Charlie Lovett

Guaranteed to capture the hearts of everyone who truly loves books and literature, 'The Bookman's Tale' is a sparkling novel of exploration of one of literature's most tantalising mysteries.

The Bookman's Tale

Robert Parrish's childhood obsession with series books like the Hardy Boys and Tom Swift inspired him to become an author. Just as his debut novel becomes a bestseller, his relationship with his girlfriend, Rebecca, begins to fall apart. Robert realizes he must confront his secret demons by fulfilling a youthful promise to solve a mystery surrounding his favorite series--the Tremendous Trio. Guided by twelve tattered books and an unidentified but tantalizing fragment of a story, Robert journeys into the history of the books that changed his life, hoping they can help him once again. His odyssey takes him to 1906 Manhattan, a time of steamboats, boot blacks, and Fifth Avenue mansions, but every discovery he makes only leads to more questions. Robert's quest intertwines with the stories of three young people trying to define their places in the world at the dawn of a new and exciting century. Magda, Gene, and Tom not only write the children's books that Robert will one day love, together they explore the vibrant city on their doorstep, from the Polo Grounds to Coney Island's Dreamland, drawing the reader into the Gilded Age as their own friendships deepen. The connections between the authors, their creations, and Robert's redemptive journey make for a beautifully crafted novel that is an ode to the children's series books of our past, to New York City, and above all, to the power of love and friendship.

Escaping Dreamland

Book lover and Jane Austen enthusiast Sophie Collingwood has recently taken a job at an antiquarian bookshop in London when two different customers request a copy of the same obscure book: the second edition of A Little Book of Allegories, written in the late eighteenth century by an aging cleric named Richard Mansfield. Their queries draw Sophie into a mystery that will cast doubt on the true authorship of Pride and Prejudice-- and ultimately threaten Sophie's life. In a dual narrative that alternatives between Sophie's quest to uncover the truth -- while choosing two suitors -- and a young Jane Austen's touching friendship with the very same Richard Mansfield, Lovett weaves a romantic, suspenseful, and utterly compelling novel about love in all its forms and the joys of a life lived in books.

A Novel of Old Books, Unexpected Love, and Jane Austen

First Impressions

When librarian Patton Harcourt comes under sniper fire in her rural North Carolina home, she is thrown together with professional assassin Nemo and into a web of international deceit. On the run from two German killers, Patton and Nemo discover a seventy-five-year-old Enigma message which leads them to Bletchley Park in England and a code breaker named Ruthie Drinkwater, an old flame of Patton's. Unable to complete the job of code breaking at Bletchley, the trio leaves and are pursued by the Germans, who support a white-supremacist agenda. The Germans work for Ingrid Weiss, whose grandfather was a protégé of Henrich Himmler and who is following in his footsteps. When Patton, Nemo, and Ruthie break the code, they discover a message claiming that Himmler mastered alchemy, and Patton and Nemo are incredulous but determined to stop Ingrid Weiss from obtaining limitless wealth to promote her agenda. In need of a book owned by Weiss, they travel to Munich. When they break into her home to steal the book, they find themselves in a deadly situation. Using the Enigma message, the group travels to Prague and then the Italian Alps. What they find when they arrive puts them in the crosshairs of Weiss and the Nazis, and leads to a high-stakes confrontation that will require allies from their pasts to ensure their survival.

The Enigma Affair

Amor y obsesión se unen en una historia sobre el enigma de Shakespeare. Tras la muerte de su esposa Amanda, Peter Byerly, coleccionista y vendedor de libros antiguos, deja Estados Unidos y se retira del mundo. Nueve meses más tarde, Peter, instalado ya en una casita de la campiña inglesa, se atreve por fin a entrar de nuevo en una librería de viejo. Mientras hojea un manual del siglo XVIII sobre falsificaciones de escritores clásicos, encuentra entre las páginas del libro una acuarela victoriana que representa a una mujer idéntica a Amanda. Peter, obsesionado por averiguar quiénes fueron el autor y la mujer del retrato, se embarca en una investigación que le permitirá resolver uno de los debates más controvertidos de la historia de la literatura: la verdadera identidad de las obras atribuidas a William Shakespeare. El coleccionista de libros es una original novela de misterio que nos lleva desde la actualidad hasta el mundo de Shakespeare, pasando por la Inglaterra del siglo XIX. Asimismo es un canto de amor a los libros destinado a hacer las delicias de todos los amantes de la lectura. Reseña: «Una fascinante novela de intriga literaria que te mantiene en vilo hasta su apasionante final.» Library Journal

