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katykelly's review against another edition
5.0
Second visit to the Bookshop, a delight for readers.
"At 2pm, an elderly man asked the most superb question: 'Can you answer questions?' The only two logical responses to that can be 'Yes' or complete silence."
'Diary of a Bookseller' was an utterly enchanting, hilarious and illuminative behind-the-scenes in the world of a bookshop and the people who work there. We were introduced to the real-life owner (and protagonist in his own writing), Shaun, his staff, his customers, his daily life and tasks.
In this second, we return to Shaun's world, though it isn't necessarily a continuation, and can be read as a standalone.
Starting each month with a passage from a centuries-old novel about a bookshop, we see the similarities (and stark differences) to today's world of books, how books are viewed. A few times it caught me out and I thought these passages WERE Bythell!
Set up as a year-long diary, Bythell takes us from the cold of January and the days of few customers, the trials of online selling and posting, the travelling to potential sellers' houses in all weathers, to the madness of summer book fairs, and the eccentricities of staff and customers alike.
With dry wit, we get to see Shaun's day-to-day struggles with humanity in all its amusing or frustrating forms:
"A customer came to the counter and asked if we had any miniature books so I directed him to the cabinet labelled 'Miniature Books'. He looked at it, then back at me and said, 'Yes, I've already looked through that.' This often happens - people appear to imagine that we have a secret stash of 'the good stuff' tha t we don't really want to sell."
His own sardonic take on life is also refreshing and hard not to smile at:
"As I was pricing books up, I found a bookplate in an early set of Dickens with the name Fanny Strutt on it. From some reason I imagined the Fanny Strugg being a 1950s American dance craze."
His co-workers could be characters written for a book, lots of idiosyncrasies and warm flaws/quirks between them, including the European summer worker who could fit right into 'A Short History of Tractors'. Regular customers are also welcome comic material. Even the one-offs who try to haggle or who ask ridiculous questions.
Personally, as a librarian and book lover for all my life, I found the insight into the world of a seller of books deeply interesting. The stats we see snippets of - daily customers, takings, stock prices, how books sell online - it's a glimpse into a world I know from the other side. And it did make me sad seeing how it's likely that shop owners like Bythell are treading water and struggling to stay float in a world of big corporation competition, with his knowledge and passion for the printed word.
Bythell's personal life is referenced throughout, he doesn't shy away from showing us glimpses of the pains in his own world, the heartache, the enjoyable hobbies and friendships outside of the shop. Seeing this aspect made him a real person, more than the observer of human foibles the book sometimes encourages you to see.
I'd love to think Bythell will come up with a third volume of a diarised bookseller's life; he's writing in changing times and his perspective could well be one of the only artefacts showing future generations what an actual bookshop was like, one day far in the future.
For any book lover. Reader. Fan of the high street over online shopping.
With thanks to Netgalley for the sample reading copy.
"At 2pm, an elderly man asked the most superb question: 'Can you answer questions?' The only two logical responses to that can be 'Yes' or complete silence."
'Diary of a Bookseller' was an utterly enchanting, hilarious and illuminative behind-the-scenes in the world of a bookshop and the people who work there. We were introduced to the real-life owner (and protagonist in his own writing), Shaun, his staff, his customers, his daily life and tasks.
In this second, we return to Shaun's world, though it isn't necessarily a continuation, and can be read as a standalone.
Starting each month with a passage from a centuries-old novel about a bookshop, we see the similarities (and stark differences) to today's world of books, how books are viewed. A few times it caught me out and I thought these passages WERE Bythell!
Set up as a year-long diary, Bythell takes us from the cold of January and the days of few customers, the trials of online selling and posting, the travelling to potential sellers' houses in all weathers, to the madness of summer book fairs, and the eccentricities of staff and customers alike.
With dry wit, we get to see Shaun's day-to-day struggles with humanity in all its amusing or frustrating forms:
"A customer came to the counter and asked if we had any miniature books so I directed him to the cabinet labelled 'Miniature Books'. He looked at it, then back at me and said, 'Yes, I've already looked through that.' This often happens - people appear to imagine that we have a secret stash of 'the good stuff' tha t we don't really want to sell."
His own sardonic take on life is also refreshing and hard not to smile at:
"As I was pricing books up, I found a bookplate in an early set of Dickens with the name Fanny Strutt on it. From some reason I imagined the Fanny Strugg being a 1950s American dance craze."
