Parnassus on Wheels - Book Review

If you’re looking for a book of comforting adventure, you don’t need to look any further than ‘Parnassus on Wheels’ by Christopher Morley. It’s pages are filled with a rollicking adventure with literary tones. I have read it many times, and it always manages to bring me joy and peace.

My first experience with Christopher Morley was in reading ‘The Haunted Bookshop’, which is another absolute favorite of mine. When I realized that ‘Parnassus on Wheels’ was the first part of the world of ‘The Haunted Bookshop’ I purchased it immediately, and I am so glad that I did. While there is nothing wrong with reading ‘The Haunted Bookshop’ before ‘Parnassus on Wheels’, it is certainly quite a treat to read them in the order they were written. The stories flow so well together, they could easily be combined into one book.

‘Parnassus on Wheels’ introduces us to Helen McGill, who lives with her brother Andrew at the time that we meet her. She meets Roger Mifflin when he shows up at her home with his roaming bookshop, ‘Travelling Parnassus’, and attempts to sell the mobile shop to Andrew. In a turn of events, filled with many witty remarks, Helen decides to purchase Parnassus herself, and she and Roger set out on an adventure together so he can show her the ropes of the business. The rest of the story is filled with literary content, delightful banter, and the growing relationship between Helen and Roger.

I fell in love with these characters and this story line when I read ‘The Haunted Bookshop’, and reading ‘Parnassus on Wheels’ gave me even more to love. I cannot recommend both stories highly enough.