Booking in the Heartland

by Jack Matthews

The author writes of his adventures bargain hunting and collecting books for emotional fulfillment and investment potential and discusses the camaraderie that can develop among collectors

176 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1986

About the author

Jack Matthews was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and former professor. He published 7 novels, 7 collections of short stories, a novella, and
8 volumes of essays. He was an avid book collector, and many of his book finds served as a basis for his essays and the historical topics he explored in his fiction. His 1972 novel The Charisma Campaigns was nominated for the National Book Award.

Here's a long interview with Jack Matthews from 2010 .

Reviews

[Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked his stories of excursions looking for books while his wife sets in the car reading. He says we all waste time and I think he is spot on. We just all do it differently. He mentioned standing in long lines waiting to get into book sales. I have had the exact same experiences. And his description of the other people at the sales were so similar to my experiences that I wondered if we were going to the same sales! I just enjoyed his conversations about books in general.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smart, funny, engaging.