R. A. Gekoski

Dr James Darke has expelled himself from the world. He writes compulsively in his 'coming of old age' journal; he eats little, drinks and smokes a lot. Meditating on what he has lost - the loves of his life, both dead and alive - he tries to console himself with the wisdom of the great thinkers and poets, yet finds nothing but disappointment. But cracks of light appear in his carefully managed darkness; he begins to emerge from his self-imposed exile, drawn by the tender, bruised filaments of love for his daughter and grandson. Rich in ideas and feeling, Rick Gekoski's debut novel is provocative and timely. With scalding prose, ruthless intelligence and an unforgettably vivid protagonist, it faces some of the greatest, most uncomfortable questions about how we choose to live, and how to die.

Darke

Tolkien's gown is an amusing account of how the excited purchaser of some of the great man's effects from his Oxford rooms finds that instead of a rare, unpublished manuscript, or even notes for one, he is in receipt of an old, black, college gown . . . In each of the twenty chapters of this erudite and funny work, rare-book dealer Rick Gekoski tells the inside story of a great work of modern literature. Based loosely on a hugely successful Radio 4 series, Rare Books, Rare People, each essay gives the publishing biography of a single book, together with illuminating details about the author's involvement with the first edition of their work. The 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 are not always amicable. J. D. Salinger threatens a law suit, William Golding is moved to produce a parody of Mr Gekoski and Ted Hughes thinks he has been overcharged. While Graham Greene is simply delighted to have done business. Always entertaining, the author also shares some valuable insights: 'What is the value of a book?' he asks. His 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. For anyone who loves books, Tolkien's Gown offers a wealth of amusement and instruction, and enough literary anecdotes to last a lifetime.

And Other Stories of Great Authors and Rare Books

Tolkien's Gown

A collector of rare books shares his personal experiences with twenty important volumes and other literary items, including a signed copy of Sylvia Plath's The Colossus, a copy of Nabokov's Lolita from Graham Greene, and the sale of J. R. R. Tolkien's college gown.

R. A. Gekoski

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