A celebration of bookshops around the world, by an award-winning cast of writers including Ali Smith, Pankaj Mishra, Elif Shafak and Daniel Kehlmann
In Browse Henry Hitchings asks fifteen writers from around the world to consider the bookshops that have shaped them; each conjures a specific time and place.
Ali Smith chronicles the secrets and personal stories hidden within the pages of secondhand books; Alaa Al Aswany tells of the Cairo bookshop where revolutionaries gathered during the 2011 uprisings; Elif Shafak evokes the bookstores of Istanbul, their chaos and diversity, their aroma of tobacco and coffee. Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor recalls the quandary of being asked to choose just one book at a favourite childhood store in Nairobi, while Iain Sinclair shares his grief on witnessing a beloved old haunt close down. Others explore bookshops they have stumbled upon, adored and become addicted to, from London to Bogota.
These inquisitive, enchanting pieces are a collective celebration of bookshops - for anyone who has ever fallen under their spell.
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 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 labourite. If you feel your soul sing when you walk into a bookshop, I think this collection is well worth investigating.
Reading updates
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Started reading
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26 May, 2018:
Finished reading
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26 May, 2018:
Reviewed