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It is in fact, a battle in name only. In the tradition of best British manners, no one gets into a huge shouting match. It’s more of a stand-off, the fighting taking place in the stubbornness and resolve of the two women. At first, Florence (played by Emily Mortimer in the film) is resolute, she buys the property despite knowing there are some in the village whispering against the idea. Ignoring them, she goes about preparing to fulfill her own dream of opening a bookshop, the details of which, from stocking shelves to receiving shipments from publishers, Fitzgerald shares in passages that will delight any book lover’s heart—and for a time, the store seems to be a success.
Success, until her nemesis, quietly, behind the scenes, using her powerful clout, sets some gears into motion that ultimately changes things. That's when this small and charming book packs a powerful little gut punch.
Because we are readers and lovers of books, you and I, we root for Florence even while a tiny part of us wishes something could be done to accommodate the art center as well. Art is noble too, yes? Except, of course, the other woman, Mrs. Gamart (Patricia Clarkson), is a bit of a snooty upper-crusty bitch while Florence is a lovely Every Woman. Meaning every woman (or man) who has ever harbored the dream of opening a small bookshop ... which may be every reader ever! I know I’m not the only one who has a fond fantasy of opening a bookstore cafe!
Take a gander at how this plays out on film.
Taking a look at the clip below, it appears because of the controversial nature of the novel, that the filmmakers have changed the novel in question to Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles.
For a lovely and comprehensive review of Penelope Fitzgerald’s novel take a look at RohanMaitzen.com Ms. Maitzen calls it “a gem of a book: spare but revealing, quirky but unsentimental.’’
The movie looks to be exactly that, “quirky but unsentimental.’’ While our friends around the world are beginning to see the film in throughout May and June, here in the US we’ll have to wait until August 24th.