When Bethany traveled to Boston a year ago, she came home singing the praises of Brattle Book Shop, and blaming it for some overweight luggage (hers and other people’s) on the way home. Last week, I had a free afternoon and restless feet, so I hopped the T into the city to see for myself.
And oh MY. It’s a treasure house, people. I’m lucky I didn’t spend hundreds of dollars and come home lugging dozens of books. For look what meets your eye when you walk up:
Book stalls and book carts galore! Just like at my beloved Shakespeare & Co. in Paris! And ALL the books outside are $5 or less. There’s a fair bit of stuff to wade through, especially on the $1 racks, but a lot worth looking at and quite a bit worth having. And I love the fun art on the alley walls.
The carts are wheeled in at night, best I can guess, and the shelves are locked up. I spotted some of the sliding door panels resting in a corner:
Inside, there are three floors of literary goodness – fiction, New England interest, politics, philosophy, history, languages, children’s and MORE. I could have spent HOURS, and oh how I coveted the beautiful rare edition of Anne of the Island, sitting in the rare-book case. (Alas, I don’t have $250 to spare. And Serenity, I thought of you.)
I did come home with one treasure: an early edition of Jean Webster’s Daddy-Long-Legs. I’d heard of it because it features in Dear Pen Pal, part of the Mother-Daughter Book Club series, but I’d never read it. It’s such a charming story – and isn’t my copy beautiful?
Needless to say, I’ll be going back to Brattle often, and I’ll take all my bookish friends there when they come to visit. I haven’t even been to the rare-book room yet – though I’m sure I’ll find lots to covet, and perhaps even something to take home.
What a beautiful bookshop!
You’ve moved to Boston?? I just did a little research on your blog to find out the deets. I need to stop by here more often to keep up 🙂 Here’s a belated congrats to our move. Hope all is well!
The rare book room made me want to die, but in a good way. So many pretty covers! So many that I almost didn’t care what was in them!
um…i think i’m in love!!! what an amazing place!! and a rare book room? i’m literally beside myself giddy!
Thank you for sharing the photos! What a fabulous place to spend an afternoon.
What are the big panels with arty stuff and quotes? I can’t tell how big they are. Is that just cool bookish art for sale?
[…] sprawl out and do nothing at all. It’s right in the middle of everything, close to my beloved Brattle Book Shop and the Downtown Crossing shopping area, and right next to Charles Street, which offers shopping […]
[…] Jean Webster I found my copy of this sweet story at Brattle Book Shop, in the outdoor stalls, and read it in just a couple of days. The narrator, Jerusha (who wisely […]
[…] Brattle Book Shop. I’ve gushed about this place before, but I’ll say it again: Outdoor stalls crammed with treasures ALL $5 […]
This is my Jean Webster copy: http://twitpic.com/373hxe
After reading Daddy Long-Legs in preparation for Dear Pen Pal, I couldn’t find the sequel in nearby libraries. One day I came across a public bookshelf (where you can bring books you don’t need anymore and take others) in an area of town I rarely go to and found this beautiful edition of Daddy Long-Legs/Dear Enemy, in perfect shape and most likely unread.
[…] by katieleigh I know I’m a walking ad for Brattle Book Shop these days – I’ve rhapsodized about it on the blog, taken Jeremiah and Abi there, even coaxed my parents there on their visit this week. And nearly […]
[…] eight years in all). I know it will never be that way in Boston at large (though the good folks at the Brattle, Thinking Cup and some of my other regular haunts recognize me now). But I’m so thankful, in […]
[…] bought lots of books at the Brattle since I moved to Boston, but Daddy-Long-Legs was the first, and is still one of the […]