3.5 out of 5 stars

I have been in lots and lots of second-hand bookshops, as anyone who follows me on Twitter will know… There is something about them that I love. There is the thrill of never really knowing what you are going to find, it might be a book that you remember from childhood or something that you have been looking for, for a long time. They have a certain reverence to them too, a hushed murmur as people move slowly around the bookshop.

I must admit that I have never been to Sotheran’s, but next time I go to London it is going to be on my list of bookshops that I visit. I probably won’t be able to afford anything, but from reading this book by Oliver Darkshire, it sounds like a wonderful place to visit for an hour or so.

I really enjoyed this insight into the strange world of the rare bookseller. It is not a conventional career choice by any means and the people that work in these bookshops are unique, to say the least. Darkshire’s prose is reasonable and there are moments that made me really laugh. What I really enjoyed is his insight into the human characters that come here seeking those rare books that have eluded them until this point. An essential read for any book collector.

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