Bookshop Memories: 1936 > Likes and Comments

Here is the thread to discuss our first group read, of Bookshop Memories: 1936. It is a short amusing essay, included in many of his collections of essays.

We will be reading this in September, but please feel free to recommend any good collection you have found. Many are free, as they are out of copyright in most countries.

Locked pro tem, until a few more discover the group :)

This thread is open ready, and we're off :)

I have this essay under a favourite in my browser now. As soon as it's September I will read along :-)

I'm reading it on kindle in Fifty Orwell Essays. A pretty good broad selection for £2.89.

Ok great. I will read this again so it's fresh in my mind.

I'll be joining in and am looking forward to the discussion.

Discussion of this read begins today.

George Orwell's essay Bookshop Memories was first published in 1936. It is a reminiscence of his time spent working as an assistant in antiquarian (second-hand) bookshop.

His aunt Nellie had recommended him for the job, in October 1934, as part-time assistant at "Booklover's Corner" in South End Road, Hampstead, North London. The shop was run by her friends the Westropes, who also provided him with accommodation. He job-shared, working at the shop in the afternoons, so that he still had the mornings free to write and the evenings to socialise.

On first reading, this is an amusing piece, a precursor to books like Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops by Jen Campbell. That lightness of touch is why I selected it for our very first read :)

However, with George Orwell there's always an extra dimension, because of how he judges and tells his reminiscences. Did you enjoy them? What strikes you about Bookshop Memories?

He really did seem to be a bit snobbish in this piece. Like it is not good to enjoy reading what you like, in the part about the library. But when looking deeper, it is, I think not as much about reading what you like as it is about pretending to like something you do not really read. It is not about reading romance novels from the library, it is about pretending to read Dickens by buying his books, and then secretly borrowing something else.

I bet a lot of what he says is still true - especially the pretending that Jantine says.

Have to admit I enjoyed his politically incorrect barbs: "wistful spinsters and the fat wives of tobacconists," and about the people who gravitate to the bookshop because you can stay for a long time without spending any money: "For all their big talk there is something moth-eaten and aimless about them." He's so very specific!

The essay is humorous and entertaining, but Orwell also gives the impression of being a curmudgeon. Bookselling, like any customer service job, does require patience (perhaps more than Orwell possesses), and an awareness that people have different tastes and education. He writes, "I doubt whether ten percent of our customers knew a good book from a bad one." He did not understand how people could be attracted to genre fiction such as detective novels. (I have found that people read escapist fiction to relax after a busy day.)

Orwell is sarcastic and funny as he describes some of the customers, such as the dear old lady who "doesn't remember the title or the author's name or what the book was about, but she does remember that it had a red cover."

The essay does bring us back in time to when there were lending libraries in bookstores, when independent bookstores were financially successful, and when there was no computer database to help the employees.

Orwell does seem to be a bit of a snob when it comes to criticizing customer's choices in reading matter. I read classical literature at times, but vintage mysteries have been my go-to books during the Covid times.
People read for different reasons, but they are reading.
Those who pretend to have read something, on the other hand, need to understand why they're doing so. If they want to show off, the deserve criticism. But I feel sorry for those who feel they won't fit in if they don't read a certain book.

As for the customers, my daughter worked in a new book store for many years and had similar requests for books-where the cusomer didn't know the author but the book had the word Beauty in it.

I enjoy his prose, as always. It's too bad he lost his desire to get old books at sales, since that can produce some real treasures.

Hi all. glad we have made a start on with the essays!

I agree with the comments above ^^

I found myself laughing out loud at his sarcastic observations.

The 'decayed person smelling of bread crusts' was absolutely fantastic. Also how he was, at first, puzzled by the 'unmistakable paranoiacs' who ordered large quantities of books, never to return.
The fact that he calculated the surface area of the pages from the 'trashy' detective novels (¾ of a Acre) was typical Orwell.

