The Booksellers (2019) User Reviews

more to a book than reading

[ferguson-6 · 8/10 · 15 April 2020]

Greetings again from the darkness. One might think that the only thing less interesting than watching someone read a book would be watching them talk about a book they are buying and not intending to read. Director-Editor-Producer DW Young somehow manages to make the topic quite engaging ... due in no small part to the stream of bibliophiles and antiquarian booksellers we meet. The philosophy of the film is best expressed through one of the many spot-on quotes sprinkled throughout: "Books are a way of being fully human."

It's either cheating or hedging one's bet when a director secures an interview with the eloquent Fran Lebowitz for a documentary. If the documentary is about books, well that's even better. She perfectly describes the joy in "crawling around" bookstores in search of just the right one. She recalls the days when bookstores lined 4th Avenue, in what had been labeled "Book Row." These days, only one remains - The Strand, which was founded in 1929. We learn that in the 1950's, there were 358 bookstores in New York City, and now your search for a good read is limited to 79. The oldest remaining NYC bookstore is the stunning Argosy on E. 59th, and it's being operated by the three daughters of Louis Cohen who opened the store in 1925. Ownership of the building is key to the bookstore remaining open for nearly 100 years.

Director Young takes us inside the beautiful and historic Park Avenue Armory for the NYC Antiquarian Book Fair. It's here where we see a Fidel Castro doll (I guess everything is collectable!), and more importantly get a feel for how the rare book trade works. These collectors are obsessive about their books and compulsive in their mission of the next rare discovery. We see warehouses, apartments, offices, and stores jam packed with books, and to cap it off, we hear from the folks who have made this their passion. Not just bibliophiles like Ms. Lebowitz, Gay Talese, and Susan Orlean, but the boots-on-the-ground booksellers and collectors. There is even a segment on Martin Stone, the legendary book scout or bookrunner, who was also a rock 'n roll guitarist.

"The internet killed the hunt." A perfect example is given on how the world wide web changed book selling and collecting. In the old days, a collector could spend years assembling a full collection of Edith Wharton books, whereas today, a credit card and an afternoon on the internet would yield the same results. This is 'buying' contrasted with 'collecting', and the old school collectors have either adjusted or are struggling. Even auctions have changed, and Bill Gates' purchasing Leonardo Da Vinci's "The Codex Leicester" via phone ... for $28 million ... is an example.

Movies about book dealers are discussed, including THE BIG SLEEP and UNFAITHFUL, and we see a clip of Larry McMurtry's speech championing book reading and bookstores. It should also be noted that Mr. McMurtry is a long time book seller and collector from Archer City, Texas. One of the industry's new celebrities is the ultra-charming Rebecca Romney, who became famous for her stints on TV's "Pawn Stars" as the resident book expert. Ms. Romney is leading the new wave of collectors, and her passion as a glass-half-full type is contagious.

Author Maurice Sendak said "There's so much more to a book than reading." Here, we learn about the importance of book jackets and special bindings, and how these rare books are actually historical evidence ... artifacts of culture. This explains why 'book burning' has the history it does as both symbolizing and physically accomplishing the destruction of certain segments of society. We also learn those in this business don't think highly of Kindle. The words may be the same, but the experience certainly isn't.

The film is billed as a behind-the-scenes look at the New York rare book world, but it spends more time exploring the folks who make-up this business/industry/lifestyle. Their passion, and one might even call it a fetish, is quite interesting. The argument can be made that their work is quite important in preserving history. Smooth jazz accompanies the story, and it's only fitting that I learned a new word: Incunabulum, which is an early printed book. These collectors express concern about their legacy, so hopefully the film will spur even more people to understand the historical relevance of books in our cultured society.

A warm but rambling tale

[antony-1 · 6/10 · 6 September 2020]

Beautifully shot, a lively jazz soundtrack and some interesting characters and good interviews.

Fran Lebowitz for me was the standout, and I could listen to her all day.

For me where it falls down is that it has no form of a narrative. A good story has a beginning middle and end. It takes you on an emotional journey. This felt more like a clip show.

Topics are brought up throughout, giving a feeling of a repetition rather than a story being crafted.

Maybe I should embrace the eclectic story, to match the eclectic people. But for me it felt like it needed a message of some sort to sew this all together.

