Parnassus on Wheels is a fictional book about books, written by Christopher Morley, who also founded the Baker Street Irregulars, a well known group of Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts.
Helen McGill is a middle aged woman living on a country farm, cooking and cleaning for her brother-turned-author. When adventure comes her way, she grasps the opportunity to live a little and show her brother that he’s not the only one who can enjoy some fun.
When I randomly picked Parnassus On Wheels off the shelf, little did I realize how pleasurable a read it would be. I know that the story will stay with me for a long time, unlike many other books I have read. The author accomplished something very hard when writing this book: he made it unusual, out of the ordinary. Many stories are told over and over, but there is only one Parnassus on Wheels, and no one can repeat that story. There are quite a few books about girls and boys going off on adventures and seizing the day, but not too many about middle-aged spinsters running away on a lark.
One fine, crisp, October morning Helen McGill steps outside to view a preposterous contraption that will change her life in the next few days. The contraption is a traveling book wagon owned by the engaging proprietor, Roger Mifflin, who, though short in stature, is able to hold his own in any conversation or fight. He has grown rather weary, though, of his enterprise and is seeking to sell his business. Helen’s brother, Andrew McGill is renowned as an author and Mifflin is convinced that he would jump at the chance to purchase the book wagon; Helen, however, is suffering under her brother’s popularity and this is the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Surprising Roger, she buys it, and is now the owner of a pale blue wagon with bright red letters advertising her business. Only adventure can ensue under such circumstances, when an old maid is determined it is her turn to take a vacation and make a little money on the way, but is on the run from a brother is scouring the countryside for her and her “kidnapper,” who are traveling in a wagon that is rather conspicuous.
Many fictional stories fall short by giving the reader a passable plot, but no underlying substance. Others, in an attempt to illustrate a point, leave out any plot! The former melts away like cotton candy on your mind, while the latter is as unpalatable as uncooked potato. Parnassus was a delicate balance between the two which resulted in an easy read that did not compromise the sagacity of the story. The simplicity of the story reminds me of C.S. Lewis’ writing style, whose Chronicles of Narnia stories are marketed for children, but really appeal to a much larger audience. An author does not have to sacrifice good writing while maintaining a simple tone in his story. Christopher Morley succeeded, while making me laugh, in illustrating the point, that there is no excuse for not reading more literature or not sharing the joys of it with others. The man who does not read will languish, because reading is sustenance to the soul.
The invention of the printing press is one of the greatest inventions in history. It means that common man, after not being able to afford education, can now educate his mind and own books. Knowledge is no longer confined to the bourgeois but has been opened to men of all classes. Where men are educated one finds greater freedom; ignorance breeds slavish minds. “That’s what this country needs more books!” says Roger Mifflin, owner of the Parnassus on Wheels. Roger Mifflin is a preacher of books, a man determined to bring salvation for little, stunted minds, and to spread the gospel of literature among farming families, whose libraries only contain Sears & Roebucks and The World’s Great Funeral Orations. Roger Mifflin understands the importance of every family possessing a sound and well-rounded library, and Parnassus on Wheels is his means of making this come to pass. He often wonders what a whole fleet of Parnassus on Wheels could accomplish.
While, I do agree that education is needed by all people, no matter their station in life, I don’t believe knowledge gives you salvation or wisdom. Knowledge is only an accumulation of facts; “it is not the ability to use those facts, nor is it the moral judgment to act wisely on those facts,” to quote R.J. Rushdoony. By creating a highly sympathetic character of Roger Mifflin, Christopher Morley tries to influence me towards his point of view, which, as I quoted above, is salvation in the form of education. However, as a Christian I know and need to always acknowledge the fact that only grace and faith can save a sinner, and even if they are a highly educated, good person, they still have no salvation if they choose a road apart from Jesus Christ. It isn’t that Christopher Morley doesn’t have some good points to share, he does, but these must be viewed and understood from a Christian worldview.
After reading Parnassus on Wheels I feel a renewed desire to read many of the books that we have in our library. Somehow, I have slipped away from the joys of curling up and holding a tet-a-tet with a charming character from Dickens, or reading in awful suspense as the plot of a Dumas thickens, or nodding in agreement while reading Lewis or MacDonald. As Christopher Morley said, There is no mistaking a real book when one meets it. It is like falling in love. I have forgotten how wonderful it feels to start and finish a good book; each one contributing smoothing out the rough edges of my education.
One bit of advice to new readers before you delve into this book: don’t lose the beat of the story by reading a bit and then slipping away for a week before coming back. The story and main points are effective when taken in a whole dose. One doesn’t eat half of a hot meal and then leave for a few hours to come back and enjoy the rest-by that time it is cold.
Grace
