The author of Books: A Memoir (2008), Larry McMurtry says that reading books that are full of characters is like reading the best type of diary where you get insightful ideas and juicy tidbits. McMurtry’s memoir is about his lifelong passion for purchasing, selling, and collecting books, as well as how, as a young man growing up in a “bookless” environment, he was inspired to become a writer and book collector after devouring various types of literature.
In addition to being an author, McMurtry also works as a bookseller and has done so for more than six decades. When it comes to finding books to sell, he prefers rare books, and his antiquarian bookstore’s well-stocked shelves are unbeatable in their selection. When he purchases books, he does so with the intent of reselling, purchasing or trading them at a later date.
Neither his life as a book collector, which blossomed into a bookstore and then a storage facility, nor the fact that he came to be known as a “hunter,” or collector of rare and valuable books, have anything to do with his writing career in the conventional sense. However, the majority of the money he makes from book sales is reinvested in the company, and he turned to writing novels and screenplays to supplement his income and cover his living expenses.
The majority of this memoir will not be of interest to those who are not book buyers, book sellers, or collectors of rare and fine books, for a variety of reasons. For those who are serious fans of McMurtry’s voice in the stories he wrote within his novels, reading this collection of his bookish memories, which he delivers in the form of an engaging story, will allow you to appreciate his multifaceted take on being a book lover.
Further Reading
10 Brilliant Books About Books by The Curious Reader
10 Books About Books and Reading by Anne Bogel, Modern Mrs Darcy
The Top 10 Books About Reading by Rebecca Mead, The Guardian
Reading Books About… People Reading Books? by Alice Jolly, Literary Hub
