Scan barcode
andreacpowers's review against another edition
5.0
There is no way I was not going to buy this book. I haven't read any bookstore-related books before. I loved this.
agrippinaes's review against another edition
3.0
I bought this book because I’ve followed the Sotheran’s Twitter account for a while, and enjoyed the content on there. This is an interesting book that delves into all of the oddities and quirks of working as a rare bookseller. The book is split into sections focusing on different aspects of this sort of work, and is then split into smaller chapters, a lot of which comprise of anecdotes about unusual people or books the author has encountered over his work.
The writing is quite solid; it’s engaging and there are some touching and emotive moments, especially later on in the book as it discusses how times are changing for this tight-knit world. As might be expected from their social media accounts, which are primarily run by the author, Oliver Darkshire, there is a quirky sense of humour running through the book on almost every single page. There are little humorous tangents about unusual patrons, footnotes commenting directly on the text with random asides.
This approach felt quite charming for the first few chapters but I struggled with it more and more as the book went on. As a piece of writing, it was determined to be funny and quirky and weird; sometimes that became tiring, and some of the anecdotes just felt stretched. I think the problem for me was that what was funny about their social media in short form did not really work for me in this longer form.
Thankfully, it’s not a very long book, so whilst it wasn’t for me I was still able to read it in full without skimming. I also have to say that the book could have been rounded off better – it came to a very sudden stop that felt unsatisfying.
As a whole this isn’t a bad book and I can see other readers really enjoying it – but it wasn’t my cup of tea at all.
Content Notes:
Warnings:
The writing is quite solid; it’s engaging and there are some touching and emotive moments, especially later on in the book as it discusses how times are changing for this tight-knit world. As might be expected from their social media accounts, which are primarily run by the author, Oliver Darkshire, there is a quirky sense of humour running through the book on almost every single page. There are little humorous tangents about unusual patrons, footnotes commenting directly on the text with random asides.
This approach felt quite charming for the first few chapters but I struggled with it more and more as the book went on. As a piece of writing, it was determined to be funny and quirky and weird; sometimes that became tiring, and some of the anecdotes just felt stretched. I think the problem for me was that what was funny about their social media in short form did not really work for me in this longer form.
Thankfully, it’s not a very long book, so whilst it wasn’t for me I was still able to read it in full without skimming. I also have to say that the book could have been rounded off better – it came to a very sudden stop that felt unsatisfying.
As a whole this isn’t a bad book and I can see other readers really enjoying it – but it wasn’t my cup of tea at all.
Content Notes:
Warnings:
Spoiler
References to racism, homophobia, Nazism, death.keepreadingbooks's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
slow-paced
3.5
Once Upon a Tome was a bit too disjointed for me, like (30-odd, very short) separate essays about working with rare books (another reviewer called it a collection of anecdotes and that’s exactly what it is, but I didn’t feel like stealing that phrase). I don’t mind essays/anecdotes at all, but I think for this one I craved more of an overarching narrative or structure. It was probably timing more than anything – just 20 pages in I kind of knew we weren’t fully vibing, but I honestly didn’t have the heart to DNF it, so I soldiered on.
And it really wasn’t the worst book to soldier on with; it’s cosy, entertaining, enlightening and very British – all good things. Darkshire is also clearly very sharp and intelligent, and it’s generally a pleasure to read his writing. His style can be a bit misleading; it’s self-deprecating, exaggerated and jokingly superficial in nature most of the time, and then he suddenly surprises you with a deeper point about something or other. It was a nice and entertaining balance.
alexbirsan's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
4.5
ashley_reya's review against another edition
Just not for me. It was in the fantasy section at the bookstore, so I thought it would be a fantastical tale about a rare bookseller….turns out to be a very real tale about a very real rare bookseller. Not bad, just not for me. ✨
jaclyncrupi's review against another edition
It’s a pretty tempestuous time in the long life of a particular Melbourne bookshop so I’m reading about other old bookshops that have weathered many a storm. The eccentric world of antiquarian bookselling fascinates me and while I’ll stick to my kind of bookselling I loved being able to delve a little deeper. Darkshire’s tweets for Sotheran’s has been a source of much joy and this book is a neat continuation of that joy.
tsumommy's review against another edition
I’ve tried to finish, I’m halfway through, but it’s taken me a dozen weeks to get this far, and I quit. The writing is good, but I’m just not very interested in the subject.