste in literature, but doesn't drown the reader in it. Obscure references are explained within the context, and most are basic, well-known thematic ideas that serve to illustrate the frustration throughout the story. In fact, toward the end, I admit it infected me with a bit of self-righteousness as well.
To address some of the other reviews, which I mistakenly perused prior to completing this novel: Of course some of the characters are hyperbolic - refer back to 'certifiable narrator' - and by the end, they really needed to have been drawn that way. The narrator himself may not be taken seriously by some readers, but anyone even casually familiar with mental disorders will understand him completely. And I'm actually glad that the much-hated Munroe Purvis was made out to be a contemporary of the well-known talk show hosts, and not an actual famous personality placed into that role. (Set aside the legal implications of doing such a thing; creating a separate target was necessary for this plot.)
In short: Thanks, Corey, for the ARC. Finding a dog-eared page was one of the highlights of this adventure.
Read
November 5, 2009Employees of a big-box bookstore band together to combat bad taste in books, and its avatar, one Monroe Purvis, a talk show host who uses his book club (and publishing company) to promote utterly vacuous books; hilarity ensues.
Shelf Monkey is both fun and funny. The fun is in Redekop's continual allusions and borrowings -- you will have to be fearsomely well read to spot them all, and I'm sure I missed many. and the funny, of course, is in his razor-sharp satire of an age where art is "content," to be sold as so much sausage filling.
It's tempting to see Monroe Purvis as a stab at Oprah Winfrey, but he's more than that. Oprah, as even Monroe Purvis points out, actually reads some good books; she's used her position to encourage people to read Faulkner, Steinbeck, and Carson McCullers, among others. Purvis is something else again. His publishing company churns out what you might call literary anti-matter, unredeemably vile books dripping with contempt not only for their readers, but for reading itself.
Shelf Monkey is a quick, light read, but not one that you'll easily forget.
Shelf Monkey is both fun and funny. The fun is in Redekop's continual allusions and borrowings -- you will have to be fearsomely well read to spot them all, and I'm sure I missed many. and the funny, of course, is in his razor-sharp satire of an age where art is "content," to be sold as so much sausage filling.
It's tempting to see Monroe Purvis as a stab at Oprah Winfrey, but he's more than that. Oprah, as even Monroe Purvis points out, actually reads some good books; she's used her position to encourage people to read Faulkner, Steinbeck, and Carson McCullers, among others. Purvis is something else again. His publishing company churns out what you might call literary anti-matter, unredeemably vile books dripping with contempt not only for their readers, but for reading itself.
Shelf Monkey is a quick, light read, but not one that you'll easily forget.
April 21, 2015
Shelf Monkeys started off slow. As soon as it started I was trying to figure out where it was going. Not that it's in riddle-form, just that books written through news reports and the like are ones that I tend to have to grapple with more. Anyway, it was a great read. It fired me up and forced me to take notice of the slowly deteriorating brain of society. Seriously guys, Fifty Shades of Grey as the number one bestseller for MONTHS? This book discusses the growing trend of people lowering their standards of quality literature. Sure, I read my trash novels sometimes, but I recognize it as such. To try and classify these kinds of books as anything but time-wasters would be too nice. Anyway, it's a great book that shows the booknerds fighting back. Actually taking a stand and fighting for quality literature. It fired me up and made me want to have my own idiot book burning.
I think it's fair to say that only my goodreads counterparts will understand how important a good book can be to your life.
(I received this in a First Reads giveaway.)
I think it's fair to say that only my goodreads counterparts will understand how important a good book can be to your life.
(I received this in a First Reads giveaway.)
March 8, 2017
For a book about book snobs, this one sure was bad. It was filled with endless lists of book titles, author names, character names that added nothing to the plot. Speaking of the plot, it was very difficult to figure out what was going on until much too far into the book. Oh yes, and don't plan short reading sessions around chapters because the author clearly doesn't believe in giving the reader breaks. Chapters are many dozens of pages long. Events dragged on infinitely with copious irrelevant details. I'm so disappointed because this book was highly rated by others. The only thing I really enjoyed about it was that it was set in Winnipeg. I'm upset with myself for wasting my time on this one.
June 14, 2012
The format of this book was trying at first, and I tended to skip a few of the initial 'news items'. The email and storytelling nature of the style was fascinating and wove seamlessly through correspondence to prose.
All in all, I adored this book. Peppered with all sorts of book-geek goodies, all readers will find bits and pieces that speak to them on a deep, secret level that only lovers of the written word could appreciate.
I should look through for reactions from pulp and casual readers and see if this is only for shelf monkeys~
All in all, I adored this book. Peppered with all sorts of book-geek goodies, all readers will find bits and pieces that speak to them on a deep, secret level that only lovers of the written word could appreciate.
I should look through for reactions from pulp and casual readers and see if this is only for shelf monkeys~
January 19, 2016
I could be a Shelf Monkey. Would jump at the chance if given the opportunity. I think that officially makes me a book snob. Oh, well, nothing I didn't already know. I loved this book. It spoke to my reading soul and made me laugh. It's hard to say anything concrete in review that wouldn't give the plot away. But if the shelves and shelves of Nicholas Sparks, LaVyrle Spencer and Danielle Steel make you cringe, you'll love this book.
December 24, 2009
Really enjoyed this bibliophiles manifesto. It kept me guessing to the end and enjoyed the the outrage of the Shelf Monkeys. Lots of now familiar scenarios are taken to the Nth degree, such as inane book clubs, illiteracy and big box bookstores. A hilarious romp through the actions of one group of booklovers and their line in the sand.
March 10, 2008
Perfect book for book snobs. Be sure to have a pen and paper handy and write down everything you have to google later.
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