Tolkien's Gown

About this book

Rick Gekoski has been described as the Bill Bryson of the book world. Rare book dealer academic publisher critic bibliographer and broadcaster his BBC Radio series Rare Books Rare People was acclaimed by The Daily Telegraph as one of the gems of Radio 4. In Tolkiens Gown a book based loosely on that hugely successful radio series he discusses twenty great works of modern literature as both texts and objects. At once erudite and funny the essays give a publishing biography of each book together with comments about the authors involvement with first editions of the works. What is the value of a book? he asks. The answers are both critical and financial involving appraisals of the literary qualities of the works together with an account of their (sometimes surprising) value in the rare book trade. His stories are fascinating and diverse and involve memorable encounters with among others Graham Greene William Golding J.D. Salinger Ted Hughes Salman Rushdie Julian Barnes and Harold Pinter. Relations between book dealers and authors can be uneasy: J.D. author Ted Hughes thinks he has been overcharged. While Graham Greene is simply delighted to have done business. For anyone who loves books Tolkiens Gown offers a wealth of amusement and instruction and enough literary anecdotes to last a lifetime.