My Kind of Book Store….A Review of Parnassus on Wheels
The next stop on the 1000 Books to Read Before You Die takes us to 1917 Long Island, New York. Written over a century ago, the Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley is a fun, whimsical book . This novel and its sequel, The Haunted Bookshop are both on the 1000 Book list. The book is an easy read at only about 100 pages. I like to think the novel has two themes. The first theme—you are never too old to find love. The second, you are never too old to have an adventure. So, what is a Parnassus? This reference comes from Greek Mythology—which instigates the reflection—most of our culture derives from Greek Mythology. Mount Parnassus in mythology was the mountain where the Muses lived. The Muses inspired the dreamers, the poets and the storytellers. We all have a Muse in our lives. I myself have a 45 year old blond Muse at home.
The Parnassus on Wheels is an adventure and love story. Helen McGill is living a humdrum existence. Her brother quits business and bought a farm on Long Island. She is about 40 years old and she keeps referring to herself as old and fat. Helen has cooked and taken care of her brother for many years. Her brother, Andrew, purchased the farm after quitting business for his health. He then becomes a celebrated author writing books celebrating the simple farm life. He travels throughout New York state looking for inspiration in other words looking for his Muse. He cares less and less about farming and Helen has greater and greater responsibility keeping the farm surviving. Andrew goes off exploring to be inspired to write. Helen is inspired to smack the hell out of her brother for dumping everything on her. Roger Mifflin shows up into her life with his Parnassus on Wheels and life is never the same.
Many of the 1000 Books to Read Before You Die are about books. The Parnassus on Wheels is no different. Roger Mifflin is a man after my own heart. He loves books. He wants to share his love for books and reading with everyone. I do that. I was at a work conference and I was discussing a book with someone and they stopped me and told me, “We Get It!!!”. This love of books has led him to become a book huckster. He built his cart to travel from farm to farm extolling the virtues of books and literature. Roger is a man on a mission, to educate the masses through reading. I felt that Roger Mifflin was a kindred spirit. With his fat horse, Pegasus and his dog, he travels and makes friends wherever he goes. But Roger wants to write and decides the time has come to sell his Parnassus and settle down in Brooklyn. So he goes to see Andrew McGill to sell him his cart and books lock, stock and barrel. When he arrives to meet up Andrew, Helen is there waiting for her brother to return home. The thought of her brother buying these books drove Helen to despondency. So Helen does what any person trying to prevent someone else from purchasing something—she buys the cart and books herself. She decides to go on her own adventure. Why should Andrew have all the fun?
I personally identified with this book on several levels. First the author, The Parnassus on Wheels was Christopher Morley’s first book. Morley was born and raised in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania at the turn of the century. My mother’s family were inhabitants of Bryn Mawr—the Powers and the Burkes. Katherine Powers and her husband would have been starting their hardware store/saddlery around the time Morley lived there. He may have been a customer and knew them. Roger Mifflin was a book huckster. A huckster was a door to door salesman. My father’s people were hucksters. My Grandfather Romano talked about going door to door selling produce off a truck during the depression. His brother, Victor Romano was nicknamed Victor the Huckster. Now my grandfather was a big reader but if I showed up selling books door to door, he would have smacked me in the head. Finally, Roger wants to be an author and has a book in him, he just needed to focus on writing it. I understand that problem everyday.
I would love nothing more than having a career reading books and extolling their virtues to my friends, family and stranger for that matter. And I do that with this blog. I would pick up a copy of this quaint and cute short story. Oh, one more thing, Helen and Roger fall in love on their adventure… Love comes at any age.
Keep Reading My Friends.
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