The observation regarding the horoscopes had me in stitches. -
'Doubtless any horoscope seems 'true' if it tells you that you are highly attractive to the opposite sex and your worst fault is generosity' - timeless Orwell dry wit.

My personal favourite was the descriptions of the

I completely agree that he was rather snobbish with regards to the lack of interest in Dickens and 19C authors; it's totally correct to point out that people read for different reasons and that one person's 'trash' is another person's treasure. A hackneyed phrase but it perfectly describes this.

My absolute favourite part was at the end, when he spoke about the coldness of the bookshop in the winter and how 'Books give off more and nastier dust than any other objects yet invented" - followed with the absolutely immortal Orwellian observation that "The top of a book is the place where every bluebottle prefers to die"

Orwell's perceptions and observations were so unique and, most of the time, so accurate that they are still so very relevant today.

I loved reading this essay again, and enjoyed all of your thoughts and opinions. - I can't wait for the next one.

I read this about a week ago and came away sort of indifferent: short and easy to read, but maybe not that interesting. So I decided to reread it this morning and after a couple of paragraphs came here and read all the comments. I agree with Connie: I think the overall tone of the piece reflects Orwell’s indifference and mild annoyance at having to deal with people: the essence of the customer service trade, he would not otherwise have anything to do with. Also his remarks about woman and other nationalities seem a bit dated.

I agree he was of his time and sounded snobby, but it didn't bother me because I thought he perfectly captured that sarcastic attitude that I know people in many customer service jobs still have. In their heart, they may respect all people and know, for example that they read for many different very acceptable reasons. But when you work with the public day in and day out you have to let off a bit of job-specific steam.

I think there's a great percentage of customer service folks that treat the public well, but the percentage that never laughs at them behind their back? That would be much smaller, in my opinion.

That's the frame I saw this story through, and thought it was a great piece of light sarcasm.

I agree with many of the comments above. This essay was funny, dated and a bit "of his time".

Retail is a difficult job and dealing with so many personalities each day can be frustrating at times. Sometimes one needs to let off some steam (not on the customers). Orwell did this well in this essay. Better here than on the customer.

I found it odd that people could order books, not pay for them, then never come back. I wondered about the inventory in such a store. Would these books be wanted by another patron? Would they linger on the shelves? It would be very frustrating as the employee to know that your task is probably unnecessary. No one likes to feel unappreciated and doing a task that one knows (or highly suspects) is unnecessary again and again would lead to a feeling of unappreciation.

While the descriptions of the customers are a bit dated and unkind in today's world, we recognized the types, which makes them still with us.

Orwell probably wasn't the sort to work retail and enjoy it. That must have been frustrating to him, in general. I agree with Kathleen that the number of service personnel probably do let off some steam behind the scenes. Orwell did it in essay form.

I found this essay interesting and a good piece to start our discussions with.

I enjoyed this essay enormously, and like Tom, also everyone's comments so far :)

I agree, George Orwell came across as very judgemental and intolerant, but he also makes us laugh, despite ourselves. And as Kathleen and Petra both said, you do have to let off steam somewhere! To me it felt like listening to a very intelligent and distinguished actor: a born raconteur making the most of his experiences by exaggerating. He's not really vicious about the people he criticises, which is why we can laugh along with him. George Orwell turns his customers people into stock characters for comedic effect, and his observations do have that hint of truth in them we can all recognise. Also, his use of language is very droll; I love the quotations you included, Tom.

Granted he gets a bit sarcastic and self-righteous, but as Petra says, if we can recognise the types, then that means they are still with us!

Connie and Rosemarie - I don't remember a time when there were lending libraries in bookstores. But I have certainly used and worked in libraries pre-computer systems. The card within a card system ("Brown") was the most common, and extremely accurate and fast. There were others later, such as photographing each book plus member's ticket as it was take out. The card filing system was used everywhere in public libraries here in the UK. Working in a library we could take out as many books as we liked, but the same was true when I worked in bookshops - as long as we returned them in a pristine condition. The customers couldn't though.