I cherish books. But not the way these folks do.

[MEMangan · 8/10 · 20 September 2020]

This is one of those wonderful films about a small niche with a dedicated group of adherents. It won't be for everyone, but if you are a book lover you will probably appreciate this.

But there was more than just dusty books. There was insight into the business, there was insight into collectors, and there were some wonderful segments about people whose own interests drove them to assemble items around fascinating topics that have real value beyond just monetary mathematics. There are real cultural subsets that deserved to have someone collect the pieces and preserve them for the future.

And I could look at bookshelves all day long.

I found it was a lovely change of pace and a treat to an unusual subject.

Mixed Bag Here

[larrys3 · 6/10 · 13 August 2020]

One if these documentaries that can be quite fascinating one moment then quite dull the next. So, for me, a mixed bag here.

Gives an inside look at the seldom seen world of antique booksellers and collectors in NYC.. The film also offers a little more optimism about the field being carried on by out younger generation, although the modalities will be most different.

For those viewers that can get through the, at tines, stodginess, the doc does offer some good rewards.

A Bit Repetitious

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 15 January 2021]

I chanced upon this documentary on Amazon Prime. Because I have quite a large collection of books and have spent much of my life haunting used bookstores, I was intrigued. It was fun to see the passion for the items themselves. All collectors have a bit of an unhealthy connection to whatever they are collecting. But why is the question that is most important. Here we see people who have connections going back generations or those who are contemporary. I enjoyed it, but I have to say that at times it really dragged. Sometimes people can be too philosophical. Still, many questions that have evaded me were answered reasonably well.

Interesting Doc on book collecting that is sometimes too dull

[omega145 · 7/10 · 19 October 2020]

A glimpse into the world of book collectors with perspective from different collectors. Jumps around a bit too much from collector to collector instead of focusing on the history of book collecting and staying on point to tell a story. Comes across a bit dull at times in story telling and it seems like there are some missed opportunities to dive into each collectors unique personality. The documentary is at its strongest when talking about where the hobby has been and where it is headed.

A Behind-the-Scenes Look at a Seldom-Covered But Worthwhile Topic

[classicalsteve · 9/10 · 10 July 2020]

The number of films which feature rare book trading you could probably count on your fingers. One of the few is "The Ninth Gate" (loosely based on "Club Dumas" by Perez-Reverte) with Johnny Depp, an antiquarian book scout who's on the sleazier end of the spectrum. (He uses the old "high ball/low ball trick" to acquire an important antiquarian edition of "Don Quixote" printed in 1780.) Another is "84 Charing Cross Road". A few rare and antiquarian booksellers appear at the beginning of a few fantasy films, such "The Neverending Story", often as rather cantankerous older eccentrics in tweed jackets and droopy plaid bow-ties. (I wish the plaid bow-tie would be put out of its misery.)

"The Booksellers" offers a more nuanced perspective featuring those trading in antiquarian, rare and collectible books. Most of the booksellers given airtime have been in the trade a long time but there are a fair number of relatively young newcomers who are also given screen-time. (The age of 40 is regarded as "young" in the trade.) It also chronicles a bit about the history of collectible and antiquarian book trading and even a segment about the dynamics of auctions. (Often films having an auction scene are nearly exclusively fine art.)

I am an antiquarian book collector myself (mostly books printed circa 1500 to 1700), and I've bought a few items from some of the booksellers profiled. It is interesting that during the 20th century, there were dozens and in some cases 100's of used bookstores in urban areas. Books have been an important part of many people's lives. And yet for elusive reasons, the world of books gets sparse media attention, be it films, television, and even books about books. Book collectors I think tend to be under the radar. Until I joined the Book Club of California, I knew almost no book collectors.

Several of the people highlighted: Rebecca Romney, whose sort of the closest equivalent to a movie star in the antiquarian book world (if there is such a thing), in large part because of her book appraisals on the History Channel's "Pawn Stars"; David Bergman, a pretty down-to-earth mid-level NY antiquarian bookseller who specializes in large antiquarian with prints and engravings; and Henry Wessells of James Cummins, bookseller. Nicholas Lowry, who many PBS viewers will recognize because of his appraisals of vintage posters on the Antiques Roadshow US, offers compelling commentary on the history of book collecting. So does Stephen Massey, also a regular on the Antiques Roadshow US. One of Massey's claims to fame was being the auctioneer at the sale of Leonardo da Vinci's notebook. Winning bidder: Bill Gates of Microsoft fame. Massey also authenticated a copy of the Shakespeare First Folio which had been stolen from Durham University, Britain, in the 1990's.