El coleccionista de libros

Jane Austens Geheimnis

Arthur Rackham

Lewis Carroll

John Tenniel

Unabridged, with Poems, Letters and Biography

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Bookman’s Tale comes a new novel about an obsessive bibliophile’s quest through time to discover a missing manuscript, the unknown history of an English Cathedral, and the secret of the Holy Grail Arthur Prescott is happiest when surrounded by the ancient books and manuscripts of the Barchester Cathedral library. Increasingly, he feels like a fish out of water among the concrete buildings of the University of Barchester, where he works as an English professor. His one respite is his time spent nestled in the library, nurturing his secret obsession with the Holy Grail and researching his perennially unfinished guidebook to the medieval cathedral. But when a beautiful young American named Bethany Davis arrives in Barchester charged with the task of digitizing the library’s manuscripts, Arthur’s tranquility is broken. Appalled by the threat modern technology poses to the library he loves, he sets out to thwart Bethany, only to find in her a kindred spirit with a similar love for knowledge and books—and a fellow Grail fanatic. Bethany soon joins Arthur in a quest to find the lost Book of Ewolda, the ancient manuscript telling the story of the cathedral’s founder. And when the future of the cathedral itself is threatened, Arthur and Bethany’s search takes on grave importance, leading the pair to discover secrets about the cathedral, about the Grail, and about themselves. “Lovett's unique work combines literary and historical research with classic elements of cozy mysteries, classic love stories, and exciting adventure tales to create a true genre-blending masterpiece. At once funny, heartwarming, and suspenseful, The Lost Book of the Grail has something for every kind of reader, and every kind of book-lover, alike.” —Bustle

A Novel

The Lost Book of the Grail

A delightful sequel to Dickens's beloved A Christmas Carol by the bestselling author of First Impressions and The Bookman's Tale. Charlie Lovett's new book, The Lost Book of the Grail, is now available. On a hot summer day some twenty years after he was famously converted to kindness, Ebenezer Scrooge still roams the streets of London, spreading Christmas cheer, much to the annoyance of his creditors, nephew, and his employee Bob Cratchit. However, when Scrooge decides to help his old friend and former partner Jacob Marley, as well as other inhabitants of the city, he will need the assistance of the very people he's annoyed. He'll also have to call on the three ghosts that visited him two decades earlier. By the time they're done, they've convinced everyone to celebrate Christmas all year long by opening their wallets, arms, and hearts to those around them. Written in uncannily Dickensian prose, Charlie Lovett's The Further Adventures of Ebenezer Scrooge is both a loving and winking tribute to the Victorian classic, perfect for readers of A Christmas Carol and other timeless holiday tales.

The Further Adventures of Ebenezer Scrooge

Arthur Prescott finds respite from the drudgery of his professorship in the Barchester Cathedral Library, where he researches the Holy Grail and his long-delayed guidebook for the medieval cathedral. His tranquillity is shattered by Bethany Davis, a young American academic who has come to digitise the library’s ancient manuscripts. But hostility turns to affection when Arthur discovers Bethany is a kindred spirit, a Grail fanatic. They begin a quest for the lost Book of Ewolda, which could reveal secrets about the cathedral and the Grail, and their connections to King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. As Arthur and Bethany delve into the past, the secret history of England—from the Norman invasion to the Civil War, the Industrial Revolution and the Blitz—is revealed. A thrilling adventure for history lovers, The Lost Book of the Grail is also an ode to the joys of reading.

Byron W. Sewell

Alison Tannenbaum

This is a collection of parodies inspired by Lewis Carroll's 'The Hunting of the Snark'.