His co-workers could be characters written for a book, lots of idiosyncrasies and warm flaws/quirks between them, including the European summer worker who could fit right into 'A Short History of Tractors'. Regular customers are also welcome comic material. Even the one-offs who try to haggle or who ask ridiculous questions.
Personally, as a librarian and book lover for all my life, I found the insight into the world of a seller of books deeply interesting. The stats we see snippets of - daily customers, takings, stock prices, how books sell online - it's a glimpse into a world I know from the other side. And it did make me sad seeing how it's likely that shop owners like Bythell are treading water and struggling to stay float in a world of big corporation competition, with his knowledge and passion for the printed word.
Bythell's personal life is referenced throughout, he doesn't shy away from showing us glimpses of the pains in his own world, the heartache, the enjoyable hobbies and friendships outside of the shop. Seeing this aspect made him a real person, more than the observer of human foibles the book sometimes encourages you to see.
I'd love to think Bythell will come up with a third volume of a diarised bookseller's life; he's writing in changing times and his perspective could well be one of the only artefacts showing future generations what an actual bookshop was like, one day far in the future.
For any book lover. Reader. Fan of the high street over online shopping.
With thanks to Netgalley for the sample reading copy.
mrs_bonaventure's review against another edition
3.0
Entertaining, and like Richard Booth’s autobiography, an insight into the book trade (in fact there is a passage in Booth’s book about visiting other towns in the U.K. to set up Book Towns like Hay on Wye, and he visited Wigtown to help set it up).
Good for dipping into rather than reading for long bursts. I haven’t read the first one so perhaps was expecting more depth that I might have senses if I’d had more context, but it’s a good read.
Good for dipping into rather than reading for long bursts. I haven’t read the first one so perhaps was expecting more depth that I might have senses if I’d had more context, but it’s a good read.
almondcookies's review against another edition
1.0
I completely understand people who love books. I, myself, am one of them.
I also completely understand people who love books about books. I, too, am one of them.
This book, however, was not a book about books. This was not a book about loving books and having them touch you to your very core. This book was a repetitive diary of a contemptuous bookseller that pays very careful attention to the weather.
Kudos to you if you made it all the way through, you are far braver (and more tolerant) than I.
DNFed at page 100.
I also completely understand people who love books about books. I, too, am one of them.
This book, however, was not a book about books. This was not a book about loving books and having them touch you to your very core. This book was a repetitive diary of a contemptuous bookseller that pays very careful attention to the weather.
Kudos to you if you made it all the way through, you are far braver (and more tolerant) than I.
DNFed at page 100.
sarahlreadseverything's review against another edition
4.0
If you enjoyed the first book, and are happy to read more of the same, then you'll enjoy this installment. There isn't much that's new here, but there's something about the gentle rhythm of Shaun's days and his biting wit that's still very appealing.
alexandlange's review against another edition
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
3.25
lorelaii's review against another edition
3.0
I expected more of this. For me it all felt kinda superficial. I would have loved to get more detail about the characters and to really get to know them.
I can understand this book would be really appealing to people who've worked in a bookshop though, considering you would probably recognise a lot of the situations described.
I can understand this book would be really appealing to people who've worked in a bookshop though, considering you would probably recognise a lot of the situations described.
sallycacchi's review against another edition
funny
relaxing
slow-paced
3.25
A light-hearted read about the realities of running a second-hand bookshop.
This was a nice book, funny in places and I enjoyed the mundanity of the day to day running of the book. I did find it quite hard to get through, the structure of the book, being diary entries for a year didn't really work for me as it became very repetitive very quickly. I expect this works better as an audio book.
I was left wanting to know more about the relationships with the other people in Shaun's life, but this was not forthcoming.
I haven't read the first book, perhaps this would have improved the reading of this one, but I don't think I will be picking it up.
A decent read if you are interested in second hand bookshops and don't mind a slow paced, plodding book.
This was a nice book, funny in places and I enjoyed the mundanity of the day to day running of the book. I did find it quite hard to get through, the structure of the book, being diary entries for a year didn't really work for me as it became very repetitive very quickly. I expect this works better as an audio book.
I was left wanting to know more about the relationships with the other people in Shaun's life, but this was not forthcoming.
I haven't read the first book, perhaps this would have improved the reading of this one, but I don't think I will be picking it up.
A decent read if you are interested in second hand bookshops and don't mind a slow paced, plodding book.
ladyfernzey's review against another edition
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0