I don’t like to admit it, but sometimes I take the existence of bookstores for granted. I’m not saying that I am blasé about bookstores. If you put me in proximity to a store, I’m going inside.
But bookstores have been such a part of my life — literally from the beginning, as my mom was one of the co-founders of The Book Bin in Northbrook — I tend to think that the bookstore as an entity is a constant, that as long as there have been books, there have been bookstores. And given the relatively constant nature of the book, I suppose I assumed the bookstore hasn’t changed all that much over time. “The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore” by Evan Friss taught me more than a few things about these spaces that I sometimes take for granted.
Structured through a combination of chronology and theme, Friss moves from era to era, starting with Benjamin Franklin’s various shops, which combined publishing, printing and bookselling under one roof. As Friss tells us, the word “bookstore” didn’t even exist, and books were primarily luxury goods. It is clear from the outset that Friss’ research is deep, but he keeps it accessible, frequently flavoring the history with interesting morsels, such as Thomas Jefferson purchasing a “sumptuous two-volume history of Italy” that was the same price as 14 hogs.
From Franklin we move to Boston’s Old Corner bookstore, perhaps the first proper bookstore in the country and a hangout place for writers like Henry Lo.