A couple of weekends ago I went to the Bookbarn in Somerset. I’ve been many times, ever since I stumbled across it by accident while getting lost. It used to be an absolutely enormous barn of books – as the name applies – and you could only really look at a tiny section each time. I’d go just looking at authors A-D, say. It was extraordinary.
Then they put most of it into an internet-only section, leaving a smaller, newer ‘barn’ where all the books were £1 each. Smaller but still big. And with lots of unsorted shelves where you could find gems – and a cafe, which was good for long-suffering relatives who didn’t want to look at books for hours at a time.
And then I went a couple of weeks ago…
My first thought was disappointment. And my second thought, and my third. They’d closed off two-thirds of the smaller barn. The cafe was bigger, but there was no unsorted section. There were shelves and shelves of cheap, rubbishy paperbacks. And the books weren’t £1 each anymore. The rubbishy paperbacks were, but anything from before about 1960 was in a ‘vintage’ section, where everything was £4. And I’m talking anything. Out-of-date algebra textbooks. Cheap editions of Milton’s poetry. The sort of thing you’d pay 20p for at a church fete.
But… things got better. I made the conscious decision not to compare it to previous trips to the Bookbarn. I would look carefully at the paperbacks. I didn’t find anything I wanted worth £4 in the ‘vintage’ section (and I did hear one old lady say to a staff member “They’re not vintage; they’re just old”), but did get a lot of the paperbacks.
And then I remembered that you could search their warehouse inventory, fill out slips, and get them to bring books out for you. Obviously that did mean no serendipitous finds – but did mean a handful of books I was very pleased to get my mitts on! And, oddly, at very reasonable prices – some rather less than the £4 they’d slapped on unsellable tat in the front of the shop.
Anyway – a rather long intro to the books I did buy! The last five are the ones I ferried from the warehouse catalogue, and the others are the cheapy paperbacks.
The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster
One of those books – or, rather, three of those books – that I’ve intended to read for a while. I don’t remember where I’ve heard good things about it, other than… everywhere, I guess?
The 27th Kingdom by Alice Thomas Ellis
I’ve still only read one Alice Thomas Ellis novel, Unexplained Laughter, but happy to add another to the shelves – particularly one as intriguing as this.
Chapman’s Odyssey by Paul Bailey
As above – read one novel, the brilliant At The Jerusalem, but at one quid I can definitely add another Bailey to the pile.
Nice Work by David Lodge
I haven’t read any Lodge novels yet, but this is on the list for my book group next year.
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
It’s on brand for me to read a book years after everyone was talking about it. Rachel mentioned we could do this one for ‘Tea or Books?’ and then stopped replying to messages, as per.
Linger Awhile by Russell Hoban
This one looks quite trashy and odd, but I loved his Turtle Diary (which was odd but not at all trashy) so will give it a go. Someone falls in love with an actress long after she dies? Something like that?
Thornyhold by Mary Stewart
I’ve never read any Stewart but my friend Kirsty, who was one of the people I went with, had recently read and loved this one and pressed it into my hands.
Behold, Here’s Poison by Georgette Heyer
Perhaps more surprisingly, I’ve never read any Heyer. Whenever someone writes a blog post about her, I say that I intend to try her – and have never even bought any before. Now I have one of her detective novels – hopefully a good’un?
The Color of Evening by Robert Nathan
Nathan is one of those authors I really, really enjoy but don’t remember ever seeing mentioned in the blogosphere (though I have seen The Bishop’s Wife mentioned, a lovely film adapted from his novel of that name). His books are harder to find here than in the US, so was pleased to get this one.
The Bridge by Pamela Frankau
Road Through the Woods by Pamela Frankau
One of the authors I looked up on the warehouse catalogue was Frankau, hoping to find one of her rare, early novels. They didn’t have any of those, but I was also pleased to add these late novels to my Frankau shelves.
Sheaves by E.F. Benson
Paul by E.F. Benson
They did have quite a few scarcer E.F. Benson novels – some out of my budget, but these two were priced relatively low. I was particularly pleased to find Paul, which has intrigued me for a while – and might sneak into Project Names. And onto my overcrowded shelves of unread Bensons.
All in all, I came away with a pile that I was very pleased with – having thought for the first twenty minutes or so that I’d come away empty-handed. Goes to show that even bookshops that have got worse can hold gems, and the intrepid book-hunter shouldn’t be dismayed by initial appearances!
Oh, so annoying when that happens Simon. It’s the same with charity shops – some think all anyone wants are modern paperbacks, others think that every old and smelly book must be ‘vintage’. Then there’s that weird ‘literature’ shelf, as if all the other books are something else.
I myself like an ordered muddle – I found just this recently at the Bog Myrtle Cafe at Struan on Skye (where I unearthed a Folio Society copy of the Alice B Toklas cookbook, languishing between things like ‘the joys of commercial refrigeration’ and ‘pig hunting’.)
I don’t want everything to be uniform and boring, but I also don’t want to be sold mouldy old books at exorbitant prices (I don’t mean good quality classics, like the lovely copy of The Sweet and Twenties that I found recently in our wonderful Shelter shop, and for which I happily paid a good price.)
Those books you bought look great. The only one I have read is Persepolis, which is very good. Enjoy!
