Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Once Upon a Tome: The Misadventures of a Rare Bookseller by Oliver Darkshire


Started: 4/18/2023

Finished: 4/19/2023

Year: 2022

Pages: 240

Genre: memoir

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Some years ago, Oliver Darkshire stepped into the hushed interior of Henry Sotheran Ltd (est. 1761) to apply for a job. Allured by the smell of old books and the temptation of a management-approved afternoon nap, Darkshire was soon unteetering stacks of first editions and placating the store’s resident ghost (the late Mr. Sotheran, hit by a tram).

"A novice in this ancient, potentially haunted establishment, Darkshire describes Sotheran’s brushes with history (Dickens, the Titanic), its joyous disorganization, and the unspoken rules of its gleefully old-fashioned staff, whose mere glance may cause the computer to burst into flames. As Darkshire gains confidence and experience, he shares trivia about ancient editions and explores the strange space that books occupy in our lives―where old books often have strong sentimental value, but rarely a commercial one.

"By turns unhinged and earnest, Once Upon a Tome is the colorful story of life in one of the world’s oldest bookshops and a love letter to the benign, unruly world of antiquarian bookselling, where to be uncommon or strange is the best possible compliment."

Opinion: Some interesting stories about working in a rare book bookshop. Would imagine that most others could relate.

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