Bookstores of Cambridge: Lame Duck Books

Lame Duck Books
12 Arrow Street, Cambridge, MA

“We are internationally known specialists buying and selling important modern books and manuscripts with an emphasis on rare literature and primary works in the history of ideas in English, German, French, Spanish, Russian and other languages. Our shop features the most significant selection of 19th and 20th century Spanish language literature in the world, as well as important holdings of 17th and 18th century English poetry.”

Significantly fancy-pantsier than the bookstores that Kakaner and I usually feel comfortable rummaging through, clearly, but a fun taste of the high life. You enter this basement bookstore through a hushed, minimalistic art gallery (unaffiliated); the bookshop itself is similarly hushed and artsy.

Kakaner thought their prices ran a little high, for the books with which we were more familiar, but we had a good time regardless ogling such volumes as a first edition of Margaret Atwood’s The Edible Woman, another Atwood volume (forget which – K, do you remember?) that contained a handwritten letter of hers, and this J. Sheridan Le Fanu novel…

…with a seriously charming dedicatory doodle for someone named Phoebe:

Continue below the cut for a couple more photos:

All in all, Lame Duck Books seems like the place to look if you’re seeking a wide selection of rare and signed books in Cambridge. They also had signed copies of more contemporary fiction – A. S. Byatt, for example.

– E

3 thoughts on “Bookstores of Cambridge: Lame Duck Books”

  1. Ooh, what a great place to spend an hour or two. Loved the Le Fanu edition! I’d buy it for the doodle alone (in my fantasy life where I’m an eccentric millionaire, that is). The town we’re in is seriously lacking in decent bookshops.

  2. I’m pretty seriously considering living in Boston/Cambridge long-term, if I can wangle it, and the availability of bookstores and literary events plays no small part in that desire.

    May a friendly Questing Squilp bring some better bookshops your way!!

  3. Thank you so much for putting this together!!!

    I just remember Edible Woman as I was definitely just overwhelmed by all aspects of it… it is still majorly high on my wish list! Seriously a great great selection =)

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