A Portmanteau Inspired by Lewis Carroll's The Hunting of the Snark

The Haunting of the Snarkasbord

A mysterious portrait ignites an antiquarian bookseller's search for his lost love. Guaranteed to capture the hearts of everyone who truly loves books and literature - in particular the golden age of Shakespeare, Jonson and Marlowe - The Bookman's Tale is a sparkling novel and an engrossing exploration of one of literature's most tantalizing mysteries. After the death of his wife, Peter Byerly, a young antiquarian bookseller, relocates from the States to the English countryside, where he hopes to rediscover the joys of life through his passion for collecting and restoring rare books. But when he opens an eighteenth-century study on Shakespeare forgeries, he is shocked to find a Victorian portrait strikingly similar to his wife tumble out of its pages, and becomes obsessed with tracking down its origins. As he follows the trail back to the nineteenth century and then to Shakespeare's time, Peter learns the truth about his own past and unearths a book that might prove that Shakespeare was indeed the author of all his plays.

Bookman's Tale

1995. A morte precoce de Amanda Byerly foi um golpe duro, que encheu de tristeza o coração de seu marido, Peter. Mais introspectivo do que nunca, ele decide deixar os Estados Unidos e se instalar na Inglaterra, onde passa a se dedicar à recuperação e à negociação de livros raros. Em um de seus dias de pesquisa solitária, Peter se depara com o retrato de uma jovem muito parecida com sua amada esposa, guardado dentro de um livro. A semelhança impressiona, mas a aquarela foi pintada há muito, muito tempo. Trilhando um sinuoso caminho entre a era vitoriana e o final do século XX, Peter passa a investigar a origem do misterioso retrato. As pistas acabam por levá-lo a se envolver em um mistério histórico: uma obra perdida do dramaturgo William Shakespeare.

O Retrato

Formed by Faith

Arthur Prescott finds respite from the drudgery of his professorship in the Barchester Cathedral Library, where he researches the Holy Grail and his long-delayed guidebook for the medieval cathedral. His tranquility is shattered by Bethany Davis, a young American academic who has come to digitise the library’s ancient manuscripts. But hostility turns to affection when Arthur discovers Bethany is a kindred spirit, a Grail fanatic. They begin a quest for the lost Book of Ewolda, which could reveal secrets about the cathedral and the Grail, and their connections to King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. As Arthur and Bethany delve into the past, the secret history of England—from the Norman invasion to the Civil War, the Industrial Revolution and the Blitz—is revealed. A thrilling adventure for history lovers, The Lost Book of the Grail is also an ode to the joys of reading. Charlie Lovett is a writer, teacher and playwright whose books include the New York Times bestseller The Bookman’s Tale and First Impressions. He is a bibliophile and a former antiquarian bookseller. He and his wife split their time between North Carolina and the Cotswolds. ‘In his latest literary mystery, Lovett supplements his trademark meld of books, romance, and adventure with an element of (fairly English) humor and some nods in the direction of P.G. Wodehouse...There's lots of research too...but it's underpinned by a pleasing treasure hunt mixed with the romantic involvement of two genially mismatched figures. A solidly built, innocently bookish diversion with a distinct Masterpiece Theater flavor.’ Kirkus Reviews ‘Former antiquarian bookseller Lovett here does what he did so well in his debut, The Bookman’s Tale.’ Library Journal ‘The Lost Book of the Grail is for every book addict. Full of suspense, delightful twists and turns, this is a tale about friendship, love, and the purpose of life.’ Nina George, New York Times bestselling author of The Little Paris Bookshop ‘Vivid, engaging...A love story and a detective story filled with wonderful historic detail.’ Kate Alcott ‘A mystery, a history, a pleasure—and a treasure.’ Gregory Maguire ‘Lovett considers topics both contemporary and timeless: the relevance and future of physical libraries; the advantages and drawbacks of electronic documents; love, devotion and friendship; recollection and truth; setting priorities for life; and faith and belief...Lovett’s expertise in, respect for and love of old books is apparent on every page...Not only bibliophiles will be charmed by this thoroughly enjoyable tale.’ BookMooch ‘Merging medievalist erudition, literary sleuthing and romantic comedy, Charlie Lovett’s The Lost Book of the Grail is an entertaining romp the well-read will enjoy.’ Age ‘Lovett explores the nature of faith and doubt while unravelling the long history of the cathedral and its treasures...For bibliophiles, Grail enthusiasts and anyone who loves a good quest, Arthur’s story is a rich, erudite and entertaining adventure.’ Shelf Awareness ‘Charlie Lovett’s charming novel combines Arthurian legend, Christian beliefs, history and a love of books to produce a grown-up’s version of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code...An engaging concoction of mystery, ancient manuscripts, secret codes, literary sleuthing, the real meaning of faith and mild romance. It will enthral those readers who love books and history.’ Canberra Weekly ‘What a fascinating book by Charlie Lovett, author of The Bookman’s Tale. Its denouement sends tingles through the body...The plot meanders through a then-and-now of glorious old books and manuscripts, the thrills of discovery and agony of obstacles. It is eminently engaging.’ SA Weekend

