Many business owners on the verge of financial ruin probably are loath to close the book on their companies. Yet, for long-term Nagoya resident Marvin Harvest, endeavors to write the ending to his 10-year business have dragged on like a bad saga.

“I’ve been trying to go out of business for the past 18 months,” said Harvest, who, together with his wife Hiroko, has been running a secondhand bookstore, The Book Rack, in Nagoya for the past decade.

While poor health has been the ultimate reason for the 68-year-old American’s decision to shut up shop, he also laments a largely fickle foreign population in Nagoya and rapidly changing demographics in and around the city.

While many foreign residents are “here one day, and gone the next,” Harvest also has noted a rapid increase in non-English-speaking foreign residents in recent years.

“An English-language bookstore! These days it’s like reinventing the wheel -- who needs it?”

Funnily enough, before Harvest opened the store in 1991, an American secondhand book dealer in Tokyo from whom he had sought advice tried to talk him out of the venture. “She told me it would never work!”

Yet, Harvest persevered, and, had it not been for recent illness, probably would have carried on. “I’m stubborn like that,” he said.

Harvest is left with an inventory of more than 5,000 titles, which he has been trying desperately to donate to several colleges in Mongolia, a country in which he has long had a particular interest.

“I have a high regard for the Mongolian people, and I know it is an impoverished country,” he said. “I thought maybe they could use the books.”

A recent letter from the National University of Mongolia expressed interest in the stock, but stated that the university does not have the funds to pay for transportation. Other colleges have sent similar replies.

Although the donation is Harvest’s preferred choice of “clearance,” he is also offering the stock to bookworms in Japan at very reasonable rates. Regular-size paperbacks are 100 yen, larger books 150 yen.

Harvest makes one stipulation: Orders must be for 10 books or more. He also requests that a list of 15 titles be sent to provide some leeway just in case some requested titles are not available. Payment can be made on delivery.

A list of books is available at The Book Rack Web site and orders can be placed by e-mail or fax.

“Anyone interested in footing the shipping costs to Mongolia,” Harvest added, “can call me directly!”