One thing I appreciated about the documentary is a few book collectors and curators were interviewed. Often, material concerning the antiquarian and collectible book trade focuses only on the sellers. There wouldn't be sellers if there were no collectors! Michael Zinman, collector of early-printed books in America receives ample treatment and several booksellers comment on his focus. I also enjoyed Kevin Young, poet and curator, talking about material written and published during the Harlem Renaissance.

Two recurring themes of the documentary: that the antiquarian book traders are aging (both among dealers and collectors) and how the internet has in a lot of ways changed in some cases stifled old business models. From a collector's perspective, the internet has made collecting much easier. Simultaneously I can see how it radically forced booksellers to alter a modus operandi which worked for nearly two centuries. A first edition from 1975 which might have easily sold for $250 in 1995, if only because it wasn't easy to find a copy locally, is now competing with copies on the internet which might be priced at say $50.

I think the antiquarian booksellers need to find new and exciting ways to tap potential customers and future collectors. I'm actually a renaissance faire participant and I exhibit books printed in the 1500s to early 1600's. It's interesting how few people know that these books are bought and sold routinely. At renaissance faire, when exhibiting a Geneva Bible from 1589, it is not uncommon for people to say "How did you get this?" The answer: "I bought it from a bookseller!"

Interesting story, but went on too long

[joseph-miklovic-1 · 6/10 · 22 August 2021]

Interesting topic, and interesting characters. Was 1:38 long, could have easily wrapped up in 60 mins or less. The last part of the movie kind of dragged on a little bit. I watched this for free from the library so no loss, but I wouldn't pay for this movie.

An Authentic View into the Mysterious World of Rare Books

[addy-79321 · 10/10 · 12 June 2020]

The rare book world to some seems like an impenetrable mystery filled with expensive volumes, well-heeled buyers, and unapproachable and quixotic sellers brimming with disdain for the uninitiated. In fact, it is a very vibrant and welcoming world with a fabulous range of interesting material, many affordable rarities to delight, and down-to-earth dealers that are thrilled with new collectors whose interest they can cultivate. As such, this is a rare and important movie for it opens up that unique world to a broader audience. If you are curious about this movie, your soul already gravitates towards literature and history, but you may not know how easy it is to hold treasures in one's hand and connect on such an intimate level with great authors and events of the past. The movie is a tribute not only to the love affair of the printed word, but to the people who seek it out, catalog it, contextualize it, and make it available to libraries and collectors. The movie also deserves great credit for highlighting women and minorities (among others) and the importance of the growing inclusiveness in the rare book world in terms of collecting and preserving their narratives and helping assemble the first hand material that will help tell many untold stories.

And I thought I had too many books!?

[adamjohns-42575 · 6/10 · 25 November 2023]

The Booksellers (2019) -

This documentary was that sort of crass that you get from America sometimes, full of some very eccentric people, not all from the U. S. However the content still had an appeal about it by the time I made it to the end.

Some of the "Booksellers" looked incredibly familiar, but I couldn't for the life of me work out where I might have known them from, because I've never seen anything else about these people, which lead me to wonder if they might be actors, although IMDB did not back up that theory of course. Perhaps they just have those faces.

The film itself made me wish that the charming old book shops, that so many of the people described, still existed. I remembered the second hand book shop that I used to frequent, which was never going to really succeed, because the guy that owned and ran it spent all day reading instead of stacking or shelving the books in to any sort of orderly system, but it was a place to find treasures and I pray that places like it (Maybe slightly better) might come back in to fashion again.

What I liked about this documentary was that it covered diversity within writing, without screaming about it too much. There were references to authors of colour and of course those within the LGBTQ+ community, because books were a large part of bringing acceptance about and another way to access information on other cultures through stories and so on.

What worried me by the end though was the question of what happens if the internet crashes and all is lost? I don't care how many back ups the world thinks it has, we must keep books alive. Even if they're all just kept in a damp proof and fireproof building to be referred to at special request, because knowledge is so important and so is the art of writing fiction or otherwise. You wouldn't scan Van Gogh's 'Sunflowers' in to a computer and then consider it less important to keep the originals, because it's saved forever in the electric ether!

