The Librarianist by Patrick Dewitt

Meet Bob Comet: a retired librarian, a quiet observer, a man who has spent his life among the stacks. At seventy-one, he lives alone in a mint-colored house in Portland, Oregon, content with his routines and his beloved books. Then, one ordinary morning, a chance encounter at a senior center cracks his world wide open.

From Patrick deWitt, the acclaimed author of The Sisters Brothers and French Exit, comes a novel that is tender, funny, and quietly devastating in all the best ways. The Librarianist is a journey through one man’s unassuming life, weaving back through decades to reveal the loves, friendships, and small heartbreaks that shaped him.

deWitt’s signature wit is here in abundance, paired with a warmth that will sneak up and settle into your chest. The New York Times calls it “deeply pleasurable,” while The Washington Post praises its “rare blend of melancholy and mirth.” Readers have called Bob Comet one of the most memorable characters in recent fiction—a gentle soul you’ll miss when the last page turns.

This is a novel for anyone who has ever found refuge in a library. For anyone who believes the quietest lives often hold the richest stories.

Perfect for fans of Fredrik Backman, Elizabeth Strout, and Anne Tyler, The Librarianist is the kind of book you’ll want to read slowly—maybe by a window, maybe with the sound of the surf in the background. We can’t recommend it enough.

Pull up a chair. Bob has a story to tell.