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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think that bookshop staff may have read ...

24 replies

claricebeansmum · 02/10/2009 15:20

something from the Booker shortlist.

Picked up The Little Stranger and just wondered how scary it would be. Three members of staff behind the counter - none had read any of the Booker shortlist.

Obviously this is Waterstone's and not a proper bookshop.

OP posts:

Firawla · 02/10/2009 15:51

yabu a little bit

Scorpette · 02/10/2009 16:57

'Hypothetically', let's say that that particular chain of bookshops - which are a very litigious company, so am not going to write the name again - have had new management and across the country have been getting rid of all the old staff, who are all book-lovers and very knowledgeable, and were employed for their interest in books and instead, have been getting in general, non-bookworm staff and giving them crap rotas and minimum wage, as well as now only ordering 'popular' books, to minimise costs (I know this cos used to work there years ago and have friends still there who've been treated like shit). Hypothetically, mind. Hypothetically.

On the other hand, it's a bit unreasonable to expect bookshop staff to know about every book, so YABU. Do you expect supermarket staff to have tasted every single food item in the store?!

For what it's worth, The Little Stranger is not at all scary and I found it quite disappointing, though well-written.

BitOfFun · 02/10/2009 16:59

(shh, independent here, or I was- I would have read at least some of them )

DuelingFanjo · 02/10/2009 17:43

Waterstone's is a proper bookshop. Someone actually forwarded me a link to this thread knowing I worked for Waterstone's for several years.

YABU.

The wages when I were there were crap but we were encouraged to read and review the books we sold. Obviously we couldn't read them all. I left as Waterstone's started to go down the pan.

You're just being snobby IMO.

KembleTwins · 02/10/2009 17:46

YABU. As a teenager, I worked in a fabric and haberdashery shop. People would ask me all sorts and I never knew the answers - always had to get a full-time member of staff instead.

I can cut metres of material really straight though.

differentWitch · 02/10/2009 17:48

yabu. There are too many books in the world to hope that eveyrone will have read all of them. To be honest, I usually find that if a book has been shortlisted for a Prize, it bores me rigid.

squeaver · 02/10/2009 17:51

In the Last Great Recession (when I graduated, children) nearly everyone ended up working at Waterstone's.

You had to have a degree to work there back then.

Original poster

claricebeansmum · 02/10/2009 17:57

I don't expect the staff to have read every book in the shop. That would be unreasonable but I would have thought that at least on of the three behind the counter might have a view on a Booker shortlisted novel. It is a much publicized prize which they are promoting in their store.

When I shopped for books at my independent where I used to live she always could give a bit of guidance.

OP posts:

PixiNanny · 02/10/2009 18:17

YABU, Many of those working in waterstones are students, would you rather they failed their exams to read a book so that they can tell you about it?

Scorpette · 02/10/2009 18:46

You defo want to go to an independent book shop (or a Waterstone about 6 years ago and beyond) to come across people who really know about the books they're selling. When I worked there, we would read all the latest things and we'd get customers who'd come in and say things like, 'I've seen this book, it's got a blue cover, think it was written by a man - what is it?' or 'it's about a woman whose husband cheats on her' and we could usually work out what they wanted. But that's because the pay-off for crap wages and dealing with fucktards all day was our passion for books; however, there's no law that says minimum wage shopworkers actually have to know a lot about what they're selling - they just don't get paid enough!

There's also the fact that sometimes you can't be arsed to natter on to someone and you just say you don't know anything to avoid a conversation. Niceness-fatigue is inevitable when dealing with the public!

funtimewincies · 02/10/2009 18:57

YABU. Read it yourself, surely, and decide how 'scary' it is .

If you don't want to pay for a book you might not like and want to keep, borrow it from the library.

If you find that it's not to your taste, then you can just return it to the library.

Problem solved. What the staff choose to read or not read is not for you to dictate.

DuelingFanjo · 02/10/2009 18:58

ha ha. Scorpette that is exactly my experience of working in a bookshop.

I miss it for lots of reasons but know it's not the same. Which branch did you work at?

BitOfFun · 02/10/2009 21:27

Oh I used to love playing Guess The Book with customers- "It was in the paper at the weekend, something about a sailor", etc etc.

I loved that job!

Cadelaide · 02/10/2009 21:34

Hey, BitOfFun, I was an independent bookseller too, a rare breed now.

One of my funniest incidents was answering the 'phone; "blahblah bookshop, can I help you?" to be told "No thanks, I'm just browsing".

And then it just went quiet till I put the 'phone down

Cadelaide · 02/10/2009 21:35

Books are lovely things to sell.

I sell crappy things now, but I do make a living.

Cadelaide · 02/10/2009 21:36

Oh, and OP, YANBU but you have been a tad over-optimistic.

beaniesinthebucketagain · 02/10/2009 21:37

yanbu, waterstones have taken over our ottakers (sp) there are a few staff in there who must have read everything, one particular man can choose a book for me and ds and NEVER gets it wrong, its a lovely service, id be sad that no-one read anything from the booker shortlist.

LauraIngallsWilder · 02/10/2009 21:38

Scorpette - that is fascinating to read about W. Twas about 6years ago that I last went in one and I have to say my lasting impression is of staff who loved books so Im sad that that is no longer the case

Having been to another well known bookshop chain yesterday (famed for its enormous shops, you know the one, beginnings with B) I cant help but wonder how it compares with W

Claricebean - Im with you I think its great if the staff in a shop (any shop) know about the products they sell
But I agree too that if you want to know what a book is like, you are best off reading it yourself

MortBlackCatResident · 02/10/2009 21:42

I went into our supposedly excellent independent bookshop and asked for the Edgar Allen Poe Compendium.....The lass behind the counter had never heard of him .

BiteOfFun · 02/10/2009 21:42

Hehehe, I was more likely to cock up myself on the phone...I was once asked by someone if we had any self-help books on agoraphobia- I started to list them, and then said "Honestly there's loads- just come in and have a look!"

My boss was a droll type, who got asked for a copy of Tale Of Two Cities as a Christmas present, found it, then the customer said "Can you wrap it?"....he cleared his throat, said he'd do is best, and started chanting with rhythm "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."

I loved it.

MrsJohnDeere · 02/10/2009 21:46

I used to manage a large branch of one their bookstores. Things may have changed in the last few years (I really doubt it) but when I was there the rates of pay offered to booksellers were so pitiful (little more than minimim wage) and the conditions truly awful that we struggled to recruit people who could read, let alone actually want to read books.

DuelingFanjo · 02/10/2009 22:56

Which branch

I was at Cardiff, Earls Court and Hampstead.

Original poster

claricebeansmum · 03/10/2009 14:12

There are no independent bookshops in my city.. and the library is closed...

OP posts:

MrsMellowdrummer · 03/10/2009 19:19

Very sad. I did notice today a that a branch of B's had a big Booker shortlist display up, which I thought was fab. The staff there always seem to know what they're talking about - and there's even a lovely chap there who recognises my son, welcomes him by name, and then has big chats about sci-fi books with him. A really lovely shop, despite being a big chain, all due to their fabby staff.

The Little Stranger is more disturbing than scary I reckon. Beautifully told, but I don't think it's likely to win the Booker this year. My money's on the AS Byatt.

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