The idea of one person's trash being another's treasure, Tom and Rosemarie, hit me too. A few years ago (pre-kindle) I was searching for book in Large Print, and went into antiquarian bookshops. There are serval publishers who specialise in this, so after browsing a while I would ask the proprietor. Sometimes they put them separately. But one took my breath away. He said "I don't know why some of these ever make it to Large Print". He didn't even consider that visually impaired people actually want to have the same wide variety of reading as fully sighted ones. Some of us want to read trash too!

Also, I do think the status of antiquarian bookshops has complicated things a bit. Now old books can be bought as artefacts - but this might well be by people who want to read them - and not just to have the books sitting on their shelves. Also, I think the idea of "coffee table books" or "gift books" did not exist when George Orwell wrote this essay.

There are so many coffee table books where the text is incidental to the beautiful illustrations. Maybe that fits in well with his "pretentious" grouping. Then there are the little, often humorous "stocking-filler" books, which are never bought for oneself, but to give to a friend. I've been told that some bookshops for new books find that these - plus a few greetings cards - are their highest sales, rather than a best-seller or the latest novel by a popular novelist.

If I receive one of these little gift books, I often don't read it. Again it seems more of an object, rather than an interesting reading project. Its purpose is not as other books.

Underneath all the entertainment, George Orwell did pass on a serious message, which Jantine touched on. George Orwell compared the motives of those who buy books as opposed to those who borrow them.

This is where his views on the class system, and hypocrisy poke through. He claims that those who buy books want to keep them in their houses to make themselves appear intellectual, whereas borrowing books is straightforwardly for their own pleasure and enjoyment. Therefore those who frequent libraries are unpretentious, as they honestly want to read the books.

"In a lending library you see people's real tastes, not their pretend ones".

I found this really entertaining, with plenty of charming details - the second-hand typewriters for sale, and “the sweet smell of decaying papers”. Also that the sales reps were selling them Christmas cards from June - some things never change!

I was also interested to read about the popular authors in the lending library - Ethel M. Dell, Warwick Deeping and Jeffrey Farnol. These romance novelists have drifted into obscurity now, and I had to look them up - Jeffrey Farnol apparently wrote similar Regency novels to Georgette Heyer who is of course still very popular.

I feel Orwell is exaggerating his dislike of modern writing quite a lot for comic effect - children’s books are “horrible things” and short stories “utterly lifeless and worthless” - and the hardships of working in the bookshop. I loved his choice of words, and his thoughts made me smile. A great start for our Orwell group!

Absolutely agree, Pamela ^^ very entertaining and greatly exaggerated for comic effect.

Coming a little late to this discussion, but wanted to join and say how much I enjoyed this essay AND all the comments! Especially the ones about humor, because on first reading I missed that entirely and thought this more snobbish than funny.

But even that snobbish interpretation did not put me off this essay. I still loved it because I empathized a great deal with the regret that people don't seek out Dickens, or Hemingway or Austen anymore. And while I might cringe when Orwell calls "junk" some of the genres I love (romances or detective stories), I also felt Orwell has more than earned the right to be snobbish about books that can be read fast, and don't require deep thought on the part of the reader. In the same way that a great chef might be put off by watching people enjoy their Happy Meal at McDonald's.

Anyway, thanks everyone for sharing your views because it gave me a very different way to read this.

I really like this essay, even though it's so opinionated and sarcastic! I gave it 3 stars. Here's Jean's review

Is anyone else fitting this in this month? It's quite entertaining, and there are some great comments here.

I haven’t had a chance yet, Jean. But my Orwell Essays book is sitting on my reading pile so I should get to it at some stage!

Oh good :)

Jean, I find that this essay keeps popping into my head, which means that I enjoyed it quite a bit.....more than I thought on first reading it, I think.
I was in a used bookstore yesterday and wondered what George Orwell would make of this tiny, cramped, wonderfully stocked bookshop.

This was the first essay of George Orwell's that I've ever read. I'm looking forward to reading more.

