You may find this collection of bookshop exchanges amusing; please let us know if you have any gems of your own. Reversing the roles for a moment, with all due respect to bookshop sales assistants, there are occasions when they are not quite as familiar with their stock as they might be, e.g. look here.
Another good story, just by the way - an Oxford philosophy don was taken to task by a colleague on the narrowness of his reading: "your problem is that you don't read novels", "on the contrary", said the philosopher, "I read all six every year".
Just LOVE that story...now I'll go enjoy the others. Thanks!
Posted by: Audrey | 10 September 2010 at 01:21 PM
As a physics "don" (not a word I've ever come across being used in any university I've ever worked in) six per year doesn't seem too bad! As you know I had certainly dipped down to that level a few years ago until you inspired me to read novels again. I'm now around the 50 per annum mark.
Let me (smiling of course) pose the converse to Conflower's readers - how many books (popular or technical) on science are you reading each year? Fifty, six or (surely not) even fewer?
Greetings from the world of tiny particles - Schrodinger's Cat
Posted by: Dark Puss | 10 September 2010 at 03:27 PM
Point taken, but re. the don, he was referring of course to the works of the Blessed Jane and none other.
Vaguely on the subject, I'm reminded of a story I heard about a school fair: a stallholder tried to interest a passing parent in the excellent selection of books they had on display. "No thankyou," said the parent politely, "We already have a book at home".
Posted by: Cornflower | 10 September 2010 at 04:11 PM
That comment is sadly very familiar.
Years ago when junior daughter was still at primary school, I remember chatting to a school governer who had a child in my daughter's class. She was holding forth about the need to encourage children to read at home but when I ventured to suggest that one of the best ways to encourage children to read was by parental example, she gave me a rather shocked look and said "Oh I don't have time to read books, I have far too busy a life!"
I would have felt very much put in my place for not being busy enough if she hadn't then proceeded to regale another mother with her views on the previous night's Big Brother!
I am not often lost for words but they failed me utterly on that occasion.
Posted by: LizF | 10 September 2010 at 04:36 PM
Ah! Thank you for explaining, I hadn't understood that allusion at all! Re your second comment, that's what my father's mother used to say (more or less) when he came back with yet more books.
Posted by: Dark Puss | 10 September 2010 at 06:38 PM
It was a contest like this one (or may even have been this one) which was won a few years ago by this:
Customer: My friend recommended a book and I'm wondering if you have it. It's called 'James Joyce is Useless.
Posted by: serenknitity | 10 September 2010 at 06:41 PM
Very good!
Posted by: Cornflower | 10 September 2010 at 07:09 PM
I have a sneaking sympathy with the man renovating his wooden boat. If it was an old carvel or clinker hull, then a book on runabouts (usually plywood chine construction) would not be of much help.
Sorry for my OCD
Posted by: Sandy | 11 September 2010 at 12:01 PM
Absolutely brilliant link, am especially pleased and loving it because of Scarthin being one of my favourite book shops and also one from my homeland so pleased to see them featured. I also love listening to people when they are shopping for books. I must read Reflections From A Bookshop Window, have you read it?
Posted by: Simon (Savidge Reads) | 13 September 2010 at 05:48 PM
Yes, Dark Puss, I DO read six (and many more) books on science every year. I recommend, to non-scientists and non-mathematicians, the excellent Alex's Adventures in Numberland by Alex Bellos as my latest find.
Posted by: Lindsay | 13 September 2010 at 06:51 PM
Well of course I knew you were one of the enlightened!
Posted by: Dark Puss | 15 September 2010 at 11:55 AM
With regard to the quote in that link in which a person thought that 'Great Expectations' was based on the TV program, the sad thing is that novelisations of movies based on classic books actually do exist. In my local library I saw a novel based on a movie version of 'Great Expectations'. This was the modernised movie starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Ethan Hawke which failed both critically and commercially. I have seen other such books in book shops as well.
Posted by: Ed | 17 September 2010 at 06:06 AM