by: Nabila Rhapsodios
PRODUCT INFO
Title: The Bookshop: A History of The American Bookstore
Author: Evan Friss
Publisher: Viking
Language: English
Year Published: 2024
Page(s) Number: 416
PROLOGUE
Evan Friss
Evan Friss presents his latest book, about the history of the American bookstore. Evan emphasizes the significance of bookstores in American culture and the risks faced with the threat of their extinction.
Each chapter ventures the various chronological iterations of bookstores, from corner bookstores, sidewalk bookstores, and traveling bookstores to superstores. Evan begins with Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia and moves on to the major force in early nineteenth-century American culture, Old Corner Bookstore or Ticknor and Fields in Boston. Next, he totes on to Marshall Field's, Bookshop Row in NYC, Gotham Book Mart in NYC, The Strand in NYC, a variety of theme-oriented bookstores, street independent book peddlers, Barnes & Noble, and Evan ends time traveling in Amazon, Ann Patchett's indie bookstores, and Parnassus in Nashville. He also covers a small number of bookstores in-depth, with some in passing.
MY IMPRESSION
I browsed an online catalog bookstore and, with just one glance, surged a feeling to own it. I wanted it so bad. My, what a powerful "zing." When I took a stroll in my favorite shopping mall, I visited the physical store. I asked around the clerks. They kept me waiting for a few moments. Because the clerks stated the book was out of stock, I was despondent by the news. Just as my foot was one inch from the store's entrance, one clerk shouted at me that the book had been found. There was only one remained. I touched the book and flipped through it twice. But, because it turned out to be a hardcover, I returned it to the clerk and said I would not buy it.
That bookstore I visited online and physically opened a new store in my residence's proximity. One Sunday morning, I suggested seeing it out of the blue. Once in the store, I hurriedly approached the cashier to find the book. The clerk at the cashier counter told me that the stock was out. I was sad. For my consolation for a failed hunt, I went to "G," the big-name bookstore in my country. I remembered that "G" bookstore had a new sub-department specializing in foreign books, so I handed the cover image to a "G" clerk without a second thought. She did not know the location of the book. She asked her fellow clerk just as he was heading to the cashier. He pointed out that the book was right next to the cashier. I was tailing both of them and was sweetly surprised that I found it in "G" instead. Slightly disappointed that the book was still available in hardcover. Nevertheless, happiness washed over me, and I went home like a child receiving many Christmas gifts.
I hoped the day would not be too late to share my thoughts. Now, the time has come. I never felt this much excitement for a year to a book after my epic reading journey with Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin.
The Pros:
a. We all know sitting for hours in history classes is monotonous, mainly in schools or college. Afraid not, Professor Evan Friss delivering his history lesson with this book is not boring because it's flawlessly written, easy, informative, and has enjoyable humor. He is the historian expert we all wish we had
b. I flounder to "eat" books that combine history, questionable subject matter, and human appeals into one big package, but this book is delivered on all fronts. I understood and chuckled a little reading this
c. The publication of this book is really fitting. Adult literacy rates are alarming nowadays, and Generation Alpha is also finding it difficult to become proficient. Thus, books, libraries, and bookshops become even more valuable than they ever were. They can be a national barometer of the intellectual equilibrium. Particularly in terms of how they foster national literacy, reading comprehension, and critical thinking
The Cons:
Initially, I was going to give this book a flawless ten-star rating. Still, it then brought up a devoted chapter on political commentary and a woke agenda, how that affects bookshops throughout the United States, and what is in the bookshop overall. I find it objectionable how Evan's work romanticizes those two topics. It is more progressive for bookstores now and in the future if they lack an agenda. Although I learned a lot of new things, they were not required for this book. Lastly, I was not the intended audience for preaching those two topics. Nevertheless, I value the book's historical richness since the way American bookstores evolved—as democratic venues—helps to clarify their significance.
My verdict is that I give this book 8.3/10 because it educates me and is a timely reminder of the role and importance of bookstores in our society, even if it has an American slant. This book makes me wonder whether an Indonesian historian or writer has ever written Indonesian bookstores throughout the years. If there is one, please tell me the book in the comments.
Hardcore readers and casual page-flippers alike will love this book, especially someone who is a book lover, a bookstore lover, a library lover, or all three. Give this book to your significant other, friend, or family this gem as I recommend it.
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