Petra wrote: "Jean, I find that this essay keeps popping into my head, which means that I enjoyed it quite a bit.....more than I thought on first reading it, I think.
I was in a used bookstore yesterday and won..."

Yes! It does stay in the mind :) Great observation Petra.

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I'm new to George Orwell as an adult and enjoy his pithy comments on what was clearly not his job for life. A good friend works in a public library and confirms that the flotsam and jetsam of the community wash up there on a regular basis. Interesting that this also happened in the 30s to independent booksellers also. I was fascinated to hear his comments on stamp collectors and purchasers of horoscopes, witty putdowns both! Also the goss about the books of short stories, particularly as I really enjoy short story collections and the variety of characters and dimensions that writers utilise to develop a short idea. Great choice of essay.

I think the opening paragraph summarizes most of what the author means to say: the job requires him to interact with and attempt to accomodate goofy, dumb, annoying people. - )

‘The sweet smell of decaying paper appeals to me no longer.’

I once attempted to explain to my screen-addicted son James, now 14, the heady joy of smelling an old book, in this case a 1939 hardback edition of Norman Douglas’s South Wind, printed on beautiful paper in the United States. James looked at me askance, a look with which I am all too familiar.

The passage of time does strange things. The ordinary everyday becomes just a memory: for example, the lending library in a second-hand bookshop. The essential can become passé: reading a book when you could be glued to a screen (I do know I am writing this on a screen). Two things stand out for me with this wonderful George Orwell story, apart from his beautiful writing, firstly, it’s a striking snapshot of a very particular time and place and secondly it illustrates the difference between romance and reality.

Orwell’s bookshop of the mid-1930s might have been frequented by all types from baronets to bus-conductors, but is replete with old lady customers of vague request, moth-eaten men who may or may not smell of bread crusts, and lunatics, paranoiacs in particular. Orwell acknowledges the difference between the books people buy and the ones they borrow from the lending library; the latter reflecting their actual taste rather than what they think they should be reading.

I really like this glimpse into of Orwell’s society at the time, albeit with his satirical touch, actually, especially with his satirical touch. I have a vivid picture of the colourful habitués, the cold and dustiness of the establishment, and the perils of losing your love for something when the commercial reality of trade overwhelms the romance of the individual tome.

Great observations Boadicea, Mark and Ian :)

Ian, I think you've been really intuitive here. Yes, for those of us who remember an earlier time (albeit not as early as 1936!), these are not merely facts, but this essay brings to the surface many impressions and memories of our own, which today's youth have never experienced. Perhaps if your son goes into a musty old antiquarian bookshop now and then, he might get an inkling ...

It does evoke a particular time and part of society to mind, as you say. And you are spot on about commercialism v. the romance of an old book. Even though I too am sitting in front of a computer to type this, it would have a different feeling if I were writing a personal letter to you with a quill pen :)

I loved how the essay was still really applicable to working in retail today. Customers are still customers and they can sometimes be super annoying. My friend who used to work in Waterstones says that she really related to the essay. She mainly found it infuriating when all her customers just wanted to read Harry Potter.

I'm a bit late to this, having just joined the group (attracted by the first group read being something called 'Bookshop Memories'), but I really enjoyed this, far more than perhaps I expected. I think this is my first read of an essay by Orwell, but it certainly won't be my last. Leaving aside the content of the essay for the moment, as a short piece of writing I thought it was excellent, a perfect length to easily read in one sitting and a great conversational style.

Whenever I read an older piece of non-fiction like this, I can never decide which I find more fascinating, what's changed, and what's just the same 85 years later. I've never worked in a library or bookshop (though would love to one day!), but can really imagine some of those customers still existing, though I hope not the ones who order lots of books and never come back for them!

It was really interesting to learn that the bookshop Orwell worked in doubled as a lending library too. I knew there were paid for lending libraries in the UK well into the mid-20th century, a national chain of chemist shops had one of the more famous ones (my father remembers using them as a young man, and you can still see the stamps in some used books today), but hadn't come across antiquarian bookshops having them, though I guess it makes sense.

