The Haunted Bookshop · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for The Haunted Bookshop by Christopher Morley.
Chapter 1
Dedication
Christopher Morley dedicates the book to booksellers, explaining the origins of the story and acknowledging the contributions of characters who took over the narrative. He also notes the timing of a tribute to Sidney Drew and thanks The Bookman for permission to reprint certain chapters.
Chapter 2
The Haunted Bookshop
The chapter introduces the Haunted Bookshop, a quirky and atmospheric bookstore run by Roger Mifflin, and sets the stage for the arrival of Aubrey Gilbert and Titania Chapman, whose interactions and the mysterious events surrounding the shop begin to unfold.
Chapter 3
I: The Haunted Bookshop
A young advertising agent, Aubrey Gilbert, stumbles upon a unique secondhand bookshop called 'Parnassus at Home' in Brooklyn, owned by the eccentric Roger Mifflin. The shop is described as a warm, smoky, and hauntingly literary space. Mifflin invites Gilbert to dinner, where they discuss the philosophy of bookselling, the joy of reading, and the importance of prescribing books to meet individual needs. Gilbert is intrigued and promises to return.
Chapter 4
The Corn Cob Club
Roger Mifflin hosts a gathering of fellow booksellers, known as the Corn Cob Club, at his Haunted Bookshop. The evening features a lively debate about the nature of bookselling, the quality of books, and the responsibilities of booksellers to their customers. Roger argues for selling only the best books and elevating public taste, while Jerry Gladfist counters that booksellers should simply supply what the public demands. Other members, including Quincy, Fruehling, Meredith, and Benson, join the discussion, touching on topics such as publisher ignorance, advertising, and the economics of the trade.
Chapter 5
III: Titania Arrives
Titania Chapman begins her new job at the Haunted Bookshop. Roger Mifflin shows her around, introduces her to the bulletin board with a card about Thomas Hardy's The Dynasts, and prepares a selection of books for her to read. He muses on her literary education and adds volumes to her shelf, including an Archy scrapbook. Later, Titania arrives in a limousine, dismisses her chauffeur, and walks to the shop, revealing her wealthy background and independent spirit.
Chapter 6
IV: The Disappearing Volume
After supper, Roger Mifflin proposes reading aloud to Titania, who eagerly agrees. While Roger and Helen wash dishes, Titania finds a lost-and-found ad for a copy of Carlyle's 'Oliver Cromwell' that had been in the shop. Roger becomes excited, seeing the theft as proof that people care for good books. The volume has mysteriously come and gone, and the chapter ends with Roger beginning to read Dickens' Christmas Stories.
Chapter 7
Aubrey Walks Part Way Home—and Rides the Rest of the Way
After leaving the Haunted Bookshop, Aubrey Gilbert walks home through Brooklyn, lost in romantic thoughts about Titania Chapman. He stops at Weintraub's drug store, where he notices a torn book cover from Carlyle Oliver Cromwell's Letters and Speeches and impulsively pockets it. Weintraub's stained fingers and a suspicious curtain movement hint at secrecy. Later, Aubrey is attacked by two men but is rescued by a motorist. He returns to his boarding house, still preoccupied with Titania's beauty and his advertising career.
Chapter 8
VI: Titania Learns the Business
Roger Mifflin initiates Titania Chapman into the daily operations of the Haunted Bookshop, sharing his philosophy that books are living forces that hunt down readers. He critiques the commercialization of literature and the shallow entertainment of the masses, while Titania begins to adapt to her new role and brightens the shop with flowers.
Chapter 9
Aubrey Takes Lodgings
Aubrey Gilbert, recovering from his attack, rents a room opposite the Haunted Bookshop to secretly observe Titania Chapman. He uses opera glasses to watch her from his window, feeling both exhilarated and absurd.
Chapter 10
Aubrey Goes to the Movies, and Wishes He Knew More German
Aubrey has supper at a lunchroom near the bookshop, watching Mifflin's shop. He sees Titania and Helen Mifflin go to the movies, joins them, and enjoys the show. Afterward, he explores the alley behind the bookshop, sees Titania in her window, and overhears two men trying to enter the locked gate.
Chapter 11
IX: Again the Narrative Is Retarded
Roger Mifflin spends a quiet evening in the bookshop, dreaming of a future where bookselling is recognized as a learned profession and envisioning a 'Parnassus on Wheels' corporation. He writes a long, reflective letter to his brother-in-law Andrew McGill, musing on the recent peace, the role of books in shaping history, and his hopes for humanity's future. The chapter is largely a philosophical meditation on books, war, and the human condition.
Chapter 12
Roger Raids the Icebox
Roger Mifflin spends a quiet evening at home after Helen and Titania return from the movies, where they met Aubrey Gilbert. Roger sells a copy of 'Philip Dru' and receives a phone call from Mr. Chapman inviting them all to visit. Later, Roger indulges in his habit of raiding the icebox, then tends the furnace and reads Burton's 'Anatomy of Melancholy' while Bock grows uneasy at a noise in the cellar.
Chapter 13
XI: Titania Tries Reading in Bed
Aubrey, exhausted from his vigil, observes Weintraub secretly entering the Haunted Bookshop with a key and using a flashlight to retrieve a book. The next morning, he breaks into the shop to investigate and is discovered by Titania, who is reading in bed. A heated argument ensues, with Aubrey insisting that Mifflin and Weintraub are involved in something sinister, while Titania is angered by his intrusion. She eventually agrees not to warn Mifflin, though she remains furious.
Chapter 14
Aubrey Determines to Give Service That’s Different
Aubrey spends a desolate Sunday after his quarrel with Titania, tormented by regret and self-doubt. He resolves to prove his suspicions about Weintraub and win back her trust by giving 'service that's different.' That night, he spies on Weintraub's pharmacy, witnessing the druggist's menacing transformation and discovering a hidden cellar laboratory filled with chemicals and tools, along with a copy of the Cromwell book. Aubrey becomes convinced that Weintraub is plotting something dangerous and decides to follow him to Philadelphia.
Chapter 15
XIII: The Battle of Ludlow Street
Aubrey wakes early to follow Roger to Philadelphia, suspecting him of collusion with Weintraub. He trails Roger to Leary's bookstore in Philadelphia, where he confronts him angrily. Meanwhile, Roger had been summoned to appraise the Oldham library, but upon arrival discovers the invitation was a hoax. The chapter ends with Roger humiliated and Aubrey's suspicions unresolved.
Chapter 16
XIV: The Cromwell Makes Its Last Appearance
Aubrey and Roger finally share their suspicions and realize that Weintraub has been orchestrating a plot involving the Cromwell book. They rush back to Brooklyn, only to find the bookshop under threat. A confrontation with Metzger ends in a deadly explosion that destroys the Haunted Bookshop, killing Metzger and Bock, but leaving Roger, Titania, and Aubrey alive.
Chapter 17
Mr. Chapman Waves His Wand
Mr. Chapman offers Aubrey a job as assistant advertising manager, then later finances a fleet of book-wagons for Roger. The explosion's aftermath is revealed: Weintraub's suicide, the bomb plot, and the bookshop's rebuilding. Aubrey and Titania share a tender moment over an inscribed book, and the mystery of the Cromwell book is solved.
Chapter 18
Endnotes
The chapter consists of endnotes, including a note to booksellers and a proofreading observation about a possible unconscious borrowing from Robert Louis Stevenson.