The joys of commercial refrigeration! Hilarious. Nearly twenty years ago I volunteered in an Oxfam and was told they threw away books with yellowed pages – I asked not to work on the books because I wouldn’t be able to cope with that…
I love Bookbarn! It’s so far away that I only manage to go once every year or two (it’s that little bit closer for you, I guess), but I always come away with a great haul of £1 stuff, and the cafe’s food and drink are excellent. They’ve diversified a lot recently what with the rare books room, new books, and non-book stuff for sale, as well as their Internet selling, and I think all these strategies account for them having stayed open. Clearly, stacking ’em high and selling ’em cheap, with everything for £1, was never going to keep them in business otherwise. Did you know the owner is a descendant of Darwin via Gwen Raverat?
The Auster and Satrapi were particularly good finds, and you have such treats awaiting you with David Lodge — he’s one of my favourite authors.
I used to go a lot when I was at my parents, as it was less than an hour then. The rare books room was closed while we were there, sadly, but if I’m passing then I’ll try it again. Good news on the Lodge, thanks!
I can see where that would have been disappointing, especially as you’d had no inkling of it in advance, and would have been remembering somewhat happier browsing sessions and those lovely serendipitous finds. (The best!) But your stack does look like fun, all the same.
BTW, I’m sorry to report that Tenth Editions on Spadina here, the bookshop you visited when you were touring these parts, has been closed. The article is kinda sad, but it ends on a nice note: https://thevarsity.ca/2019/01/27/from-ten-editions-to-none-its-a-loss-to-the-city/
I felt bad, because I’d been selling it so hard to the people I was going with!
And oh, what a shame about Tenth Editions. I’m glad I got to go while it was there.
What a shame! Can’t see that charging high prices for tat will work as a business model… Alas, I’ve never been, neither to the old version or the new one, though I *have* bought from them by post (as has Mr. Kaggsy). Not entirely trouble free dealings every time, but mostly ok.
But some good finds there! I’ve read a couple of Auster titles but never quite got him – will be keen ot hear what you think!
It is bizarre. They must know that the books are mostly not worth that, considering their pricing elsewhere. A lot of people seemed just to be there for the cafe!
I am fond of David Lodge, I recommend “Small World” and indeed “Nice Work” as two of his best in my view.
Oh good! I’ve been meaning to try him for years.
I’m happy about your books, but what a sad experience. I fear I would have walked away without even looking. I keep hearing that independent bookstores are doing well in the UK, but this one just seems depressing.
It was very crushing at first, but I’m glad I persevered! I do wonder where all these amazing independent bookshop success stories are. I suppose mostly London.
I went there 2 years ago with high expectations having heard so many bloggers say how wonderful it is. I came away bitterly disappointed. The day we were there they had closed a large section of the shop so they could do some filming – very frustrating that the sections I wanted were in the closed off section. My husband bought 2 books but I came away empty handed. And yes I agree with you that there were many books in very poor condition that were being sold at inflated prices
Oh how annoying for you!
It seems to be a trend that the cafe becomes the most important place in any destination, such as bookshops or garden centres. I think you’ll enjoy Thornyhold, the Heyer and the Auster too. I really like E.F. Benson but haven’t read those ones.
Thanks Katrina – Thornyhold is getting a lot of recommendations, so will push up the pile!
What a disappointment to see a bookshop you’ve enjoyed so much reduced to that level. Glad you were still able to make it successful, and they at least had some interesting stock, even if not displayed. I just bought Nathan’s Portrait of Jennie this last weekend, along with Benson’s Paying Guests and Final Edition and The Provincial Lady in Wartime. It was a banner day at Powell’s Books (Portland), but of course, cost a lot more $$ Instead of a few £. I didn’t buy the first edition Bensons for $35 and $45 each! Maybe if they were Mapp and Lucia and Trouble for Lucia I might have wavered, but probably not.
Oo what a wonderful selection, Jennifer! Portrait of Jennie was the first Nathan I read and I really enjoyed it – and the movie. His books slip down easily, but it must take some craft in the writing.
I have just read (having bought it at a whim) The Willow Cabin by Pamela Frankau. The best writing about life in wartime Britain, in the second half, that I have come across – I was particularly ‘taken by the descriptions of khaki – how all of life had lost its colour – along with dealing with life and random death. A book of twists and turns, and ever new surprises. Are all her books like this?
I haven’t been there for decades, but now we live so close to it, and sometimes pass it on the way to Bristol, I should try it again. But with fortitude!
Oh yes, you’re very close, aren’t you. With the right expectations, it’ll be a good day out!
I think it’s great that you decided not to compare with previous trips, it’s easy to just get bogged down in the disappointment, and you got some great reads as a reward!
Yes! It took some mind-over-matter but was definitely worth it.
What a shame, but then, phew! A good Pile. I was reminded of your thing where you go through a haul the other day as, even though I claim to read my books in acquisition order, I inexplicably have half my Foyle’s haul from May 2018 still on the shelf but read the other half months ago. Hm.
OH yes! I must do another Overhaul when I’m back from holiday. One day I’ll find a haul I’ve read all of…
You bought something by Heyer! How exciting! Admittedly, I’ve never read any of her mysteries but this is definitely a move in the right direction. When you’re ready to brave her regency novels, I am here with suggestions (if you don’t like Sylvester I will be shocked. And aghast. And generally dismayed using all possible adjectives).
Ha! WELL there’s a recommendation, and I’m impressed if it will defeat my well-documented distaste for historical fiction. I feel on much safer ground with a mystery…
You always find such interesting books. Enjoy!
thanks!
Sorry to hear that the whole thing was a bit disappointing :( BUT it still looks like you walked away with a fabulous stack, AND I literally snorted at the line “they’re not vintage, they’re just old” – I might be borrowing that myself, in future! Happy reading, Simon!