The Diary of a Bookseller

August 13, 2018
With wit and humility, Bythell, owner of a used bookshop in Wigtown, Scotland, chronicles a year—2014, specifically—in the life of a bookseller. In addition to describing the routine of managing his books-and-mortar store, he examines the plusses of virtual selling through Amazon (a much wider audience) as well as the minuses (negative reviews from customers with unrealistic expectations). A typical entry annotating his days might read: “Online orders: 6... Books found: 5... Till total: £95.50... 6 customers.” He shares amusing stories, such as how his staff creatively categorize books (such as placing a book called Alien Sex: The Body and Desire in Cinema in the shop’s theology section), as well as bookstore lore (George Orwell once worked in a bookshop, and immediately knew he didn’t want to be a bookseller). Tales of cheap customers abound, such as a couple in their 60s wearing “Lycra cycling gear” who walked out and “left a trail of resentment in their wake” when he wouldn’t give them a 25% discount. But there are also anecdotes of the quirky folk who adore books, such as a roving band of musicians who perform in bookstores, singing about books they’ve read. Bythell’s narrative is lively and intelligent, but readers may be disappointed that his book dispells any notions about the romance of owning a bookstore.

Robin Laing strikes a matter-of-fact tone with his narration--a choice that is both smart and on point. It has the dual benefit of taking the edge off author Shaun Bythell's more acerbic comments while simultaneously highlighting the eccentricities Bythell encounters among his customers and staff at his bookshop in Wigtown, Scotland. Listeners get an impression of a man who, despite his laments, would not wish to live any other life. Since the book has no narrative arc--it is just diary entries covering approximately one year--it's important to feel like you want to accompany this man through his day. Laing's narration style makes it seem as if you are meeting up with a companionable, if a bit irascible, old friend. K.W. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine