The Door to Lost Pages [Kindle Edition]

I don't know that I would have seen this little book if it were not for an intriguing review in PW catching my eye. And I think what intrigued me is that this slight novella of linked stories was set around a bookstore. Surely I am not the only hard-core bibliophile that is immediately attracted to tales involving bookstores and booksellers?

The novella contains a brief (skippable) introduction, followed by a prologue and six stories spanning a number of years. The bookstore is not the primary setting or focus of all the stories, but it is one of the elements that link them. As is Aydee, the central character of the first story, who is introduced as a neglected and abused 10-year-old girl. The store, Lost Pages, came into her life at a time of need, as it had done for others over the years. It's not your average, florescent-lit chain store. Rather, it had echoes of Carlos Ruiz Zafón's Cemetery of Forgotten Books. And, readers, who among us isn't seeking a mystical bookstore?

There are many other mystical/mythical elements to the tales, some of them rather new-agey for my liking. (But my tolerance is low, and there wasn't so much that it was off-putting.) But those stories, some of them, were pretty "out there" and weird. This is another thing that can be off-putting to some readers and appealing to others. The stories contained a provocative mix of stark realism and fantasy, innocence and experience. Do know going in that there are repeated references to substance use and abuse. Additionally, there are graphic depictions of a broad spectrum of sexuality, some of it unconventional. What I'll say is that I think Mr. Lalumière showed restraint and didn't get too carried away with the weirdness. His writing is very strong, and the imagery was vivid and interesting.

Interesting. That's a word I returned to time and time again while trying to describe this book to a friend. It seems like such a bland word, but I'm stuck with it. There was nothing bland about this book. And there are worse things than being "interesting." And if I can't ever find the door to Lost Pages myself, at the very least I hope to find more of these stories.

Lalumiere's collection of short stories offers a lot to like. Each one stands by itself - there's no need to read them in any particular order. But, the related people and notions stand even better together, each bolstering the others.

The world of these stories looks much like our own, with the charming "Lost Pages" used book store as a central feature. This isn't just any book store, though, it carries texts that no other seller does, and that might not even exist outside its walls. For me, books have always been a window into other worlds and ideas. Lalumiere gives literal meaning to that, since the store and its owners connect the mundane world to one where divine forces battle for mortal minds.

I found only one story less than satisfying - the last, a self-indulgent narration of writer's block (and we can ignore the seeming oxymoron of writing about that subject). But, in an collection of stories, one ranks below all the others. At least it came last. The rest carry a Lovecraftian sense of larger forces and of people attuned to them, but without H.P.'s pervasive darkness and florid language. On the whole, a very enjoyable read.

-- wiredweird

I want to read Clarence and Charlie's Old World Encyclopedia. I want to visit Lost Pages, meet the dogs, and have a latte at the Small Easy, Books and dogs with a lion thrown in were just my style . Claude Lalumiere's linked stories made me certain he's a victim of sleepless nights. I loved the bookstore, but don't want to live in his nightmares.