I enjoyed the book - especially the bits with his assistant Nicky - but a lot of it felt like padding. there was repetition and some details that were unnecessary I thought. Interesting though as he considers how book-selling has changed over the years with more of his income coming from internet orders. I hope it does anyway as he records money taken each day and I don't think he could live on that.
I worked part-time in a new bookshop for a while and the daily takings were so small I was amazed that the shop survived as long as it did - more than twenty-five years.
****
It's narrated by eleven-year-old Michael. He lives with his Nan in a small cul de sac, near his best friend, Janey. Her mum is suffering from depression following the death of her Janey's dad. Then his next-door neighbour, Irma, his nan's best friend, dies and Michael is convinced it is murder. He tries to persuade others that Irma was killed by her partner, who is also the father of the boy bullying Michel, but police put it down to a heart attack.
The first big revelation - about Michael's parents - is a bit of an anti-climax but the second and final revelation is much more shocking.
The book provides a really good description of depression and the affect it can have not only on the person directly but those around them. I think that's probably the best bit actually.
*** and a half *
12 comments:
I am just reading the Bookseller at the moment as I know the shop well and visit when we are up at the cottage. I probably know the man who wrote it too but there are always different staff in when we go so hard to know which he is. It is a very cold shop so you don't stay long! The Wigtown Book festival is a huge success and will bring in a good amount of trade over the two weeks and may help them all survive the rest of the year. I am presuming he will have bought the premises and it would have been quite cheap back then compared with the rest of the country so he may only have his living costs to cover. Just as well because as you say takings are quite low and he is one of about ten bookshops in the small town population only 1,000.
Yes, I think they are trying to make it a Book town like Hay. I would love to go there. He does mention the cold a lot.
I really enjoyed Diary of a Bookseller. Yes, it's a bit repetitive but I guess that's mainly to emphasise recurring aspects of his daily routine (such as Nicky always being late and always wearing the black ski suit). He's certainly a bit of a curmudgeon, but then again many of the customers seem to be so dumb or demanding or mad that he can't help sometimes losing it and being rude to them. Some of the daily takings are very low but I got the impression the real money comes from selling very rare books for hundreds of pounds (and probably not declaring it to the tax people).
Oh, I meant to say, Wigtown is very much a book town already. Jenny and I went there a few years back and spent hours trawling through all the bookshops. I don't remember Shaun's bookshop in particular though we must have dropped in at some point.
Yes, Nick, I realise he wanted to give an accurate portrayal of what might sound like the perfect life - selling books. I think the festival helps a lot and, as you say, the rare book selling.
A bookseller's margin is usually 33% of the end-price (here in Germany, where we have book prices fixed by the publisher). I know that I, as the author, only get a much smaller percentage than that. The publisher makes the most, but he has all the printing, distribuation, advertising costs etc. So a print run of 500 or less is not profitable for him. My books never sold more than 20,000 copies each, but still he must have turned a fair profit :-)
My wife wrote a psychology textbook ten years ago, it still sells about 5 per year, reaping her royalties of under 4 euros ;-)
All said and done, kudos to Liz and other authors - all who are not JKR, for keeping the booksellers in business by writing the books!
Thanks, Stu! SWMBO and I won't be living off our earnings just yet.
Hunky Husband's sister is the author in our family - of cookbooks! I recall that, on her first book she received US$2.00 per copy. That was in 1986. Since my copy was free (and she had cut the price off of the book jacket before giving it to me) I don't know what the price was. It is now for sale, online, for US$98.71 (new) or US%32.61 (used). I should learn what the financial arrangements are on her newest book that is to come out, shortly.
All of my writings were as part of my job, published by the government or by the company for which I worked.
Cop Car
Liz,
The term SWMBO originates from the H. Rider Haggard novel, "She" (first published 1886). The character Ayesha, known as She-who-must-be-obeyed, the Queen of Death, the White Goddess,of the lost city of Kôr ruled her kingdom with terror. Nowadays a term of endearment for the wife ;-)
Interesting as I looked this book DIARY of a Bookseller.. Wondered who would read it. And maybe see a review. Now I know... It seems a good book.
Stu, also used by Rumpole.
Yes, Anne, I'm sure you'd like it .
thank you for well written introduction.
have a great day
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