Stars of the show The framework of the book is day by day entries showing online orders and, at the end of each day, the number of customers and the till total. But it's the people who come into the shop, to sell books, to browse or to buy, who are the stars of the show. There's the very large woman who brought in several boxes of books, most of them on dieting. And I loved this exchange: 'A customer came to the counter and said "I've looked under the W section of the fiction and I can't find anything by Rider Haggard." I suggested he had a look under the H section.' And this? 'When the old man in the crumpled suit came to the counter to pay for the copy of Dostoevsky's The Idiot, I discreetly pointed out that his fly was open. He glanced down - as if for confirmation of this - then looked back at me and said, "A dead bird can't fall out of the nest" and left the shop, fly still agape.' Skills of a novelist Bythell has the skills of one of those top notch novelists who lets her/his characters grow subtley and meaningfully as the story rolls on. Eccentric, alternative-life-style staff member Nicky, is funnier and funnier as the book progresses. By the end she is taking over the computer when her boss is away, to send out bizarre facebook messages. And her habit of bringing out-of-date food from a local shop's discard bin on 'Foodie Fridays' becomes more and more revolting. Ironically, Bythell clearly thinks she's great - and dreadfull. Bythell's sense of timing as he writes, is great too. He knows when to pause, or just when to throw in an acerbic line that caps the situation. Probably a one way like I like Shaun Bythell. I think he's one out of the box. But I don't think he would like me. I don't buy books. This one was lent to me by one of my daughters. I do borrow heavily from libaries, though I don't always borrow 'proper' books. I read ebooks on my tablet. Bythell, an outdoors type, shot a Kindle, mounted it on a frame and hung it in his shop for all to see. Clear message? Popular
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