is a second hand bookshop.
Spent a lovely hour or so rummaging around and came away with a Raymond Chandler 1st paperback edition and several old westerns.
I love everything about old bookshops - the smell, being surrounded by millions and millions of words, the guy behind the counter who looks like he's never seen daylight and The thoughts and ideas of countless authors floating around in the air itself, almost tangible in the possibilites they offer.
There's something romantic thinking of long dead authors, imagining them at work in some bygone age. Mind you they were probably just like me, hunched over keyboard, or paper, or ink-well or parchment even, scratching their arse and staring off into space awaiting inspiration. Or even picking their noses and using the product to stick notes to the wall.
Still an afternoon searching through a secondhand book store.
Is there anything better?
2 comments:
I thin the answer is no, there isn't anything better - well, not many things anyway - for the reasons you say.
Though I'd suggest SF conventions for those with an interest - where you get a dealers' room (basically a gigantic secondhand bookshop) plus hundreds/thousands of likeminded folks, plus bars and parties. Think how great it would be if events on that scale could be run for westerns, or some related genres (sigh).
The picture gave me deja vu ;)
I couldnt agree more and yesterday my wife and I were doing the very same thing. Picked up several old Ellery Queen magazines and a John D. McDonald 1st paperback edition of CONTRARY PLEASURE. A 1st Chandler is tops though and your description of the clerk whos never seen daylight is the same everywhere... It is the best way to spend an afternoon.
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