Sunday, April 26, 2009

Sunday Salon

It's been a long, fun weekend- I'm just back from a day and a half getaway to western Massachusetts. My husband and I went to the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge for a little overnight trip, and we had a great time. Of course books and bookstores figured prominently in the trip- all in all we visited three shops.

First up was Yellow House Books in Great Barrington (252 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA- 413-528-8227) - I love that place. It's full of beautiful, unusual things. I didn't buy anything, but I was tempted by, among other things, a book of East Asian folk tales in French, beautifully illustrated and in gorgeous condition. My husband picked up some Doctor Who paperbacks to add to his collection- the store had a whole stack of the Target novelizations he likes.

Later in the day we went to The BookLoft (322 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington, MA-(413) 528-1521, www.thebookloft.com) , an independent new/used bookstore, also in Great Barrington. It's a sweet place to pick up the latest and greatest, and it was fun to see their selection and how they put things out. I had a nice chat with a friendly bookseller and enjoyed my visit.

Finally, today we happened upon the delightful Berkshire Book Company (Route 7, 510 Main St, Sheffield MA- 800-828-5565), a used/rare shop in Sheffield, Massachusetts. Sheffield is home to many, many antique stores, so it only makes sense that it would also be home to the kind of used/rare bookstores that bibliophiles dream about. It was two floors of incredible finds- and nearly everything was half off the proprietor's already reasonable prices. I found an Angela Thirkell paperback and my husband picked up a book from the Loeb Classical Library. He was very impressed with their Latin selection. My big find, though, was a gorgeous, slipcased, illustrated edition of Marcel Proust's Swann's Way (Du cote de chez Swann for you Francophones):
How beautiful are these pictures? And considering the price, after the discount, was less than four dollars, how could I leave it behind?

I also did a bit of reading- I brought Angela Thirkell's frothy little romp Wild Strawberries for reading in a rocking chair on the front porch of the hotel. All in all a great bibliophile weekend!

16 comments:

Candy Schultz said...

Oh I am drooling. My edition has no illustrations - it is just serviceable. I have noticed a lot of people are reading Proust just now. I really should get started. I have had my set for at least 25 years and I keep meaning to get to it. It is rather daunting.

Deb Nance at Readerbuzz said...

Delightful. When you see pictures like these, I scoff at those who predict the end of the book.

Anonymous said...

What a great weekend! I'm glad you and your husband enjoyed yourselves. Have a great week.

Vasilly

Anonymous said...

The book looks beautiful! Any madeleines to go with it? They have alleged madeleines at Starbucks altho I've never tried them (or at least, if I did, I can't remember - ha ha).

Audrey said...

I love Angela Thirkell! Is this your first one? Frothy, yes...but addictive.

bermudaonion said...

I can't think of a better way to spend your little getaway!

Marie Cloutier said...

Audrey- yes, this is my first Angela Thirkell. she's definitely addictive! I heard about her a long time ago and finally got one of her books. I'm loving it- obviously, cause I'm only halfway through and already got another! :-)

Julie said...

Wow. I think I could actually read Proust if I had an edition like that. :-)

Unknown said...

That is absolutely gorgeous! Question, and I should probably know this, but is the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge similar to the one in London?

wisteria said...

What an awesome trip. I know the area well. I live south of GB in Connecticut. You should read The History of Now by Danny Klein, it takes place in that area.

You had a superb weekend for browsing leisurely through the bookstores. Thanks for sharing your fun.

Marie Cloutier said...

Laura- I don't know! I've never been to London :-)

Marie Cloutier said...

Rhapsody- the madeleines at Starbucks are a little rubbery and not at all like homemade! :-) But in a pinch they're not too bad. :-)

Grapeshot/Odette said...

I'm green with envy of your Proust book. Yum! Sounds like a great weekend. The Berkshires are great for any season.

Actually, everyone is reading Proust these days. I blog it at:
http://proustwhore.blogspot.com/

LorMil said...

What a find, and lucky you!
~~Lorri

Serena said...

What a great weekend...that sounds like a ton of fun.

Zibilee said...

That is a beautiful book! Glad you had such a nice time.