Described as a bibliomemoir, The Book Collector by Tony Eyre is an engaging read of a lifetime of reading and the books and authors that have touched his life in some way.
The first part of the book touches on Tony’s childhood and books that informed and inspired him when he was young, such as the Janet and John Readers. And he also touches on other books during his secondary school years, work and study and in his family life.
The book's second part is about Tony’s lifelong passion for book collecting and his encounters with many second-hand book shops. His library is impressive; there are novels and short story collections, well-known authors and those not so well known. There are even first-edition hardbacks. The authors in this book are a who’s who of NZ literature: Janet Frame, Margaret Mahy, Joy Cowley, Tessa Duder, and Maurice Gee. And the iconic overseas authors are not ignored either: Iris Murdoch, William Golding, Graham Greene, William Faulkner, Patrick White, Alice Munro and many more.
The Book Collector is a must-read for anyone who also shares a love of books. This is a delightful read, just the right mix of Tony’s life and the books that have impacted his world. It’s a fabulous tour of second-hand bookshops, and it is so enjoyable to be along for the ride as Tony goes on a quest to find the original jacket, or the edition he wants, or the volume he seeks to complete a set. You learn a lot about Tony, various bookshop owners, authors and books along the way! And it sounds like the entire family has the book-collecting bug, with Tony’s two-year-old granddaughter already engaged in the stories and pictures of a good book, and eager to choose another book to be read.
Reviewer: Karen McMillan
Mary Egan Publishing