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Books and Literature
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 05/06/2007, 12:52
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TreizeVents
 
Joined on 12/11/2006
Posts 287
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Re: Second hand English book sale
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 catalpa wrote: | Fascinating. The rosy tint in the spectacles obviously intensifies as one moves south.
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Whatever could that mean, if people are just describing their local shops? My own shades are more green anyway.
In my small town in the sticks, very much in the south, there are two new bookshops (less than two years old). One sells used and old books, it is a bit musty and, well, old looking. The other one sells new books and is quite bright, and run by a very committed woman. For example, she will turn up with a stall to almost any event, especially if she can order a book or two that might sell more than one copy. She can order most books one wants, but its true that once or twice her supplier has not had a book I wanted. The Maison de la Presse is quite full of everything, but still neat and tidy. They sell maps, mags, popular books and various other things. They do not sell Decroissance, but have most magazines that are mainstream. I am quite surprised there are these two new bookshops and we shall see how long they last.
But it might well be true that if buying at the cheapest price is your main goal in life, you might well be better off on the internet. I tend to buy on both, depending on language, and whether the retail shop can order it.
Having seen the decay of local bookshops in Britain before I left, and not having browsed much on my very few trips to the UK, I cannot comment on how things are in the UK.
Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.
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05/06/2007, 12:56
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Paysages de France
Joined on 04/02/2007
Posts 151
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Re: Second hand English book sale
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| catalpa wrote: | Fascinating. The rosy tint in the spectacles obviously intensifies as one moves south.
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...so say the cyniques......
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05/06/2007, 15:27
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Cerise
Joined on 23/08/2004
Laguepie Tarn & Garonne
Posts 696
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Re: Second hand English book sale
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PdF - I, like you, live in the Tarn & Garonne and I work part-time in the local library. Hardly any French homes I visit have any books and the reason everyone cites is that they are too expensive. Vive Tescos, the internet and cheap books is all I can say! My friends look at my bookshelves with envy and I can see them thinking I must be rich - not so, but I have always had access to cheap books. Very nice for the booksellers to have 'protected' status, but not so good for the readers who, often only earning the SMIC, cannot afford to buy them. I've recently noticed that LeClerc etc have started selling 'English style' paperbacks which are a lot more attrctive than traditional livres de poche, the look of which put you off the very idea of reading, and they are not so expensive. I do not think that reading should only be a luxury for the wealthy. In one of my library stints I allowed some 'hippyish' young people to become members - very nice they are too - and I was told off by the worthy ladies of the library and advised they were 'Not the type of people who need to read' . Oh really!! If cheap books off the internet allows more people access to books then jolly good.
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05/06/2007, 16:22
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Clair
Joined on 23/08/2004
------- Forum Moderator ------- Lot
Posts 6,276
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Re: Second hand English book sale
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I have to agree with Cerise. I too find the artificially high prices very off putting and I buy my books on the net.
When in England, I used to buy at the very least one book a week and I have severe withdrawal symptoms induced by book prices in France.
Clair, a Real Virtual French Person
La vérité est si obscurcie en ce temps et le mensonge si établi, qu'à moins d'aimer la vérité, on ne saurait la reconnaître. (Blaise Pascal)
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08/06/2007, 21:12
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Paysages de France
Joined on 04/02/2007
Posts 151
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Re: Second hand English book sale
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| Cerise wrote: | | PdF - I, like you, live in the Tarn & Garonne and I work part-time in the local library. Hardly any French homes I visit have any books and the reason everyone cites is that they are too expensive. Vive Tescos, the internet and cheap books is all I can say! My friends look at my bookshelves with envy and I can see them thinking I must be rich - not so, but I have always had access to cheap books. Very nice for the booksellers to have 'protected' status, but not so good for the readers who, often only earning the SMIC, cannot afford to buy them. I've recently noticed that LeClerc etc have started selling 'English style' paperbacks which are a lot more attrctive than traditional livres de poche, the look of which put you off the very idea of reading, and they are not so expensive. I do not think that reading should only be a luxury for the wealthy. In one of my library stints I allowed some 'hippyish' young people to become members - very nice they are too - and I was told off by the worthy ladies of the library and advised they were 'Not the type of people who need to read' . Oh really!! If cheap books off the internet allows more people access to books then jolly good. |
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Hmmmmmm...do your friends and acquaintances also not own
TV's, cars, dishwashers, mobiles, computers...or is it just books that they find 'too expensive'?
Houses I visit in Tarn et Garonne have books all over the place but only a very few of the above items .......perhaps we don't know the same people.
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08/06/2007, 22:51
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Cerise
Joined on 23/08/2004
Laguepie Tarn & Garonne
Posts 696
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Re: Second hand English book sale
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No, sadly a lot of people here in these very rural parts don't own those things either. Great excitment this week as we are getting some computers at the library and that will mean a first for many of the kids round here as they will be able to go on the internet. When I moved here almost no-one had a computer, not many had mobiles (but you can't get much of a signal in most of the village). Most do have cars but they are a necessity not a luxury.
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08/06/2007, 23:07
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Catalpa
Joined on 23/08/2004
Southern Manche - 50
Posts 1,458
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Re: Second hand English book sale
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Similar for us, Cerise. French people (very) locally tend to be retired farm workers and don't have big disposible incomes. Cars aren't a luxury - they're a necessity. Nearest shops are 3 km away and there are no buses. We do have a couple of visiting mobile shops but the range of goods is limited. French people locally mostly don't have mobile phones or dishwashers and some don't even have washing machines. If they have relatives nearby who do, then they do their washing there. The local newspapers are required reading; books aren't.
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13/06/2007, 10:45
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J.R's gone native
Joined on 16/07/2006
Picardie, Sussex
Posts 1,695
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Re: Second hand English book sale
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Lidl (or at least my one) will have English books with accompanying audio CD's on sale on the 14th for I think 5.99 euros each to encourage people to learn English, - so they say!
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France Forum » Leisure and Pas... » Books and Liter... » Second hand English book sale
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