Estates Large and Small

Profound, perceptive, and wryly observed, Estates Large and Small is the story of one man’s reckoning and an ardent defense of the shape books make in a life. What decades of rent increases and declining readership couldn’t do, a pandemic finally did: Phil Cooper has reluctantly closed his secondhand bookstore and moved his business online. Smoking too much pot and listening to too much Grateful Dead, he suspects that he’s overdue when it comes to understanding the bigger picture of who he is and what we’re all doing here. So he’s made another decision: to teach himself 2,500 years of Western philosophy. Thankfully, he meets Caroline, a fellow book lover who agrees to join him on his trek through the best of what’s been thought and said. But Caroline is on her own path, one that compels Phil to rethink what it means to be alive in the twenty-first century. In Estates Large and Small Ray Robertson renders one man’s reckoning with both wry humour and tender joy, reminding us of what it means to live, love, and, when the time comes, say goodbye. Undefeated by decades of rent increases and declining readership, Phil Coopers secondhand bookstore finally succumbs to COVID-19 and he reluctantly decides to move the business online. In the newfound quiet of cybercommerce, amidst his reflections on life after divorce, he starts to suspect hes been smoking a little too much pot, listening to a little too much Grateful Dead, and may be overdue on sorting out who he is and what hes doing here, and where, in fact we might all be going. So he makes another decision: to teach himself 2,500 years of Western philosophy. Thankfully, hes met Caroline, an ex-postal worker and fellow book lover, who agrees to join him on his quest. But theyll have to hurry: Caroline has stage 4 cancer. Thankfully, theyve got plenty of books, a stash of potent medical marijuana, and the Dead to see them through. Its going to be a long, strange trip. Profound, perceptive, and wryly observed, Estates Large and Small is the story of one mans reckoning and an ardent defense of the shape books make in a life. "Undefeated by decades of rent increases and declining readership, Phil Cooper's secondhand bookstore finally succumbs to COVID-19 and he reluctantly decides to move the business online. In the newfound quiet of cybercommerce, he starts to suspect he's been smoking a little too much pot, listening to a little too much Grateful Dead, and may be overdue on sorting out who he is and what he's doing here, and where, in fact we might all be going. So he makes another decision: to teach himself 2,500 years of Western philosophy. Thankfully, he's met Caroline, an ex-postal worker and fellow book lover, who agrees to join him on his quest. But they'll have to hurry: Caroline has stage 4 cancer. Thankfully, they've got plenty of books, a stash of potent medical marijuana, and the Dead to see them through. It's going to be a long, strange trip. Profound, perceptive, and wryly observed, Estates Large and Small is the story of one man's reckoning and an ardent defense of the shape books make in a life."-- Provided by publisher