Saturday, 25 June 2011

A local bookshop

I saw a strange thing in a nearby town today: a genuine, independent, local bookshop. Not the franchise of a chain, not a used bookshop like the Oxfam ones we see so often, no a genuine independent bookshop. When even big chains are struggling, it was a reassuring spectacle. Of course, I had to go into it. It was small and cosy, and surprisingly (or maybe not), I found a few unexpected titles, books I rarely see in big chains. I bought Tarzan of the Apes, because of a long time curiosity about the original story, because I wanted to buy something there. The lady at the till was very friendly and chatty, something else we don't see very often in big chains. Not that all staff members of chain bookstores are necessarily blasés, but there is a proximity with the customers that you find only in small shops. I will go back there again.

So I went book hunting and caught something I was not expecting. I love that feeling. Did I ever say that I wanted to work in a book shop? In another life, I wish I could own my own bookshop.

2 comments:

suzanne said...

Sounds lovely. Small, independent bookstores are a vanishing breed. Two have closed in my city in the past year.

Cynthia said...

Having your own bookshop is probably like living in a dream!