Jenna's Reviews > The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore

A perfectly adequate, if anecdotal and somewhat capricious and selective, history of American bookselling. This book occupies a tricky historical niche in my view. On one hand, it’s too much to tackle for a microhistory approach into which an author could potentially delve really deeply. The topic of bookselling and the intersection of commerce and ideas, of free speech and a free press, across even just one entire nation, is simply too vast. But neither is this book as comprehensive in historical research and chronological scope as this vast topic could easily support: rather, it’s more of a randomly episodic, cocktail-party-fact approach. As a result, I struggled to feel satisfied while consuming this book and I was ultimately left a bit underwhelmed as well as confused regarding some of the author’s scattershot choices of what to cover, and how much. I have a similar experience with many “books about books,” I find: the “whimsical potpourri” or “trivia match prep” effect reigns, and there are always confusing foci as well as bewildering gaps. Nonetheless, it’s engaging enough, and it would make a fine gift for a bibliophile in your life.