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Shaun Bythell owns The Bookshop, Wigtown - Scotland's largest second-hand bookshop. It contains 100,000 books, spread over a mile of shelving, with twisting corridors and roaring fires, and all set in a beautiful, rural town by the edge of the sea. A book-lover's paradise? Well, almost ... In these wry and hilarious diaries, Shaun provides an inside look at the trials and tribulations of life in the book trade, from struggles with eccentric customers to wrangles with his own staff, who include the ski-suit-wearing, bin-foraging Nicky. He takes us with him on buying trips to old estates and auction houses, recommends books (both lost classics and new discoveries), introduces us to the thrill of the unexpected find, and evokes the rhythms and charms of small-town life, always with a sharp and sympathetic eye.… (more)
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...but...
For those readers who are also, in some way, on the other side of the counter, the ones who work in some way to get
I've read a few of the reviews on this book. Is the author a judgemental asshole? Well, to be honest, he addresses that in the book, and chides himself at least twice on being more lenient and less judgemental. However, as a guy who works in a bookstore, I will say, it becomes nearly impossible to not judge that weird, small percentage of freaks that show up to frustrate you and provide grist for later complaints and stories.
Seriously, I could write my own book just on these customers alone.
There's also the mention that he hates Amazon. Actually, he's fairly balanced and quite factual on what Amazon has done for book sales. But does he like them? No, and with reason. When you're faced with a customer who's looking for a very specific book, but they "don't know the author, don't know the title, I think it's red. I heard about it on the radio/TV/magazine about a year ago," then stare at you, obviously expecting to pull the exact book they're looking for out of your ass. And, after probing more, getting as much info as you can, then googling it (and politely not mentioning they could—and should—have done this all themselves) and finally coming up with the actual book (that always turns out to be any colour except the one they mentioned), then they look at the price, and point blank tell you they'll buy it on Amazon, "cuz it's cheaper." Despite not even knowing what the book was 30 seconds earlier (hint: it's usually just as, if not more expensive). For those customers, I suggest, in future, calling Amazon up and giving them the same vague description they gave me, and see how far they get in tracking the book down.
For anyone else who mentions Amazon, I simply stare at them blankly and say, "Amazon? Never heard of it." The looks and comments I get back are totally worth it.
But seriously, there's reasons why Amazon's despised by any self-respecting book lover.
Anyway, the insight into the day-to-day running of a mildly successful book shop, with its curmudgeonly owner, its flaky, weird, and typically hilarious staff, and all the goings-on in a year made for a fascinating read.
Honestly, I enjoyed every second, and laughed out loud a lot.
Each day begins with a tally of books sold online, and how many of those books he is able to actually locate in his stock (100,000 books; I can't even find a book I'm looking for in my paltry 1200 or so). From there it's a short narrative about what happened that day. Usually something his employee Nicky does, doesn't do, or says, or an anecdote about one or more customers doing something inane, rude, or more often, both. (This is not the book to read if you're looking for affirmation on humanity.)
Less often, but my favorites, were his field trips abroad to buy books. And strewn throughout is the very real, and very serious, consequences Amazon has on booksellers. It's one thing to know that Amazon is taking away independent booksellers' business by out pricing them on everything, but it's another thing altogether to understand how much control they have over small booksellers across the globe. Even if you don't buy your book from Amazon, Amazon likely controls or influences how you purchase it.
Each entry ends with the daily earnings; a number so fluid as to range anywhere from 5 Pounds to 1,000, and - spoiler alert - the days where he took in more than 700 Pounds was less than 3.
If bookshops and the eccentric people who visit them aren't your cup of tea, this book probably isn't going to delight you the way it did me, but if you secretly wish you could own, work, or live in a bookshop and have an appreciation for the irreverent humor of a man worn down by humanity at its most dubious, then definitely check out this book. As I said at the start, it's informative (in spite of the hard facts, I still want to own a bookshop), it's easy to read (although once I started I was disinclined to stop) and it's laugh out loud hilarious. I almost snorted. And I'm following the author on Facebook; I never follow authors (well, ok, Amy Stewart, but honestly, as much as I love her books, I follow her for her art - she's disgustingly talented).
In fact, check him out on facebook first; if you like his posts, you'll love this book!
There were two things that won me over and kept me going. The experiences of the author- sometimes, they proved to be real adventures- while trying to find the most appropriate books for his shop and the stories of the people linked to them. Their deceased owners and the ones that stayed behind and had to part with the books. Some of them. The rest were cruel monsters but anyway. Another interesting part is the connection of the bookshop world with Amazon and the importance of the online market in general. It was sad to learn how a mere rating in a dubious platform could influence your overall effort despite all your hard effort. In our digitalized, fast-food era, online purchases are vital for the survival of any shop. It further cemented my conviction not to support Amazon, a stance I’ve been supporting for years. On a lighter note, there were certain titles that were absolutely hilarious. Not one to judge but it definitely makes you wonder why people sometimes choose specific books. Do they buy them for the sake of research or have they organised their priorities wrong? These were the most amusing features of the book, in my opinion.
