Patrick deWitt’s The Librarianist sounds like the perfect book for booklovers. To a limited extent, it is. Book-loving Bob Comet must learn the importance of life beyond books.

DeWitt divides his new novel into four multi-chapter parts. Consisting of nine chapters, Part 1 introduces seventy-one year-old Bob, a retired Portland librarian, who spends part of his time walking through life, but mostly reading about it. When he encounters Chip, a lost elderly woman in a convenience store, and returns her to the Gambell-Reed Senior Center, he falls into a volunteer job to help fill his time. What could be better than to call upon his literary expertise to entertain the residents by reading to them? And what could be better at Halloween than than a tale by Edgar Allen Poe? Just as his own failures and employee Maria’s advice start teaching Bob a thing or two about volunteering and as he begins befriending Linus and Jill, two difficult residents, Bob learns something that temporarily calls a halt to his time at Gambell-Reed.

Parts 2 and 3 fill in Bob’s backstory. Part 2 (chapters 10-26) covers Bob’s life from 1942 to 1960. Readers learn about his childhood, his mother, his decision to become a librarian, his friend Ethan, his wife Connie, and about the fateful red string. In Part 3 (27-40), deWitt takes readers back to childhood event about which Bob had dreamed on the opening page of the book—about days eleven-year-old Bob spent at Hotel Elba after running away from home.

Part 4 (41-46) brings the story back to Gambell-Reed Senior Center to which Bob has returned and where he is gradually coming to terms with his past and present lives. Readers wanting to learn more about Bob, Ethan, Connie, Chip, Linus, Jill, Maria, and life with all its insecurities and occasional humor will need to pick up a copy of The Librarianist.

My thanks to NetGalley and Ecco for an advance reader copy.

Shared on GoodReads and Barnes & Noble.

I was looking forward to this tale of a retired librarian, but was disappointed by the writing style. I found way too many instances of where current slang was used when the time period was the 1940s-1950s. Nothing pulls me out of a story quicker than these types of incongruencies. Unfortunately, the writing issues were multiple, with overgeneralizations of character, thoughts and actions which made the writing clunky, and many instances of telling when showing improves the prose.

The plot was okay, although it was slow it fit the story. It was simple really. The middle section of the main character Bob Comet during his childhood when he ran away briefly seemed to have a better quality of writing and saved the book for me to finish.

The Librarianist is award winning author Patrick deWitt's latest novel.

The life of Bob Comet is the heat of the plot. The timeline opens with Bob at seventy one years old, ruminating on his life. The next jump takes us back to Bob as young man, next a child, and finally, circling back to the end.

Bob, in his words and thoughts, lives a small life, and it is and has been enough in his opinion.

"Bob had long given up on the notion of knowing anyone, or of being known. He communicated with the world partly by walking through if, but mainly by reading about it."

I liked Bob immediately and enjoyed his observations of time, people and place. But I also felt sad for him - he seems so very alone. But that view is seen through my own filters and opinions. I loved the childhood time frame and the epic adventure he embarks on. I wanted him continue to grow that venturesome spirit. But on the flipside, his quiet, calm, thoughtful manner is very appealing. And his love for books is much appreciated by this reader.

deWitt's writing is quite different for me. The interactions, escapades, situations, thoughts and more took on the feel of vignettes. The dialogue is often funny, but I had to get used to the bantering, off center style. I quite enjoyed the ending. A bit implausible, but fitting.

If you enjoy character drawn tales, this is for you.

I found deWitt's writing style to be engaging and entertaining. Unfortunately I could not connect with the characters, and since this is a character-driven novel that wasn't a good sign. I loved the first part and wished that this would have just been a story of a retired librarian (or even an active librarian) volunteering. Once we started getting into the flashbacks, I quickly lost interest, and it never really picked up again.

I'm sad to be making this report, but I will be checking out more works from Patrick deWitt. I look forward to it.

Bob lives a quiet life, and that's the way he likes it. A chance encounter with a woman who had gone missing from a senior center leads him to reflect on his past. He had a satisfying career as a librarian, and a brief marriage to a woman named Connie, who left him in dramatic fashion. Bob's present-day life and his young adulthood captivated me, but the chapters about him as a young boy had me scratching my head a bit. I found myself speeding up to get back to the main story.

The Librarianist by Patrick deWitt ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bob Comet, a retired librarian who has led a life of adventure in reality and in his world of books. The story begins with Bob as he is becoming acquainted to his new life of leisure now that he retired. We follow Bob as he meets new acquaintances and begins the next chapter of his life. We are transported back in time from Bob meeting his ex wife to his childhood and his early days of his career.

I really enjoyed this book and quickly became interested in the variety of experiences Bob lived. I liked the quick and witty banter and how the characters were described so well! Several times in this book I audibly gasped from the neat plot twists. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a gripping fiction novel!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ecco for this advanced reader’s copy!!! Congratulations to Patrick deWitt and thank you for sharing this novel with the world.

A beautiful novel filled with the full, well-lived life of Bob Comet, a lifelong librarian, now retired in his 70's, Bob is trying to fill his days as he approaches the end of them. told in three distinct parts, the story provides us glimpses of Bob's retirement, early adult life, and experience as an 11-year-old. Bob is a quiet but captivating protagonist who shows us that we can find an extraordinary life, no matter our lot.



Many thanks to Netgalley and Ecco for the eARC.

This was a nice character driven novel, but I don’t know that it worked overall for me in the end. I really enjoyed the first two sections - Bob in his retirement years and Bob in his early 20s - but struggled to find meaning in the third section focused on the 4 day runaway adventure in Bob Comet’s youth. It was entertaining in its way, but didn’t seem to do anything else for the rest of the story.

This was my first time reading deWitt, but I understand he’s known for his character work. There were some really fun characters in The Librarianist, too! Some, especially in that third section in his youth, were a bit over the top but the dialogue was still entertaining.

I was looking for more wrap-up to the different portions of the story in the final section of the novel, but that’s ok. Lastly, I really thought books or the library would be a bigger part of the story than it was! Bob Comet is s librarian, but other than him meeting a few key people while at work and some side mentions of his love of books…it doesn’t come into play much.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ecco Press for a digital arc to review. All opinions are my own.

"The passage of time bends us, it folds us up, and eventually, it tucks us right into the ground."

Patrick deWitt presents a look at a not-so-extraordinary, yet fascinating life.

I loved this tale of a retired librarian who after years of quiet solitude stumbles into a world of genuine characters. The book nearly made my "Best of the Year" list, but lost a star for one overly long childhood flashback that featured some over-the-top thespians. Still, most of the book is a gem.

In "The Librarianist," by Patrick deWitt, seventy-one-year-old Bob Comet is an introverted retiree. As a youngster, he cultivated a love of reading that led him to earn a degree in library science, and in his twenties he married the love of his life, Connie. He was shocked when she ran off with his close friend, Ethan.

Unfortunately, Bob is not the kind of person who bounces back from a devastating betrayal. After Connie leaves, he gives up "on the notion of knowing anyone, or being known." One day, he decides to try something new. He applies to become a volunteer at the Gambell-Reed Senior Center, where he befriends the manager, Maria, and the center's quirky residents.

The novel begins promisingly, with amusing passages of wry humor alongside scenes of sadness and despair. However, there is an unnecessary and lengthy flashback to eleven-year-old Bob running away from home and spending time with an eccentric pair of actresses. This section slows down the narrative and adds little to the proceedings. Towards the end, our morose hero makes a startling discovery that had the potential to be meaningful and poignant, but for some reason, deWitt downplays this intriguing revelation. I had high expectations for "The Librarianist," but found it difficult to engage with its lost and lonely souls.

Patrick deWitt's latest novel, THE LIBRARIANIST is a beautifully told story with a mix of literary and humor centered around a librarian, now retired when the past connects with the present leading him down memory lane.

An excellent story—superbly and fluidly told.

Bob Comet is seventy-one years old (a septuagenarian), has spent a lifetime with books, and is a retired librarian who lives alone in Portland, Oregon. He has been married once to Connie, and she left him for his best friend, Ethan, not long after they were married some forty-five years ago. They both betrayed him. Bob's mom died when he was 23, and she left him the childhood home. He never had any children.

He is a simple man, introverted, who enjoys his books, reading, solitude, walks, and does not have any close friends. He has few regrets.

Each day he walks. One day he goes into a 7-Eleven convenience store and sees a woman who looks lost. She is not talking but he sees the lanyard ID around her neck that shows she is a resident of Gambell-Reed Senior Center. He returns her and speaks with Maria, who works in the office. He decides he wants to volunteer here and read to the residents.

