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,

Cover image for 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,

Title:

Interspersed with several diverting footnotes of a comical nature, ably illustrated by Rohan Eason, published by W. W. Norton, and humbly proposed to the consideration of the public in this year 2023

Author:

Darkshire, Oliver, author.

Publication Information:

New York, NY : W.W. Norton & Company, 2023.

Edition:

First American edition.

Format:

Books

Physical Description:

ix, 244 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm

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

Personal Subject:

Darkshire, Oliver.

Corporate Subject:

Henry Sotheran Ltd.

Subject Term:

Antiquarian booksellers -- Great Britain -- Biography.

Booksellers and bookselling -- Great Britain -- Biography.

Genre:

Autobiographies.

Biographies.

Added Author:

Eason, Rohan Daniel,

ISBN:

9781324092070

Document ID:

SD_ILS:5045368

Availability:

Library	Call Number	Format	Status	Item Holds
Searching... Abington Public Library	MEM 381.45 DARKSHIRE	BOOK	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable
Searching... Avon Public Library	B DARKSHIRE D	BOOK	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable
Searching... Braintree Thayer Public Library	DARKSHIRE	BOOK	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable
Searching... Brockton Public Library	381 DAR	NEW BOOK LOCAL HOLDS	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable
Searching... Canton Public Library	92 DARKSHIRE	BOOK	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable
Searching... Cohasset Paul Pratt Memorial Library	381.45 DAR	BOOK	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable
Searching... Duxbury Free Library	B DARKSHIRE, OLIVER DAR	BOOK	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable
Searching... Hanover John Curtis Free Library	381.45 DAR	BOOK	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable
Searching... Hingham Public Library	B DAR	BOOK	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable
Searching... Marshfield Ventress Memorial Library	381.45 DAR	BOOK	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable
Searching... Milton Public Library	B DARKSHIRE, O. DAR	BOOK	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable
Searching... Plymouth Public Library	381.45 DAR	BOOK	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable
Searching... Stoughton Public Library	381.45 DAR	BOOK	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable
Searching... Walpole Public Library	BIO DARKSHIRE OLI 2023	BOOK	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable
Searching... Weymouth Tufts Library	381.45 DAR 2023	BOOK	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable
Searching... Whitman Public Library	DARKSHIRE	BOOK	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

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).

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.

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

In this witty and heartwarming memoir, Darkshire, a former bookseller at London's Henry Sotheran Ltd., catalogs the stories behind the books, patrons, and antiques that found their way to the shop during his apprenticeship. He comically recounts peculiar interactions with customers, or "cryptids": one woman offered to sing for him then later recanted because his aura was off, a customer nicknamed The Spindleman kept trying to lend his own books in exchange for favors, and an elderly patron was always impossible to please. His humor extends to the store's resident ghost as well, a polite spirit named Henry (after the last Henry Sotheran, who died in an accident not far from the store) who only caused minor incidents during Darkshire's tenure. More serious matters include taking care of antiquated collector's volumes, which involved keeping the books away from sunlight and the arduous use of book oil to preserve their covers. The entertaining stories of the challenges Darkshire encountered day-to-day and the eccentric customers he served over the years add a ton of appeal. Darkshire's sunny temperament and respect for the trade will resonate with book lovers and fellow booksellers. (Mar.)

Booklist Review

Though in possession of a name befitting a Dickens character, Oliver Darkshire's path to the hallowed halls of antiquaria was by no means prescribed. Rather, the self-described introvert with narcoleptic tendencies and misanthropic inclinations was without promising prospects until a grant-funded apprenticeship landed him a tiny desk just inside the door of the iconic antiquarian London bookseller, Sotheran's. Reader, he found his calling. Our amiable Virgil guides us through the many vagaries of antiquarian bookselling, including eccentric customers identified as either Smaugs, Draculas, or Cryptids by the staff. Some individual specimens earn specific monikers, such as the Spindelman and the Ancient. We are also introduced to Darkshire's quirky colleagues, affectionately portrayed in all of their eccentricities in descriptions that read like The Office penned by the same hand as The Pickwick Papers, while the accounting department is straight out of Bleak House. Anecdotes abound, and myriad misadventures are afoot, often resembling Indiana Jones' more than Tom Jones'. Darkshire is a charming and witty guide in this biblio-bildungsroman of finding one's tribe.

Norwell Public Library

Availability:

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Summary

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Booklist Review