Nabokov's Butterfly: And Other Stories of Great Authors and Rare Books

Rating:
Summary: Bibliophiles enjoy...
Review: Having just started a course in Rare Books and Manuscripts, I picked up this book on a whim and am happy to report that it is a great read for anyone interested in the goings-on of book dealers and collectors. This book is especially for anyone who takes interest in contemporary authors (the accounts of J.D. Salinger, Graham Greene, Salman Rushdie etc., are fascinating!). It's a book for people who are interested in the details of the book as an object itself -what makes an edition unique or valuable-, and might interest anyone who thinks they may have some old, valuable books sitting around in their basements. Gegoski is a skilled storyteller, it's one of the fastest reads I've done in a long time. I'd definitely read a second volume if he has any more stories to share in the future...

Rating:
Summary: Not your typical "bookseller-with-stories" book!
Review: Rick Gekoski's book is much better than similar titles in the "let me tell you about the great books I've found" genre. Unlike David Meyer's <em>Memoirs of a Book Snake</em> or John Baxter's <em>A Pound of Paper</em>, which lean toward autobiography, Gekoski focuses primarily on the twenty books at hand. Each chapter details the publishing history of a classic (<em>Ulysses</em>, <em>The Catcher in the Rye</em>, <em>Lord of the Flies</em>, <em>Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone</em>, <em>The Hobbit</em>, etc.), including the politics, frustrations, and joys involved in bringing a text to life. Gekoski does provide the occasional book hunter's tale, but keeps his eye on the book at hand and restrains from self-promotion. I did not keep the books mentioned above, but will happily place this book on my shelf next to two of my favorites: Robert Wilson's <em>Modern Book Collecting</em> and Nicholas Basbanes's <em>Among the Gently Mad</em>. A fun and educational read!