Der Buchliebhaber

„Ukradla Jane Austenová nápad na Pýchu a předsudek?“ Přesně taková otázka pronásleduje milovnici knih Sophii Collingwoodovou. Čerstvá absolventka Oxfordu si najde práci v jednom londýnském antikvariátu a brzy ji zaskočí zvláštní poptávka, když v jediný den do obchodu zavolají dva různí zákazníci a chtějí vzácný svazek alegorií z 18. století. Jejich autorem je Richard Mansfield, spisovatel a kněz, který se před více než dvěma stoletími spřátelil v jihoanglickém Hampshire s mladou Jane Austenovou a stal se prvním čtenářem jejích literárních pokusů. Neobvyklá žádost přivede Sophii na stopu tajemství, jak to vlastně bylo s původem slavné Pýchy a předsudku – a současně před ní otevře otázku milostné volby mezi dvěma nápadníky. Podobně jako v úspěšném Dobrodružství milovníka knih vypráví Charlie Lovett úchvatný příběh o lásce a literárních záhadách, který si vychutnají nejen obdivovatelé a obdivovatelky Jane Austenové, ale všichni ti, kdo propadli vášni číst. Román o starých knihách, nečekané lásce a Jane Austenové „Tento román je milostným dopisem literatuře.“— Washington Post Charlie Lovett, bývalý antikvář a zanícený sběratel vzácných knih, píše kromě beletrie i divadelní hry. Žije střídavě v Severní Karolíně a v anglickém Oxfordshire. Proslavil se románem Dobrodružství milovníka knih (2013, česky Paseka 2014), pojednávajícím o tajemství díla Williama Shakespeara.

První dojmy

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson--known better by his pseudonym, Lewis Carroll--was a 19th century English logician, mathematician, photographer, and novelist. He is especially remembered for his children's tale Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel, Through the Looking Glass. By the time of Dodgson's death in 1898, Alice (the integration of the two volumes) had become the most popular children's book in England. By the time of his centenary in 1932, it was perhaps the most famous in the world. This book presents a complete catalogue of Dodgson's personal library, with attention to every book the author is known to have owned or read. Alphabetized entries fully describe each book, its edition, its contents, its importance, and any particular relevance it might have had to Dodgson. The library not only provides a plethora of fodder for further study on Dodgson, but also reflects the Victorian world of the second half of the 19th century, a time of unprecedented investigation, experimentation, invention, and imagination. Dodgson's volumes represent a vast array of academic interests from Victorian England and beyond, including homeopathic medicine, spiritualism, astrology, evolution, women's rights, children's literature, linguistics, theology, eugenics, and many others. The catalogue is designed for scholars seeking insight into the mind of Charles Dodgson through his books.

A Descriptive Catalogue of the Private Library of Charles L. Dodgson

Lewis Carroll Among His Books

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson—known better by his pseudonym, Lewis Carroll—was a 19th century English logician, mathematician, photographer, and novelist. He is especially remembered for his children’s tale Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel, Through the Looking Glass. By the time of Dodgson’s death in 1898, Alice (the integration of the two volumes) had become the most popular children’s book in England. By the time of his centenary in 1932, it was perhaps the most famous in the world. This book presents a complete catalogue of Dodgson’s personal library, with attention to every book the author is known to have owned or read. Alphabetized entries fully describe each book, its edition, its contents, its importance, and any particular relevance it might have had to Dodgson. The library not only provides a plethora of fodder for further study on Dodgson, but also reflects the Victorian world of the second half of the 19th century, a time of unprecedented investigation, experimentation, invention, and imagination. Dodgson’s volumes represent a vast array of academic interests from Victorian England and beyond, including homeopathic medicine, spiritualism, astrology, evolution, women's rights, children's literature, linguistics, theology, eugenics, and many others. The catalogue is designed for scholars seeking insight into the mind of Charles Dodgson through his books.

Charlie Lovett

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