Book set in Melbourne, Australia. Reviewed on 2019/03: https://www.instagram.com/p/BumD7XbHT5r/
“You must be prepared to try and fail, to try and fail again. Then, maybe, he has a chance.” I think #lisalang gives us the perfect example of someone who had to try and fail several times, and fail again after succeeding and then fail some more. The #idealist and successful businessman #edwardwilliamcole either in real-fiction or in this myopic fiction book had to battle failures and attacks from the outside world as well as those close to him. I was pleasantly surprised to learn of the real life of #ewcole and his #bookarcade . Ultimately it’s the story of somehow who believed in the power of books and knowledge to help improve people’s lives despite how unpopular and dangerous his ideas were considered. He created a space in which to explore and disseminate his ideas and that place became his world: #colesbookarcade . Apparently the real #arcade is still used in #melbourne although without the books or the #monkeys or the band. My only criticism here is that I wish #lang would have spent more time building a more captivating story. There are some great scenes, characters and overall a great message. However it feels to me as if something is missing and the puzzle doesn’t fully come together. However if you’re not familiar with #edwardcole or the Melbourne or #australia of the end of the 19th century, you should definitely check this one out. #recommended #utopianman #allenandunwin#australianliterature #debutnovel#againstallodds #bookseller #historicalfiction
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