As a writer, I feel that the internet and access to the written word that way is very important, but I will always put my books out as hard copies, because I believe that there is still something important about having that book to hold and treasure if you do find that you enjoy it. You never know when Netflix will take your favourite show off of their listings and you never know when Kindle might decide that a book isn't worth keeping anymore either. If you have a real copy then you can never be without your favourite adventures or pages of knowledge.

So, overall it was interesting to see how these people worked within the industry, although for some of them it was more about the possession of a book with monetary value and less about the beauty of the words or pictures inside, but in general this film just stirred feelings within me around the creation, publication and continuation of the printed word.

600.17/1000.

Anyone who has been a book collector will enjoy this

[steiner-sam · 8/10 · 12 October 2021]

It's a documentary on the antiquarian and rare book trade, primarily focused on New York City. In addition, it included conversations with a number of book collectors, including modern collectors, including a woman who is preserving material from the 1990s on Hip-Hop.

The rise, but plateauing, in the percentage of rare book dealers who are women is also discussed, as is the much-predicted demise of books and reading in general. Many of the dealers fit the stereotype of eccentric older white men, but some others do not.

As I watched, I reflected on my personal history of collecting books, mainly in the narrow field of Mennonitica. My day job was in a Mennonite Library and Archives, where I touched many books that I knew I could never own. But I still tried; getting up to over 3,000 books before retirement and downsizing required an adjustment in my sights. But I still recalled the delight of getting a signed copy of a book by a "famous" Mennonite, e.g., Harold Bender, or a surviving book jacket of a Mennonite history I had never seen before, or a signed copy of one of the earliest "Mennonite" novels, "Flamethrowers," by Gorden Friesen.

Anyone who has been a book collector at some point in their life will enjoy this wide-ranging documentary.

Largely Meandering and Unfocused, with some Interesting Moments

[ernesthberry · 6/10 · 16 June 2021]

The Booksellers tries hard to be peppy, upbeat, and even edgy, while addressing a subject that's bound to have a significant built in audience - but it meanders along without much focus or direction. It took me two sessions to slog through it. I think if there were an actual story arc, it would be more compelling. As it is, it's more like a literary 'wash' of words and participants. Some interesting moments are speckled in there though. Many of the locations and subjects/interviewees are not captioned or labeled, leaving the viewer to guess as to their identities. If you're into books, and New York booksellers, you may find it worthwhile.

Could have been better

[rujane · 5/10 · 5 November 2020]

What Truman Capote did for non-fiction - imposing a narrative tone and form on works that had mostly been a recording of facts - films like "Hoop Dreams," or "The Devil and Daniel Johnston" or "Grizzly Man," did for documentaries; i.e., they raised the bar and imposed a narrative structure on the material. Unfortunately, as fascinating as the world of rare book dealers may be, The Booksellers seemed disorganized, often confusing without any real narrative thread. While people may recognize Gay Talese or Fran Leibowitz, people are often interviewed with no caption telling us who they are, what their job title is, and these people were, for the most part, not very interesting. The profession might attract unusual people, but the film doesn't have the "Herzog" - that skill at highlighting those idiosyncrasies in the subjects that make a documentary especially watchable.

what's happening to the bookstores?

[ksf-2 · 7/10 · 10 February 2022]

Parker posey, from so many fun things, introduces this documentary on books and booksellers. Even the buildings where the bookseller's show take place have their own really interesting history. Commentary from fran lebowitz and gay talese. Great discussion of then and now.... in the old days, you went on the hunt for whatever or who ever you were collecting. Now, with ebay and the internet, there are twenty copies available, somewhere. The long hunt is just about extinct. If it's out there, it's available for a price. The inter webs have killed off most of the bookstores, and there are only a few left in new york city. People who collect something specific, and really like the hunt... will probably love this. The others, probably not so much. Interesting spotlight on the actual alice, of the famed alice in wonderland. It ends with a discussion of time spent reading and appreciating older, rare books. Good stuff. Directed by dw young, who seems to specialize in short films and documentaries.

