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Once upon a tome : the misadventures of a rare bookseller, wherein the theory of the profession is partially explained, with a variety of insufficient examples, / by Oliver Darkshire ; interspersed with several diverting footnotes of a comic nature, ably illustrated by Rohan Eason, published by W.W. Norton, and humbly proposed to the consideration of the public in this year 2023.

By: Material type: TextTextPublisher: New York, NY : W.W. Norton & Company, 2023Copyright date: ©2022Edition: First American editionDescription: ix, 244 pages : illustrations ; 22 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 9781324092070
  • 1324092076
Subject(s): Genre/Form:
Contents:
A note from the author's supervisor -- Introduction: The bookseller's apprentice -- Antiquarian & general -- Art & architecture -- Travel & exploration -- Natural history -- Modern first editions -- Appendix: Bookshop: the game.
Summary: "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). 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"-- Provided by publisher
Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Call number Materials specified Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Adult Book Main Library Biography DARKSHIR O. D219 Available 33111010978415
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

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.

A note from the author's supervisor -- Introduction: The bookseller's apprentice -- Antiquarian & general -- Art & architecture -- Travel & exploration -- Natural history -- Modern first editions -- Appendix: Bookshop: the game.

"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). 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"-- Provided by publisher

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