He gets all the proper checks and paperwork, but the residents do not care about being read to. Many have problems the center is not equipped to handle and are understaffed. Maria suggests he leave the books and home and just come and visit. That seems to work! He enjoys making new friends; they take walks, play games, and go to the diner.

Then the same woman goes missing again. Bob finds her. Then he learns her name, past, and how she became the way she is. Bob is shocked. This leads him back to his past.

The author takes us back to when he met his wife, Connie, and his best friend, Ethan. This leads him to revisit the past, where we slowly hear Bob's life story.

Told in alternating timelines: 2005-2006 (present), 1942-1960 (past) until the day Bob decides to sell his house and move into the senior facility.

As a child and teen, Bob had been afraid of becoming an adult; this is a response to an idea his mother had unwittingly instilled in him, which was that life and work both were states of unhappiness and composure. She never understood Bob. We then capture him later when his life changes and his past resurfaces.

Bob was a brilliant boy, and I loved reading about him running away from home at age 11 via bus and train, meeting the two showwomen with the dogs, working for them, and staying at the hotel. This was so much fun!

I hoped we would catch up with the ladies again before the end of the book since Bob did not say his goodbyes. This was a fun adventure! I also liked the young window sales guy who helped him. I liked Maria and the seniors, and I did not care for Connie—I felt she would not be suitable for Bob from the beginning. He lost the two closest to him.

What a charming book! The author pens a heartbreaking yet heartwarming story with insight and compassion blended with wit and humor. Beautifully imagined and character-driven, I highly recommend it if you enjoy literary fiction—a moving portrait of an older man's struggle to hold on to his most precious memories.

A gem! An uplifting novel about looking deeper into the heart and soul to form bonds with the last people we'd expect—only to discover that they're the ones who need it most.

For fans of Catherine Ryan Hyde So Long Chester Wheeler ), Elizabeth Berg Arthur Truluv- Earth's the Right Place for Love, and Fredrik Backman And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer

Thanks to Ecco for a gifted ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4.5 Stars rounded to 5 Stars
Pub Date: July 4, 2023
July 2023 Must-Read Books

The Librarianist is a thoughtful, slow burn of a novel centered around Bob Comet, who we meet as a 70 year old man, retired from his career as a librarian and living alone, and spending his time reading and walking. It is on one of these walks that he encounters Chip and the nearby Senior Center. About 25% of the way in, we learn Bob’s backstory and from there, the novel develops.

Meeting Bob as an elderly man and learning about some pivotal moments in his life reminds the reader that we all have our stories. As someone who loves to read and loves libraries, this book really appealed to me. And whoever designed the cover is a genius!

Thanks to the author, NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read this digital ARC.

It took me a while to get through this one. It had a very slow start at the beginning. I also found myself not really liking some of the characters at first either. But after I pushed through the first 15 percent, I found the book growing on me.

"The Librarianist" follows retired librarian, Bob Comet that is 71 years old. Bob lives in Portland, Oregon and lives a solitary and lonely life. When he comes across a mute and confused woman he returns back to the senior center she lives in. Bob then finds himself volunteering to read some of the patients that live there stories. He's pretty much told many have tried to come and volunteer, and quickly realize this isn't for him. But Bob isn't just someone. He's a man whose lost a lot and is still here.

I think you have to be in the right frame of mind for this book. At times it is very sad (no spoilers) and you have to wonder where the story is going. But I thought deWitt did a great job with this.

The main reason for the 4 stars is as I said, the book starts off real slow and the story is not told in chronological order which sometimes works/does not work for books. It does for this one, but once again, the slow start and the way the story is told may drive some readers up the wall.

I really enjoyed the ending and it reminded me a bit of A Man Named Ove. But Bob is not super cranky and you don't have the urge to smother him a half dozen times while reading a chapter.

