A Book Barn Of Finger Lakes

09/04/09

If you love books...

by Matt DeGennaro

There’s an illustrated edition of the Jorge Luis Borges’ story “The Library of Babel” with etchings by Erik Desmazieres. In it you will find images of an infinite library – winding, endless shelves of books. Everywhere you look –up, down, sideways - books. Books,books,books.

These images automatically pop into mind when you enter A Book Barn Of Finger Lakes. This is the place where all the books you have lent out, lost or lusted after are located. There are bookstores and there is this place – a booklover browser’s dream. This isn't a bargain barn--but each book is thoughtfully priced.

Though it may seem a bit overwhelming at first, books are categorized quite nicely. If you have any trouble finding anything –owner Vladimir Dragan is more than happy to help you out. He seems to have an almost preternatural connection with what he stocks – he’s a friendly guy who most certainly knows his stuff (and loves his cats).

But back to browsing. Before the days of the internet, there was the joy of walking into a bookstore – not knowing just you wanted but knowing you wanted to read something. Sadly, there are few places you can just mentally meander around until you find something that jumps out at you. At A Book Barn my girlfriend and I found a nice edition of a professional manual for 15th century witch hunters (The Malleus Maleficarum), my favorite collection of sci-fi (100 Great Science fiction Short Short Stories) 1917's Wild Animal Ways by Ernest Thompson Seton and The Rivers and Streams of England with 75 colour plates.

Bottom line: If you love books, you’ll love this place. It’s definitely a day trip destination.

08/12/08

Dedicated book hunters will spend hours here.

by ElissaMay

I've been visiting the Book Barn off and on while back upstate for nearly ten years. The owner, Vladimir, not only instantly located a rare book for me in his stock that I was unable to find anywhere else (the 1980s edition of Clifton Fadiman's Lifetime Reading Plan), but he also introduced me to Christopher Morley's Parnassus on Wheels and The Haunted Bookshop. two truly delightful books that I might never have picked up otherwise. This kind of personalized care and devotion to literature keeps me coming back when I get the chance to make the drive. The Barn stocks a very full children's section (in my experience, rare in secondhand bookstores since these books are often shredded by their first owners), a rich range of fiction and literary biographies, and a marvellous collection of 50s, 60s, and 70s science fiction paperbacks upstairs. Yes, the barn is a warren of piles, a little musty, and the organization is slightly inscrutable to the unititiated. Take a Claritin, ask for a stepladder, and get over it. This isn't Amazon, people; you're coming to the Book Barn for the thrill of the hunt. I could not recommend a better place to spend an afternoon for a true book fiend.

08/04/08

The platonic used book store

by CD555

My wife and I recently moved to the area and when we visited this store we found it to be an impressive place, both large and crammed with more books-per-foot than any book store we'd ever seen. The owner, Vladimir, was freindly and talkative. While I do not doubt that he was sarcastic and may have sworn as another reviewer said, the several times I have met him, he has been exceedingly friendly, helpful, and informative, if perhaps light on tact. I highly recommend this store to anyone who likes books. The prices are reasonable (to the owner's credit, nothing seems over- or under-priced), and the selection if great.

However, it is a (partially) converted barn, so if you have bad allergies, you may need to cut your visit short.

• Pros: informative staff, vast stock
• Cons: hard to find, musty