Sunday 13 April 2008

Boring

This morning at the Greensborough market I handed the bookstall man the book I wanted to buy. He said the price and handed it back to me saying "Are you sure you don't mind reading these kinds of letters and diaries? Because they can get a bit boring and tiresome?"

I said "No, I don't mind - and I'm sure this one won't be boring."

"Oh well, suit yourself" said he, and that was that.

12 comments:

Tim said...

He won't be getting the Glengarry leads. Those leads are for closers!

I hate it when I buy a book or CD that is non-mainstream and/or renowned for being "difficult" or weighty and the salesperson rolls their eyes, snorts and says, "Bit of light reading/easy listening, huh?" There is no answer that doesn't sound defensive, aggressive or pretentious.

Elsewhere007 said...

I think you should only shop at book megastores in the future, to avoid this kind of comment.

Anonymous said...

First rule of working in a library - never question people's taste in books. Very, very challenging sometimes. Especially when they are borrowing anything by Dan Brown or The Secret.

Alexis, Baron von Harlot said...

When a person buys a ticket to a non-English-language flim at Hoyts, that person is asked by the concerned ticketier, "Do you realise this is a foreign film?" That would be foreign, as opposed to 97% of the flims you can see at Hoyts which are made right here in Americania.

genevieve said...

As my girls would say, this is irrelevant but has jumped into my head:
'Nineveh City was a city of sin,
The jazzin' and the jivin' made a terrible din,
Beat groups playing rock and roll,
And the Lord looked down and said, "Bless my soul".'

I think this is from Jonah-Man Jazz.

genevieve said...

Blogger's lost my other comment, which was, Superior Post, miss T.

Lefty E said...

Just doing a tit for tat post at yours, Lucy.

Why is your blog so much prettier?

Incidentally, best 2nd hand bookstore in Melbourne, and possibly the world is in an obscure backstreet of Northcote, hidden away, only open weekends.

He doesnt stock anything he wouldnt like a customer to read - thus avoiding awkward situations such as this.

Alexis, Baron von Harlot said...

Which obscure backstreet? Bibliophiles of the outer inner north want to know.

lucy tartan said...

Don't let any real estate agents hear you insinuating that Northcote has obscure back streets.

As for the prettiness of my blog, Fyodor says it looks like upchuck.

Lefty E said...

Well Alexis, try Clarke St, not far from Merri station. On the corner. Weekends only.

Run by Howard - who is exactly what you want in the bookstore owner. Kinf of ornery, until you engage him on literature - and then he's great. I believe he's a wholesaler weekdays, weekends he runs his own show.

Alexis, Baron von Harlot said...

What's Fyodor been eating, is what I want to know. If I could vomit instructive rabbits, I'd have it all worked out.

BwcaBrownie said...

excellent literary second-hand bookstore on Glenhuntly near intersection with Hawthorn Rd, very close to Commonwealth Bank.
I got Acton's 1972 Nancy Mitford memoir there for $6 and it was on shelves of many similar items.
Don't know if open weekends as I was only passing through the area.