The window is still alright, but inside I doubt if there are a quarter of the books there used to be, and you can't really browse because they are almost all turned face forwards. A quick glance around and you've seen the lot. It's exactly like a remainder bookstore. According to the proprietors, "People don't buy books that are shelved spine-out, only if they can see the covers, face-on." Not any book-buying people I know.On Saturday I dragged my ass out of the house for the first time in 4 days. I felt like hell, but I needed some air. We went to Buythebook in West Bridgford [NB their site appears to have been hi-jacked or vamooshed but either way it has now vanished]. We bought two books. I didn't feel inspired to buy any more. Usually I have to tear myself from buying more than two: two is like a minimum purchase for me. In an earlier lifetime (and if the car hadn't been parked at the tram and ride half the city away) I may also have forked the marvellously bargainous £10 for two hefty volumes on Women Artists at £5 each. But then I thought (a) they're not that great - good but no more essential than others on my shelves already (b) they're in my uni library and several others I have been to (c) they are gonna be darn heavy to even transport back to the car let alone lug around in the rain. So I left them.
When I got home I read the Susan Hill piece and TOTALLY recognised what it said. BTB felt like a remainder store - and not an especially thrilling one. Lots and lots of the shelf space was given to face-out books. It felt very open, as if it needed all the space to squeeze everything in but had probably less stock than the nearby Oxfam books store which has around 1/4 of the space. Too much was mainstream stuff (two display cases on cookery, mostly face out); and the dreaded combined section for religion, newage, occult blah-di-blah. It had the potential to be inspiring - quirky bits like a complete history of the English civil war in 7 paperback volumes, and the children's section looked like it had some appeal - but overall I left feeling a bit flat. That is NOT how a bookshop should, or usually does, make me feel. I want to feel like I could keep spending forever, spoilt to choose. Damn it; if even remainder stores can sometimes make me feel that way, surely a decent indie store should be able to do that!? And before someone says something: the jazz. It sounded great. I may go back just to listen to that.
6 comments:
Any decent independent bookseller should be able to order the books you want in for you, including from the US. The advantage of this is that they get to have a look at the books when they come out of the box. And then if they like what they see they might order more for the shop. Educate your booksellers and they will get better!
I wrote to Susan Hill as soon as I saw her article and here is her reply:
Hurray.. the first one not to castigate me, pour a bucket of water on me, de da de da.. mainly because a. they haven`t actually read what I have said and b. they read the bit in invisible ink which said'Chain bookstores are wonderful, Waterstone`s are heaven.'
I`m delighted you agree.. there IS a real niche for small independents... and what no one has thought about is that it was not Waterstones or WHS but Ottakars who did for many many small indies by opening opposite them in market towns..
I certainly will come and see you... where abouts are you ? SE! to me means National Theatre area ?
Good Luck... my own tiny publishing company of course loves small indies... new website going up soon..
Susan H
Not in order:
Simon, I largely agree with you but will point out that since the Uni went all upscalee stylee the concept of "bookshops" (plural) on campus has gone. Its blackwells - just the one - as part of the main portland extension they did a couple of years ago. It sells stationary, and cards and CDS and... oh yeah, books. Its okay, but there's scarcely a bundle of stuff for most subjects although obviously the sciencey stuff gets big loads of shelf space and you can get last years core text book at reduced price second hand (if they havent changed it to a new edition this year). And I love the West Bridgford Oxfam bookshop. It's just right. And we too have done the visits to Ox and Cam solely for book buying. Hay is more hit and miss, but there too we have travelled and returned with bags (literally bootloads) of books on our return.
marie: ordering from the states fills me with glee as so many of the books I really want are US editions (many times over the years have we purchased the US copy in preference to the UK one: something stylistically is sometimes better for some reason...hmmm lots of 'some' there: need to be more definite).
CPMatthew: great that Susan Hill liked your comment and I certainly think she was saying the right thing. SMALL indie is where it is at.
Rob: your comments about buying online are well valid although I do recognise that I am a bit of a dolt for being up on the best online providers. Know what you mean about guitar shops though...
"Improve"
Hmmm...
I went into C&P today. Very nice. I didn't have time for a proper browse what with it being my first day back at work and everything.
One thing to remember when knocking Waterstones and Ottakars - make sure you blame the company and not the staff, most of whom would love to work in a small bookshop if they hadn't been hounded out of existence.
My sister works in one up North. Like many of her colleagues she has a degree in Eng Lit and loves books. In the past I have been able to order books from her by asking her to (for example) just send me the best general history of the Vietnam war and then trust her judgement.
Skuds: excellent point and one well proven in Nottm where frankly they couldn't all GET jobs in bookshops. I used to know some excellent staff at the Dillons in Bham many years ago who were really smartly knowledgeable about all manner of books. I don't think staff are the main topic under debate here: they can be good or bad the same as anywhere. The problem is what to do to preserve small indie bookshops where we can. The difficulty is that staff can get inadvertantly criticised in the crash of debate (that isn't to forgive some appalling recruitment on the part of places: they're aiming for the best and can get them, just not always).
Related note: I went to Page45 again this weekend and it was as ever a JOYFUL experience. Wise staff prepared to compliment, advise and inform you about what is available and what you pick up: the "have you seen X? if you like this you may like that" [style, theme, artist, writer, publisher..] and "oh you're in for a treat with Y" and "this is great one from Z - they're... [cue biog, history, info on obscurity/popularity etc]... just a joy to go into and always well-stocked.
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