Books: A Memoir

I don't know enough about McMurtry to be a fan and I absolutely loved this book. If you love knowing about the history of books and how good booksellers find, evaluate, and place good books, listen to this. Even without know all the characters and all the places, this was engaging and fascinating.

Larry McMurtry shows readers a different side of his literary talent in "Books: A Memoir." The book's chapters discuss topics related to current American book culture, his passion for reading and books, and the characters who fill the industry. He is, perhaps, most interesting when he relates personal stories related to his adventures with books - their collection and sale.

I came to this book as an avid reader of and listener to books. I was hoping to become involved in the life of a fellow reader and bibliophile. Unfortunately, this book is really a series of anecdotes and short tales - well told for sure - but not satisfying to me. It may not be fair, but the book seemed to ramble. Those with a more narrow interest will, no doubt, find the book wonderful. Certainly, fans of McMurtry who want to learn about their favorite author will get a different picture than expected.

A longtime fan, I expected this book to explore Lsrry McMurtry's views on literature and how he came to be a novelist. The Kirkus snippet makes it sound as if it will be, as does most of the Product Description.

No, it's much more about how McMurtry came to be a rare book collector and seller and about the people and minutae of the rare-book world. He even omits information about his stint in a Stanford program because, he says, he wrote about it elsewhere. What good does that do the reader of THIS book?

If you don't care about rare books (I don't) this book is quickly a bore.