Unfortunately, here end my positive thoughts regarding The Diary of a Bookseller. Apart from the content, I always pay attention to the overall tone, the ‘’voice’’ of the writer, especially when it comes to Non-Fiction and in this case, there were quite a few moments that made me contemplate whether to stop reading altogether. Forgive me for saying this, but there is a fine line between sarcasm and rudeness and, in my opinion, Bythell crossed it. He didn’t strike me as the most sympathetic person on the planet. I’m not referring to his behaviour towards the customers (although it was definitely questionable at times) but to his overall thoughts and assumptions. Perhaps it is a matter of cultural difference but certain parts left a sour taste in my mouth. Needless to say, the majority of the customers mentioned in the entries were excruciatingly ignorant so these were the only moments when I felt that his responses could be justified. Furthermore, I found his posh, high-brow attitude towards Fiction rather unfair and, in all honesty, tiresome and absurd. His comments over ‘’large’’ (as he calls them) customers sounded problematic as did his observations over ‘’female’’ customers. And truthfully, repetition over Amazon statuses or problems he had been facing with an employee day after day made this an extremely mundane read.
Perhaps the most interesting feature was the inclusion of George Orwell’s quotes on books, readers and bookselling at the beginning of each chapter. I can see why many readers would enjoy The Diary of a Bookseller but the writing failed to engage me and gave me quite a few problematic moments. Therefore, I cannot possibly rate this with more than 2 stars (not that it matters, obviously) and naturally, it can’t hold a candle to Jen Campbell’s The Bookshop Book.
Many thanks to Melville House Publishing and Edelweiss for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Whatever the reason, I enjoyed it and will be reading his other books at some point, perhaps next time my brain needs this kind of a break.
The premise - daily diary notes by the owner of a second hand book shop in a remote corner of Scotland - hardly seems promising. But the author combines grumpiness with a good nature, and the text combines trivia with an assessment of the future of books in an Amazon run
I found myself taking note of books mentioned, while adding Wigtown to the list of destinations to visit when next in Scotland - if international travel ever gets back in gear. There is much wry humour, with the occasional laugh out loud moment.
Fortunately I would only work running the shop on Saturdays and perhaps an odd day so saw many more customers than weekday working. Great
The book is very funny but with a touch of sadness. We too would lose good customers. And yes my very knowledgeable boss did have a slightly similar view of mankind as does the author.
‘The time I’ve spent, waiting in those cafes’: Search Warrant by Patrick Modiano (Harvell Secker Press, 2014,) page 5.
I am in Coffee Roasters on The High in Oxford. It is raining outside. For some reason a flat white
Nevertheless, I read the first few pages of the book, became hooked and reminded myself of the importance of coffee and cigarettes to literature, for instance, Modiano introduces the cigarette as a characteristic of a Polish Jew who sold suitcases: ‘He was never without a cigarette dangling from the corner of his lips and, one afternoon, he offered me one’ (page 7). Simenon’s Maigret novels would be short stories without cafes, pipes and cigarettes.
My reading was interrupted by a woman asking me whether she could plug herself in under my feet and by another one who told everyone that her bus pass was running out today. The barista said ‘make the most of it, go anywhere, go to Abingdon’. She said ‘yeah’ but she was going to a porn shop in Cowley first. ‘You should see some of the stuff he’s got,’ she added as she went out the door.
Later in the day I finished reading Shaun Bythell’s The diary of a bookseller which cost me an outrageous £5.99 in a different Oxfam bookshop. I hope one day to visit the bookshop in Wigtown to be insulted. I really enjoyed Bythell’s book. It is reassuring to see how much customers irritate the bookseller who of course depends on the customer.
On page 232 he makes the point that ‘on the whole booksellers dislike librarians’. I have some sympathy with this. Librarians are almost certainly a book’s greatest enemy. The acquisition and deaccessioning processes cause grave damage to the quality of the book as a physical object. There is also the issue of free lending, endowing a sense of generosity upon librarians to the detriment of booksellers who have to make a living by selling and want to buy books for virtually nothing and then sell them on (or back to libraries) for the highest possible price. Mind you, I like the Wigtown bookseller’s approach to fines. Libraries fine people for books being overdue. In Wigtown, browsers who hang around and show a great interest in a book but don’t buy it, may find its price has been marked up by a fiver when they come back and eventually bring it to the till.
Having relocated my custom to an independent bookshop that sells carrot cake as well as books, I have become aware of a seemingly courteous respectful customer who has asked whether it is ok for him and his partner to have a coffee outside with their dog. The bookseller replied very positively saying, ‘even better, the dog would be most welcome inside’. I, a pre-existing customer, had no say in the matter. Within 2 minutes the shop was a menagerie. Dog meant two dogs, a lurcher and a poodle, with their owners, both international canine authorities, with loud voices to boot. The lurcher is called Lofty. Apparently, anything that is a greyhound is a lurcher. Lofty has Irish wolfhound in him and has beautiful colouring. The totally 100% poodle is a miniature bitch and quite rare. She is nearly a year old, cute and has huge eyes. Lofty can’t seem to sit still. The word ‘sit’ echoes repetitively round the bookshop. Mixed breeds need a lot of brushing. I couldn’t get past Lofty to get at the local history so left.
