Books: A Memoir

I'd sooner watch paint dry

I would sooner watch paint dry than be forced to read Books by Lary McMurtry again. In fact, I couldn't even force myself to finish it, a first for me for a McMurtry work. I have read all of his fiction, and adore his prose. His sardonic charm is addictive. Too bad not a scintilla of that charm is evident in this tedious book. It reads like stock quotes or the telephone directory. Page after page of names which mean nothing to me, and books of which I have never heard. Maybe the worst part of all is the cavalier way in which dismisses his own writing. He makes it sound as if his novels were grudgingly tossed off in between his incessant searching for books to collect and sell. Somehow his marginalizing of his own works makes me feel almost foolish in my enthusiasm for them. That's sad.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Okay, I liked it!!!!

I'm thinking that I liked reading this book because it let me tip toe around in a world of book sellers. Granted, it didn't have a fancy plot to grab you by the seat of your pants, but it was just plain pleasant to gather a little insight into the world of booksellers.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Boring

I expected something more enjoyable than this dry read. I did finish it but i was counting pages to the end. I would not recommend it at all.

Books Worth Reading

Books: A Memoir is worth reading. If you enjoy collecting and reading good books then you will enjoy this. McMurtry is knowledgable in his field. He has been around in the book business and shares much of what he has gleaned over the many years of buying and selling.

Engaging style. Chapters short and pithy. I plowed through it in a couple of readings.

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