2 1/2 stars really. Too pretentious for my taste. I don't get what the hype is all about. I've read books about the war which left a deep impression through their language and characters. I liked the premise of the "last bookshop in London", but I guess the imagery it provoked in me was completely different from the actual book, because I often caught myself going "is that it?" . This one was pretty much "meh".