Bob is a 71-year-old retired librarianist he’s an ordinary guy his life is structured but when he runs across a lady named chip who is just standing in the pharmacy staring at the energy drinks he intervenes to help this will lead him to a volunteer position at a home for the elderly who will make friends but ultimately it will bring back a blast from his past. We get to know about his life throughout the book he was once married to Connie and he once had a best friend Eathan throughout the book we learned who were these people and how did Bob lose contact. It also covers other parts of his life throughout the 50s until present day. This is a very interesting story .I thoroughly enjoyed. I found myself not wanting to stop reading this book and I highly recommend it a definite five star read. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher that I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

4.25⭐

The Librarianist by Patrick deWitt is a quiet, contemplative novel that revolves around seventy-one-year-old retired librarian Bob Comet. When we meet Bob, he lives alone in his mint-colored house in Portland, Oregon, surrounded by his books and his memories of a life lived with dignity and mostly, in solitude. Divorced after a brief marriage over forty-five years ago, he doesn’t have any close friends or romantic entanglements. He lives a simple, lonely yet seemingly content life. One day he sees an elderly woman, lost and wandering in a shop near his home. An ID card with her address on it indicates that she is a resident of Gambell-Reed Senior Center. Bob eventually decides to volunteer at the Center, hoping to fill the time in his retirement as well as indulge in sharing his love for literature with the residents. Though everything doesn’t quite go according to plans, Bob does find himself spending time with the residents of the Center. A chance revelation that has a connection to his past does create a stir in his life and Bob finds himself mulling over the past and exacting change in the way he contemplates his future.

The author writes with insight and compassion. The non-linear narrative takes a while to get used to and the pace is on the slower side which suits the story. Bob Comet is a simple man who loves his books and has enjoyed his life as a librarian, but he has never considered his life to be particularly eventful, barring a childhood escapade and his failed marriage. We follow Bob’s story moving back and forth between past and present, with glimpses into the people and events that shaped Bob’s life and we follow Bob as he gradually becomes a part of the community at the Center. All his memories are not happy ones but have contributed to Bob’s way of life. His experiences and interactions with his new peers inspire Bob to reevaluate the way he has perceived his life, the people in it and himself. This story emphasizes the fact that not everyone’s life has to be defined by dramatic change or shocking turns, but a life well-lived can be the result of the seemingly inconsequential events one has lived through along with the moments of sorrow, joy, loneliness and companionship we commit to memory. Beautifully written, full of heart with a good dose of humor, this is a beautiful story that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Many thanks to Ecco and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel is due to be released on July 4, 2023.

I really wanted to get something out of this book. I love books. I would have been a librarian if not a teacher. But I couldn’t get behind this character. He pushed himself into an interesting group of people without seeing any of them. Over a very long book, he starts to expand his life through these people. It just didn’t work for me. It was far too long and drawn out.

Thank you @netgalley for an eARC of this book.
The beginning of this book reminded me of All The Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me. The tone and flow felt similar. I actually heard the narrator’s voice from that memoir (Author Patrick Bringley) as I was reading along.

For me, the beginning and ending of this book was the most interesting, but the middle did not hold the story up enough for me. The flashback scene to his childhood runaway moment felt entirely unnecessary to the overall plot, and I just wanted it to end already. I also just about hated every character in this book. There’s some redemption at the end and maybe I wasn’t supposed to like them? But this book just started one way and ended up taking a completely different path than I thought it would. Which is often okay, but this didn’t quite do it for me.

This was a cute story, with charming quirky characters and not much of a plot. This is largely about Bob, who is a retired librarian and starts volunteering at a retirement village to fill the time. The story is basically about his relationships with the people he meets there, as well as some flashbacks to his childhood and young adult-hood. 
*
This is totally and completely character driven, if you need a strong plot then you should stay far far away. There is one twist, but not much ends up coming out of it. 
*
That said, I did enjoy reading this -- I liked the writing, how the characters were developed. I expected this to fall into a story like A Man About Ove, since it kind of had that feel to it at the start, but it ended up being pretty different. I really liked how unique each character was, and I loved the idea of a person growing into themselves at any age. 
*
It's not going to hit the top of my list, but I liked it!

Special thanks to Ecco Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I liked this book. It's a very lighthearted book when you're looking for a book with very little stress, but also it's a very pleasant book. The main character Bob reveals layers of his life bit by bit. This was a nice change for me. It was a little slow and I think it could've been better if it were short stories.

Not my genre, but pleasant especially for people who have an elderly person in their life.

I absolutely loved this book. The main character was super relatable and I had a blast reading this book. I wish I could read it again for the first time. My patrons will LOVE this book.