I Met a Traveller in an Antique Land

At Christmastime, an author comes to New York to meet with publishing houses about turning his blog into a book, but unfortunately, weather and scheduling conflicts leave him out in the cold. He stumbles upon a curious bookstore, Ozymandias Books, that seems utterly impossible. Endless levels and shelves, an army of employees, and physics-defying geography awaits him inside the store, taking him on a journey that will change his outlook on the literary world forever.

I Met a Traveller in an Antique Land is a love letter to the world of books, celebrating the magic of holding a book in your hands, only for it to vanish forever. Willis, with her ever-deft touch, manages to make trenchant commentary on society’s advancement while offering a melancholy look at the relationship we form with stories, all without sounding preachy or stripping one iota of enjoyment from the story itself.

For only 80 pages, Willis accomplishes a hell of a lot here, tapping into the heartfelt reader in all of us. I Met a Traveller in an Antique Land, much like the books inside it, goes far too quickly.