I did not expect a book written by someone who works in a rare books store to be so entertaining. From his first days as an apprentice rare bookseller, when he was assigned a desk more suited for a munchkin than his lumbering 6’ frame, Oliver Darkshire humorously describes his experiences and the unique individuals he works alongside, the latter with affection. As for those who walk through the doors of Henry Sotheran Ltd to buy or sell rare books, his descriptions suggest “eccentric” is more appropriate for many of them. The store’s location is said to be on a street time forgot and one cab drivers frequently cannot find. There are locked bookcases for which there are no keys. There are numerous unusual objects collected over the 263 years the store has been in existence which have nothing to do with rare books. Strange unexplained occurrences are attributed to the ghost of a former owner who was run over by a tram as he left the store. In another’s hands it is unlikely this book would have been so enjoyable. It is one I will occasionally pull off the shelf to read again in the years ahead.
—Ken, Madison Books, Seattle, WA
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