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Once upon a Tome

The Misadventures of a Rare Bookseller

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Once upon a Tome

Written by: Oliver Darkshire
Narrated by: Oliver Darkshire
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About this listen

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.

©2022 Oliver Darkshire (P)2023 Tantor Biographies & Memoirs Comedy & Humor Haunted
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Profile Image for Sam

Very charming

I enjoyed the author's narration, found his tone and pace very charming. I loved how niche this book is and would have never learned any of this if I hadn't had the internet point me in this book's direction

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So funny and good

Such a fun collection of acedotes from a rare bookseller. Perfectly light and enjoyable. The author does a great job at narrating which is an extra bonus. Highly recommend if you want some light reading.

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