Oliver Darkshire is 28, and his life as a struggling bookseller and writer is exactly what his careers instructor warned him would happen if he didn't pay attention. He lives in Manchester with his husband and a house full of books he actively tried not to collect.
Seeking a Christmas present for that bibliophilic relative who has
seemingly read everything? It's right here.
*Financial Times*
Peculiarly hilarious and/or hilariously peculiar!
*William Gibson*
An enchanting billet-doux to an arcane and eccentric world. Every
page is a pleasure.
*Lindsey Fitzharris, bestselling author of The
Facemaker*
A wonderful, eccentric love letter to books and the people who love
them... A must read for anyone who has ever lost a few hours in a
second hand bookshop or been tutted at by a strangely dressed
proprietor.
*Fergus Butler-Gallie, bestselling author of A Field Guide to
the English Clergy*
Utterly charming
*Tom Holland, bestselling author of Dominion*
Darkshire is an exciting new voice brimming with self-effacing
charm. If you consider yourself a book aficionado, this is your
Coachella.
*Caitlin Doughty, author of Smoke Gets in Your Eyes*
I love bookseller memoirs, and this is a laugh-out-loud exemplar...
A very entertaining journey into the dimly lit heart of rare
bookselling.
*Garth Nix, award-winning author of The Left-Handed Booksellers
of London*
Sirs, thank you for your extremely entertaining book, which I have
enjoyed most heartily. The anecdotes about the bookselling
profession were as enlightening as they were amusing. Unfortunately
I have mislaid the book in question as there are honestly too many
books here. I mean, they're everywhere. Teetering piles of the
things. If ever I see it again I'll try and say something nice
about it, but by then it will undoubtedly be too late. Yours
apologetically,
*Neil Gaiman*
A book lover's delight
*Irish Examiner*
He writes very engagingly and extremely honestly... His sardonic
wit runs through the book in a similar fashion to Shaun Bythell...
But here there's more of a mischievous Terry Pratchett tone...
Uproariously funny
*Fine Books Magazine*
Beneath the bemusement and occasionally explosive irritation, there
is a very kindly book here, about unlikely friendships and little
epiphanies.
*The Scotsman*
Once Upon A Tome is an utter treat for those of us who prefer books
and reading to any other activity - the oddballs and obsessives
who, like waggish Oliver Darkshire, never easily mixed with other
children at school; who loathed compulsory games and sport; who
have never 'texted' or 'tweeted'; and who require a lot of floor
space, 'an indecent amount of square footage', to house our
ever-expanding hoard.
*Daily Mail*
With its mixture of exaggerated misanthropy and eloquent
surrealism, Once Upon a Tome calls to mind the cult television
sitcom Black Books, albeit with more emphasis on matters of genuine
interest to bibliophiles.
*Times Literary Supplement*
Mr. Darkshire is a witty observer .... All of this-the craft and
customs of an esoteric enterprise; the delights and irritations of
buying and selling-is conveyed in charming short chapters with
titles like "Kerfuffles," and in a prim tone perfectly suited to
Mr. Darkshire's subject.
*Wall Street Journal*
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