Elsewhere in his book, page 293, Mr Bythell suggests that marginalia and annotations made by readers are ‘captivating additions – a glimpse into the mind of another person who has read the same book’. I tend to agree. That is why I bought the second copy of Search Warrant. The previous owner had protected the book from desecration through the neatness of the writing, the page references and providing them as an insert on yellow-lined paper. As for their value, I’ve changed my mind. The notes are quite helpful in sorting out Modiano’s multiple chronologies but in my view are way off the mark in terms of assessment, for instance ’much is surmise’ is seen as a bad thing; characters are thought to be rather ordinary, one doesn’t get to know them, and the streets of Paris didn’t join up. I think the point of fading memory and things not joining up is what the book is all about. I reckon that Search warrant (Dora Bruder) is one of the best books I have ever read.
Also, I discovered on the back cover something brown that looks like remnants from one of Nicky’s Foodie Friday discount takeaways from Morrisons. It won’t come off.
Shaun’s observations on his customers are spot-on, and I recommend he start his own ‘customer bingo’ as we have at work. Instead of numbers, our cards contain variations of customer sayings: “what discount are you giving me I’ve come all the way from....’ / ‘I like to support local shops’ (then don’t buy) / ‘the price is £..., online, match it’ / ‘you don’t get if you don’t ask’ / I’ve just had an operation, I’ll show you’ etc,etc.
Despite the bookshop’s dire income, Shaun is so easy going, happy & contented, it was a pleasure spending time in his world, and I’m already having withdrawal symptoms.
It's a delightful book to read, although I'm not sure it's always comfortable being one of the author's customers. He's very funny and very, very sarcastic, and he seems to put up with employee foibles much more leniently (for all his complaining about them) than he does customers whose questions irritate him.
Anyway, all you LTers will probably love the book and this guy's adventures and attitudes. Highly recommended to this group.
That said, I cannot take a day of and go fishing if the weather is good. The price tag of that kind of freedom is maybe selling out your co-workes work to Amazons amazing engine, so you don't have to give up fishing at leisure and stay put at daytime, managing the 3rd most amazing bookshop in the world?
A book far too projective in tone to be funny.
This title reminds me of one of my favourite television series, 'Black Books'. Like us librarians, Bythell is quite fond of many of his regular customers and sad when they pass away. A fabulous read for those who love books and bookshops.
I’m not sure what persona Bythell was aiming for: I have the impression that many reviewers think of him as a cantankerous but lovable bookseller -- perhaps like a toned-down version of the Bernard Black character of Black Books. To me, though, he comes across as more of a regular self-employed service industry worker: sales interactions are fine, attempts to “connect” are not. Anecdotes showcasing his grumpiness feel cherry-picked, like affecting a Bernard-Blackish persona for marketing purposes.
Either way: this book chugged nicely along, and it contains just enough local interest and social commentary on corporate-run capitalism to elevate it above mere fluff. Its main interest, for me, was the look behind the scenes of the day-to-day running of a bookshop. It was especially interesting to learn how second-hand stock is acquired.
He presents enlightening perspectives of the damage done to book selling and buying as a result of the recent practices of both Amazon and, even more sadly, abe.com. Potential customers doing online
"ghost-stealing"
It's amazing that he makes a profit and surprising that so little passion is shown for his girlfriend's
arrivals and departures.
Reviews of the books that he mentions he is reading would have been welcome as would a decision to keep his cat inside when new baby birds were hatching and growing rather than to see if the cat annihilates the tiny struggling creatures.
Nicky, the monsoon, Eliot's shoes, & Wilma and the postman were simply boring fillers,
while a photo or drawing closeup of a walking stick would have livened things up.
Mr. Deacon was the only character I cared about.
The proprietor of this bibliophile heaven is Shaun Bythell and on the 5th February 2014, he decided to start keeping a diary of the things that happened in the shop. Over the next year, he tells us just how it is running a bookshop in the modern world, from battling against the 1100lb gorilla that is Amazon to travelling around Scotland looking at collections of books, hoping, but not expecting to come across that rare book that he knows will sell.
Whilst he likes to have paying customers through the doors, it is his financial lifeblood, after all, there are certain types that he is critical of. Those that cross the threshold declaring a love of all things bookish are frequently the ones who leave empty-handed. He argues with customers who think that a second-hand bookshop should only stock titles that are £1 each and catching those that surreptitiously amended the prices of the books.
And then there are the staff…
This is a brilliant portrait about running a business in a small town, that the things that happen all have some impact on everyone in the town. He does not hold back in saying just how tough some things can be and how the core of second-hand bookshops, rare collectable and signed editions have had the heart and soul ripped out of the market with the internet in general and Amazon in particular. I really liked the way that he noted the number of orders that came through via the internet and the way this frequently varied from that actual number of books they could then find! Rightly, he has never embraced the flawed philosophy that the customer is always right and also seems to relish the verbal battle with those that want something for almost nothing. If, as a book lover, you have ever contemplated or dreamt of opening and owning your own bookshop then this is the book to read; you might just change your mind…
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xmas 2019 from violane