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A review by saareman
The Caxton Private Lending Library & Book Depository by John Connolly
5.0
A Bibliophile's Delight! - Bibliomysteries #34?
Review of the Mysterious Press/Open Road eBook (December 18, 2018) of the original StoryFront eBook [b:The Museum of Literary Souls|19171195|The Museum of Literary Souls|John Connolly|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386142001l/19171195._SY75_.jpg|27212584] (December 4, 2013).
This appears to be a rare instance of Bibliomysteries adding a previously published non-commissioned work to its series several years after the fact. John Connolly's fantasy fiction first appeared under the title The Museum of Literary Souls in 2013. In the Bibliomysteries series it is now called The Caxton Private Lending Library & Book Depository.
Too much information here would be a spoiler. But you should think of this more as a fantasy fiction rather than a "deadly book," which is otherwise the mandate of the Bibliomysteries series. Literary soul Mr. Berger is retired to the countryside and takes nightly walks nearby to a railroad track. One night a mysterious woman in red appears and throws herself under an approaching train. The authorities arrive to investigate but no trace of a body can be found. Several nights later, the woman appears again but this time her "suicide" is thwarted by Berger, and he follows her back through the woods to a mysterious building.
What could be the origin of the mysterious woman and what else might be hidden behind the walls of the apparently unattended building? Berger decides that he must discover its secrets.
This short story was an utter delight and I have no hesitation in calling it a 5-star as i think would anyone who likes to think of fictional characters as being more "real" than true-life people.
Trivia and Links
John Connolly (1968-) is an Irish author of over 30+ published novels, mostly in the mystery and supernatural genres. His best known novels are in the Charlie Parker (1999-2024-ongoing?) private investigator series. His most popular book (based on the number of GR ratings and reviews) is [b:The Book of Lost Things|69136|The Book of Lost Things (The Book of Lost Things, #1)|John Connolly|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388253367l/69136._SY75_.jpg|1164024] (2006). The short story The Caxton Private Lending Library... is also available in the John Connolly short stories anthology [b:Night Music|25016879|Night Music (Nocturnes, #2)|John Connolly|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1432655843l/25016879._SY75_.jpg|44689831] (Nocturnes #2 - 2015).
The Bibliomysteries series are short stories commissioned by Otto Penzler's The Mysterious Press to be written around the theme of deadly books. They are individually published in limited edition signed hardcovers followed by paperbacks and ebooks, and periodically collected in anthology editions such as [b:Bibliomysteries|32191848|Bibliomysteries|Otto Penzler|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1478278696l/32191848._SY75_.jpg|56893092] (2013, containing stories 1-15) and [b:Bibliomysteries: Volume Two|36327114|Bibliomysteries Volume Two|Otto Penzler|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1507842055l/36327114._SY75_.jpg|58003435] (2018, containing stories 16-30). There does not appear to be a Goodreads Listopia for them, but on Library Thing the current listing (as of early-October 2024) includes 41 short stories Note that there is a double count of #33 and that book #41 isn't numbered yet in that list.
Review of the Mysterious Press/Open Road eBook (December 18, 2018) of the original StoryFront eBook [b:The Museum of Literary Souls|19171195|The Museum of Literary Souls|John Connolly|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386142001l/19171195._SY75_.jpg|27212584] (December 4, 2013).
It’s a natural consequence of the capacity of a bookstore or library to contain entire worlds, whole universes, and all contained between the covers of books. In that sense, every library or bookstore is practically infinite.
This appears to be a rare instance of Bibliomysteries adding a previously published non-commissioned work to its series several years after the fact. John Connolly's fantasy fiction first appeared under the title The Museum of Literary Souls in 2013. In the Bibliomysteries series it is now called The Caxton Private Lending Library & Book Depository.
Too much information here would be a spoiler. But you should think of this more as a fantasy fiction rather than a "deadly book," which is otherwise the mandate of the Bibliomysteries series. Literary soul Mr. Berger is retired to the countryside and takes nightly walks nearby to a railroad track. One night a mysterious woman in red appears and throws herself under an approaching train. The authorities arrive to investigate but no trace of a body can be found. Several nights later, the woman appears again but this time her "suicide" is thwarted by Berger, and he follows her back through the woods to a mysterious building.
What could be the origin of the mysterious woman and what else might be hidden behind the walls of the apparently unattended building? Berger decides that he must discover its secrets.
This short story was an utter delight and I have no hesitation in calling it a 5-star as i think would anyone who likes to think of fictional characters as being more "real" than true-life people.
Trivia and Links
John Connolly (1968-) is an Irish author of over 30+ published novels, mostly in the mystery and supernatural genres. His best known novels are in the Charlie Parker (1999-2024-ongoing?) private investigator series. His most popular book (based on the number of GR ratings and reviews) is [b:The Book of Lost Things|69136|The Book of Lost Things (The Book of Lost Things, #1)|John Connolly|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388253367l/69136._SY75_.jpg|1164024] (2006). The short story The Caxton Private Lending Library... is also available in the John Connolly short stories anthology [b:Night Music|25016879|Night Music (Nocturnes, #2)|John Connolly|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1432655843l/25016879._SY75_.jpg|44689831] (Nocturnes #2 - 2015).
The Bibliomysteries series are short stories commissioned by Otto Penzler's The Mysterious Press to be written around the theme of deadly books. They are individually published in limited edition signed hardcovers followed by paperbacks and ebooks, and periodically collected in anthology editions such as [b:Bibliomysteries|32191848|Bibliomysteries|Otto Penzler|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1478278696l/32191848._SY75_.jpg|56893092] (2013, containing stories 1-15) and [b:Bibliomysteries: Volume Two|36327114|Bibliomysteries Volume Two|Otto Penzler|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1507842055l/36327114._SY75_.jpg|58003435] (2018, containing stories 16-30). There does not appear to be a Goodreads Listopia for them, but on Library Thing the current listing (as of early-October 2024) includes 41 short stories Note that there is a double count of #33 and that book #41 isn't numbered yet in that list.