I agree that Orwell was a snob when it came to popular books such as detective fiction, but then aren't a lot of people still today? Also found that even 85 years ago most people weren't interested in short stories which I wouldn't have expected (at least according to Orwell, though doubt he had anything to do with pulp magazines that were probably doing a roaring trade).

Some beautiful description, and fascinating commentary, great read!

Ian, such a lovely comment. The way Orwell captured that ordinary every day experience really is something special for us now. And how different romance and reality still are today!

Steve, I'm glad you pointed out the writing itself. It's so easy to overlook that when the piece is good. :-) And it's tempting with an author like this to get right to whatever it is he's trying to say. I love the idea of stopping a moment to just appreciate the pleasure of reading it.

"Roughly speaking, what one might call the average novel – the ordinary, good-bad, Galsworthy-and-water stuff which is the norm of the English novel – seems to exist only for women." Wow. And they say Virginia Woolf was a snob. (It seems I've been seeing many articles on this theme.) I assume by the "Galsworthy-and-water stuff", he means that if Galsworthy is scotch, most novels are diluted, watered down versions of The Man of Property. And I must admit, I do like my scotch 50/50, while my husband prefers it neat. I would hate to generalize from that, though. I do like my Galsworthy straight.

Will we be reading Good Bad Books? Not too much of a spoiler to say Orwell gives Trollope a nod for being readable, even if he's not that intelligent. But he predicts (view spoiler)[ Uncle Tom's Cabin will endure much longer than anything by Virginia Woolf. (hide spoiler)]

Ginny wrote: ""Roughly speaking, what one might call the average novel – the ordinary, good-bad, Galsworthy-and-water stuff which is the norm of the English novel – seems to exist only for women." Wow. And they ..."

I’m assuming Ms Woolf has fared far better than brother Orwell prejudically predicted.

What I'm finding, with the different parts which stand out to different people, is how much George Orwell has packed into what seems initially like a lighthearted piece.

I eventually got round to reading this! The comments above are fascinating & I agree with many of them. But I wonder if some of Orwell’s criticisms of customers are partly due to the frustration of his job. He was enthusiastic about books, so constantly dealing with people who didn’t appreciate them must have been very annoying & at times possibly spoiled his own enjoyment. After a few days of being forced to listen to people criticising some favourite books, it would be very difficult to go home & relax by reading those books.

Perhaps Orwell was a snob about books. But people read for different reasons at different times. The person who reads a thriller or fantasy for escapism today may read something more demanding another day. I think a bookseller should be informative & helpful, but not judgemental.

I think you're right Trisha, and that he would not have made a very good bookseller long term. He seemed to know this about himself too, didn't he.

I just finished reading The Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell, the owner of a second-hand book store in Wigtown, Scotland. The book is written as a diary with a quote from Orwell's "Bookshop Memories" at the start of each month. Bythell writes:

Before I took over [the book shop], I ought perhaps to have read a piece of George Orwell's writing published in 1936. "Bookshop Memories" rings as true today as it did then, and sounds a salutary warning to anyone as naive as I was that the world of selling second-hand books is not quite an idyll of sitting in an armchair by a roaring fire with your slipper-clad feet up, smoking a pipe and reading Gibbon's "Decline and Fall" while a stream of charming customers engages you in intelligent conversation, before parting with fistfuls of cash. In fact, the truth could scarcely be more different. Of all his observations in that essay, Orwell's comment that 'many of the people who came to us were of the kind who would be a nuisance anywhere but have special opportunities in a bookshop' is perhaps the most apposite.

It's always fun to find a reference to another book I enjoyed as I am reading!

That's a real gem Connie! Thank you so much for sharing it with us :) I suppose many of us have had a little daydream about "getting away from it all" and running an antiquarian bookshop, but doubtless the truth of it is not as we envisage! They usually do seem rather quiet ... lovely for us to browse in but it must be a worry!