Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops
A cantankerously funny view of books and the people who love them. It does take all kinds and through the misanthropic eyes of a very grumpy bookseller, we see them all—from the “Person Who Doesn't Know What They Want (But Thinks It Might Have a Blue Cover)” to the “Parents Secretly After Free Childcare.”

From behind the counter, Shaun Bythell catalogs the customers who roam his shop in Wigtown, Scotland. There’s the Expert (divided into subspecies from the Bore to the Helpful Person), the Young Family (ranging from the Exhausted to the Aspirational), Occultists (from Conspiracy Theorist to Craft Woman).

Then there's the Loiterer (including the Erotica Browser and the Self-Published Author), the Bearded Pensioner (including the Lyrca Clad), and the The Not-So-Silent Traveller (the Whistler, Sniffer, Hummer, Farter, and Tutter). Two bonus sections include Staff and, finally, Perfect Customer—all add up to one of the funniest book about books you’ll ever find.

Shaun Bythell (author of Confessions of a Bookseller) and his mordantly unique observational eye make this perfect for anyone who loves books and bookshops.

“Bythell is having fun and it’s infectious.”—Scotsman

“Virtuosic venting ... misanthropy with bursts of sweetness.”―Guardian

“All the ingredients for a gentle human comedy are here, as soothing as a bag of boiled sweets and just as tempting to dip into.”—Literary Review

“Any reader finding this book in their stocking on Christmas morning should feel lucky...contains plenty to amuse—an excellent diversion”—Bookmunch

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Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops
A cantankerously funny view of books and the people who love them. It does take all kinds and through the misanthropic eyes of a very grumpy bookseller, we see them all—from the “Person Who Doesn't Know What They Want (But Thinks It Might Have a Blue Cover)” to the “Parents Secretly After Free Childcare.”

From behind the counter, Shaun Bythell catalogs the customers who roam his shop in Wigtown, Scotland. There’s the Expert (divided into subspecies from the Bore to the Helpful Person), the Young Family (ranging from the Exhausted to the Aspirational), Occultists (from Conspiracy Theorist to Craft Woman).

Then there's the Loiterer (including the Erotica Browser and the Self-Published Author), the Bearded Pensioner (including the Lyrca Clad), and the The Not-So-Silent Traveller (the Whistler, Sniffer, Hummer, Farter, and Tutter). Two bonus sections include Staff and, finally, Perfect Customer—all add up to one of the funniest book about books you’ll ever find.

Shaun Bythell (author of Confessions of a Bookseller) and his mordantly unique observational eye make this perfect for anyone who loves books and bookshops.

“Bythell is having fun and it’s infectious.”—Scotsman

“Virtuosic venting ... misanthropy with bursts of sweetness.”―Guardian

“All the ingredients for a gentle human comedy are here, as soothing as a bag of boiled sweets and just as tempting to dip into.”—Literary Review

“Any reader finding this book in their stocking on Christmas morning should feel lucky...contains plenty to amuse—an excellent diversion”—Bookmunch

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Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops

Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops

by Shaun Bythell
Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops

Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops

by Shaun Bythell

Hardcover

$22.95 
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Overview

A cantankerously funny view of books and the people who love them. It does take all kinds and through the misanthropic eyes of a very grumpy bookseller, we see them all—from the “Person Who Doesn't Know What They Want (But Thinks It Might Have a Blue Cover)” to the “Parents Secretly After Free Childcare.”

From behind the counter, Shaun Bythell catalogs the customers who roam his shop in Wigtown, Scotland. There’s the Expert (divided into subspecies from the Bore to the Helpful Person), the Young Family (ranging from the Exhausted to the Aspirational), Occultists (from Conspiracy Theorist to Craft Woman).

Then there's the Loiterer (including the Erotica Browser and the Self-Published Author), the Bearded Pensioner (including the Lyrca Clad), and the The Not-So-Silent Traveller (the Whistler, Sniffer, Hummer, Farter, and Tutter). Two bonus sections include Staff and, finally, Perfect Customer—all add up to one of the funniest book about books you’ll ever find.

Shaun Bythell (author of Confessions of a Bookseller) and his mordantly unique observational eye make this perfect for anyone who loves books and bookshops.

“Bythell is having fun and it’s infectious.”—Scotsman

“Virtuosic venting ... misanthropy with bursts of sweetness.”―Guardian

“All the ingredients for a gentle human comedy are here, as soothing as a bag of boiled sweets and just as tempting to dip into.”—Literary Review

“Any reader finding this book in their stocking on Christmas morning should feel lucky...contains plenty to amuse—an excellent diversion”—Bookmunch


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781567926927
Publisher: David R. Godine, Publisher
Publication date: 11/24/2020
Pages: 128
Sales rank: 165,726
Product dimensions: 4.90(w) x 7.60(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Shaun Bythell is the owner of The Bookshop, the largest second-hand bookshop in Scotland. He is the author of Confessions of a Bookseller, also published by Godine. Shaun lives in Wigtown, Scotland.

Table of Contents

Introduction 11

1 Genus: Peritus (expert) 15

2 Genus: Familia Juvenisis (young family) 31

3 Genus: Homo qui maleficus amat (occultist) 41

4 Genus: Homo qui desidet (loiterer) 55

5 Genus: Senex cum barba (bearded pensioner) 71

6 Genus: Viator non tacitus (the not-so-silent traveller) 85

7 Genus: Parentum historiae studiosus (family historian) 95

Bonus 99

8 Genus: Operarii (staff) 101

Postscript 113

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