Believe it or not - there are books outside of NYC

[thejdrage · 7/10 · 30 September 2022]

This is a truly fascinating study of rate book dealers .... who reside and have their businesses in the NYC area only. Believe it or not - there are incredibly fascinating book collector and sellers outside of NYC who would have added a lot more color and life to this documentary.

Off hand, Mad Dog and The Pilgrim in Sweet Water, Wyoming - population around 30 or so. There are more animals than people, but certainly not more than there are books. Their story in how the owners wound up there from Denver is a documentary on it's own. The people who go to this destination bookstore that also provides fresh eggs, would put a lot of other bookstores to shame.

So, to the documentary makers - her's your second doc!! You can thank me later.

Quirky but perfect for the subject

[arkwellk · 9/10 · 23 September 2021]

As a previous reviewer said, it's "an eclectic story about eclectic people. " A bit rambling, a bit disorganized but all the things that could make it annoying to some made it endearing to me. I took notes so I can go do my own research on who some of these people and bookstore are.

Loved the representation

[nrgigaba · 8/10 · 17 November 2021]

As a black person, I expected to not see any people of color in this documentary. I always appreciateI when filmmakers make an effort to be inclusive in their art because they understand the importance of representation in filmmaking.

I'm an eBook/Kindle generation of book readers and fully aware of the slow but inevitable downfall of the physical copies. I wish I was part of this generation but the reality is that physical books need more a lot of money and space including maintenance.

Everything you need to know about The Booksellers.

[Bernie4444 · 10/10 · 22 February 2024]

Are they a dying breed or just harder to find?

It makes you remember the sellers in your neighborhood as a child. I still have a 10,000+ book library of which most of the books came from what are now defunct sellers.

I have also done a small amount of collecting such as "Star Ship on Saddle Mountain" Hardcover - January 1, 1955, by Atlantis Hallam.

I have 20+ translations of The Iliad.

One of the presenters Nicholas D. Lowry was on "Antiques Roadshow."

I always wondered why Helene Hamph, author of "84, Charing Cross Road" purchased books from London when there were so many good booksellers locally.

OK, I admit I do purchase some books and films from foreign regions. I have a region-free DVD player.

Everyone will get something useful from this documentary.

Kinda of meh...

[jonasatmosfera · 4/10 · 22 July 2020]

People collect for the sake of collecting. From seashells to space memorabilia, anything goes. Collecting is fun, but the sad thing is that collectors can be insane. I can understand why Gutenberg's bible is an extremely valuable book. But, paying thousands and thousands for a first edition of a so-so James Bond book is somewhat stupid, imho. In the hand of these insane collectors, books lose their value as tools to transmit ideas and become only objects. It does not matter anymore what is between the covers, as long as it is a rare object. The whole thing does not make sense. I believe that most of the collectors who buy these rare books never read them. They could have made a show about collecting Barbie dolls. The end result would be the same.

They're upset about the wrong thing

[susansundaisy · 1/10 · 2 September 2022]

If this were set in the time when Barnes and Noble was killing independent bookstores, it would have made me cry. That was truly sad. But at this point in time, the remaining sellers seem upset that technology means no longer cutting down trees to make books they can sell for thousands of dollars. I don't care about that. Technology changes things and that's life. I have asthma and couldn't read many books over the years bc they mold etc and so ebooks are a godsend. Plus, you can't print millions of copies of books without damaging the ecosystem so it's like being sad there aren't 8 track tapes anymore.

Snippets of personal stories with no structure

[JustHavingALook · 5/10 · 29 May 2023]

Another missed opportunity to have a potentially intriguing documentary, instead I got bored by the random scenes and way too many characters who are not properly introduced.

Instead of presenting a concept, having a structure, following a character who wants something and the obstacles he/she faces we get a collection of mostly personal stories of mostly unknown characters with mostly obscure understanding of what the ideal world of booksellers should be.

It gave me weird vibes, like one of those school projects where you interview family and friends and everyone (every single one) must have some screen time otherwise they'll be offended.

They could have presented the before and after the internet arrived and how it changed everything as the main concept, and go deep showing how people changed as well, not only in biz but as human beings.

Also. Personally I have mixed feelings when I see the director being also credited as the editor. Either low budget (no problem with that) or too much ego at play from the director. Unless you are a genius like Kurosawa, cohen brothers and so on.