Browse: The World in Bookshops

A passion for bookstores may not be universal in the sense of everyone, but perhaps it is in the sense of everywhere. That is the idea one gets from reading “Browse: The World in Bookshops,” edited by Henry Hitchings (2016).

Hitchings asked writers from around the world to reflect on their experiences in bookstores, and the results, most of them anyway, are fascinating, often inspiring.

British novelist Ian Sansom recalls working at Foyle's Bookshop in London as a young man and spending most of his working hours hiding from customers, and presumably his bosses, and reading.

"Literature was my homeland," writes Juan Gabriel Vasquez, whose other homeland is Colombia.

Kenyan Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor recalls visiting a Nairobi bookshop as a show more child. "We were in paradise," she writes, "because there was no (offending) school textbook in sight to destroy our illusions!"

"I would argue that under most circumstances the conversation of used book dealers or obsessive collectors is the best conversation in the world," says Michael Dirda, who writes about books for the Washington Post. In his essay he tells about using the hours before a predicted blizzard, while his wife is out of town, to search for treasures in a used bookstore.

Danish author Dorthe Nors tells of the thrill of seeing one's own book in a bookshop, although in her case the store manager, unimpressed, gets angry because Nors has moved her book to a more prominent position.

And so it goes, from Turkey to China to Ukraine to Italy and beyond. Some people may go to amusement parks for thrills. Others of us head for a bookshop. show less

One of the most persistent memories in the life of a bibliophile has to do with a bookshop. THE bookshop, actually. It may be that cozy shop, full of children's fiction, or the bookshop where we spent our allowance as teenagers. Or that second-hand temple, perfect for university students.And along with browsing, hunting for old and new treasures, friendships were forged and the first literary discussions shaped us as readers.

In my case, there were two bookshops that make me feel nostalgic at the age of 32. Both are connected to my late grandmother. I grew up in a family that had- and still has- reading as a second religion, but my closest partner in crime was grandma. She would read without getting tired, without omitting a single page show more even though I could see her eyes growing heavy with sleep. So, she and I had our personal ritual. At the beginning of every month, we would visit two bookshops in our neighbourhood. The first was an ordinary bookshop, its owner one of my mum’s good friends, and from here we would buy all the Classics and books that were always slightly (or significantly) above my age. I was reading books suitable for adolescents when I was 8 or nine years old. The, we would visit a second shop that sold toys and children's books.Its owner was Italian, like my grandma. They would talk for hours in their mother tongue, while I used to sneak around, rummaging the shelves, marvelling at the pictures. I usually left that shop with my arms full of books, 5-6 that grandma had bought me and 2-3 more that had been given to me as a gift by the nice lady. Every month was like Christmas back then.

Now, how much more significant some bookshops can be when you eventually become a writer? The authors of this beautiful collection write about their memories connected to these ‘’temples’’ and the way their writing identity was influenced by them. Quirky owners, dimly-lit second-hand bookshops, industrial, cleancut, immaculately organized shelves. We travel from Scotland to Kenya, from Denmark to China, from Colombia to India, to England,Egypt, Ukraine and Italy, every corner of the world, every culture, every way of thinking and talking about books acquires a voice.

The essays are superbly organized, directly speaking to the reader like a memoir of the common desire to own every book available and express the deepest love for this little item that helps mankind not to fall into eternal darkness. Every text has something to offer and communicate.’’ Leitner and I’’ by Saša Stanišić is what I consider the highlight of the collection. It shows how booklovers are serious addicts through and through, by composing a striking text full of similes and metaphors between junkies and unrepentant book lovers.

The least favourite was ‘’Intimacy’’by Dorthe Nors. In fact, I found it rude and pretentious. A poorly-written blend of childhood memories and an ordinary bookshop owner, while name-dropping Kristin Lavransdatter in the mix for effect’s sake. The author tries to justify her unethical behaviour in a Copenhagen bookshop and blames the owner for throwing her out. Of course, she would throw her out. I would. I don't think Nors had the right to re-arrange the shelves and make the copy of her book stand out. Perhaps, she has no idea of the toil that is to organize a shelf. Hell, when it is so difficult to do it in our bookcases,how much harder will it be in the case of whole store? It was downright unprofessional, self-indulgent and her text had nothing to offer apart from informing us that she had a Degree in Literature without ever reading Sigrid Undset’s masterpiece. It was cringeworthy.

The two bookshops of my childhood don’t exist anymore. They passed away upon the altar of our current times. It doesn’t matter,though. It doesn’t matter if your favourite bookshop belongs to a bookstore chain with classy, gloriously beautiful and shiny shelves, with grey carpets from wall to wall or a cozy second-hand shop where books are in piles reaching the ceiling or carelessly forming a bookish wall on the steps of a wooden staircase. Spaces are made by people. Sometimes, the person who would take you to the shop and let you indulge in your passion from an early age is the one who creates the memories, and for this, my review of this moving, tender book is dedicated to grandma.

Many thanks to Pushkin Press and Edelweiss for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review. show less

Short essays by various authors including Andrey Kurkov, Iain Sinclair, and others, about their experiences with bookshops around the world. I was particularly taken to Saša Stanišić's piece; comparing books to drug addictions. Yiyun Li, describing the part of a Chinese bookstore with "No Foreigners Allowed" having pirated copies of books behind the curtain, and a hate letter to a (Danish?) bookseller who treated the author (Dorthe Nors) with disrespect. Fun, but pointless book.

An excellent collection of essays from writers all over the world, all centering on the bookshops that have most impacted their lives, shaped them, or are just plain favorites.

Writers from nearly every corner of the globe (no Aussies or Antarticans) tell their stories and of the entire collection, only one - Iam Sinclair - failed for me. While all the others wrote odes to bookshops, Sinclair seemed more content to use bookshops as a front for his diatribe against politics. His essay, his right, but in the company of the other authors in this book, it felt brash and strung-out. I found his writing florid and at times incomprehensible too. Having never read his other works, I have no idea if this is congruent with his style, or a show more one-off; either way, it was the only speck on an otherwise perfect collection.

Because I enjoyed the rest so thoroughly (ok, Dirda's essay was just ok) it's impossible to pick a favourite. If you feel your soul sing when you walk into a bookshop, I think this collection is well worth investigating. show less

The editor took a group of authors from around the world, and asked them to write about their favorite bookshops. Just about every essay was fully engaging, and it was a wonderful look at the world through the bookstores that impress the very people that fill them with their works. Some of the essays were straightforward writings about why these bookshops were important to the author, but others were much more free-ranging, or even slightly experimental. Most of the time, you can't go wrong when you collect authors and let them loose on a topic that's near and dear to their hearts. If I ever traveled, this would be a great source of places to go.

Totally enjoyable stories about some of the most wondrous places on earth, bookstores, by some of the best authors from around the world. Worth the read if you love your corner bookstore or just the feeling of a 'real' bookshop.

If you love bookshops, spend half your life in them, you will love this book. i really liked Ian Sansom and the account of his time as an employee at Foyle's. Ali Smith is great about the churn of books, the giving and the buying; what you find in books - I once found Bonnie Greer's appointment card for a chiropodist in a book; and the joy at finding a book you think you will never find.