Books: A Memoir

Larry McMurtry's memoir chronicles his lifelong relationship with books - from his early days as a young reader in a nearly book-free Texas town to becoming a prominent rare book dealer and collector. The narrative follows McMurtry's journey through the American book trade, including his experiences establishing bookstores, scouting rare volumes, and building his personal library of over 28,000 books. He recounts encounters with fellow collectors, eccentric book dealers, and the changing landscape of the antiquarian book world. The work is filled with anecdotes about significant acquisitions, memorable book scouts, and the complex process of assembling major private libraries. McMurtry details the progression of his Booked Up bookstore and his role in preserving important literary collections. The memoir serves as both a personal history and a documentation of the American rare book trade in the latter half of the 20th century, capturing the culture of book collecting during a pivotal period of transition from traditional bookstores to digital commerce.

Readers found McMurtry's memoir about his life as a book collector and seller to be meandering and fragmented. Many reviews note the book reads like scattered memories rather than a cohesive narrative. What readers liked: - Inside look at rare book trading and collecting - Stories about unique bookstores and characters - McMurtry's knowledge of literary history - Insights into his personal library of 28,000 books What readers disliked: - Disorganized structure - Repetitive anecdotes - Lack of emotional depth - Too many lists of book prices and transactions "Feels like listening to an elderly relative ramble about the past" noted one Amazon reviewer. Several readers mentioned wanting more about McMurtry's writing career rather than his book dealing. Ratings: Goodreads: 3.4/5 (1,100+ ratings) Amazon: 3.7/5 (80+ reviews) LibraryThing: 3.3/5 (200+ ratings)

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🔖 McMurtry amassed a personal library of over 28,000 books across multiple homes, making him one of the largest private book collectors in Texas 📚 While running his bookstore "Booked Up" in Archer City, Texas, McMurtry processed and shelved an average of 100 to 200 books per day 🏆 Beyond his work as a bookseller, McMurtry won both a Pulitzer Prize for "Lonesome Dove" and an Academy Award for co-writing the screenplay of "Brokeback Mountain" 📖 He opened his first rare bookstore in 1971 in Georgetown, Washington D.C., and at its peak, his Archer City bookstore operation occupied four buildings and housed approximately 400,000 volumes 🎬 His book-scouting travels influenced several of his novels, including "Cadillac Jack," which follows the adventures of a traveling antiques scout similar to McMurtry's own experiences as a book scout