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The Romance of Reading
Dec17, 2000
I stepped into the Barnes & nobles Booksellers on Ventura Boulevard, Encino in California and was greeted by a rich aroma of freshly ground coffee from the adjacent Starbucks Coffee kiosk.
The other pleasant surprise in the elegant bookstore was the sight of the clientele, all reading. There were many. People at the magazine rack. People reclining in sofas, students at a table – others on the carpet. Yes, the habit of reading survives and even thrives in the USA. This is contrary to what I expected – that the TV, movies, the internet, and other forms of entertainment had taken people away from the print medium and into a desolate paperless world. Bookstores such as Barnes & nobles have braved the storms of such competing interests. In effect, it has fostered the habit and assiduously kept alive the tradition of reading.
Established in 1873, the Barnes & Noble Booksellers is an amazing story of success. ‘Built by booksellers for book lovers,’ B&N is claimed to house the world’s largest selection of book titles – more than 8 million. The selection includes the latest bestsellers and new releases to diverse tittles from small presses and university publishers. Signed copies, first editions, and hard-to-find copies are stocked. B&N also maintains ‘the largest standing inventory of any on-line bookseller, with more than 750,000 titles ready for immediate delivery’. The company boasts of a database that features more than six and half million out of print and rare books!
B&N hosts a huge collection of greeting cards, calendars, prints and posters, magazines, and newspapers amid other bric-a-brac. These are essentially American publications or locally made. Books are categorized and systematically placed in different sections of the store. Customers have easy access to them. Separate sections for new releases, discounts and bargains may be found in each section. If you cannot locate a book and need assistance, an information counter helps the customer/browser.
People have accused the chain of ‘monopolistic’ practices, and endangering those species known as ‘the cute little corner bookstore’. A situation that was central to the hit Meg Ryan-Tom Hanks movie, ‘You’ve got Mail’!
Publishers, and in turn writers and new authors, have expressed their concern over the hold B&N has on the industry.
As in the case of fast-food or gasoline stations, America has attractively packaged and standardized the bookstore chain. The 500 odd B&N outlets that dot the country are ample testimony to the fact. The B&N outlets have elegance, charm and a distinct identity right from the interiors, display organization and design of comfort, reading and browsing zones. You know what to expect once inside a B&N store and you are rarely disappointed.
Comfortable and well-upholstered leather sofas and couches, and excellent lighting both from outside and inside the rooms add to the pleasure of browsing and reading at B&N. Often soft music is gently turned on, to enhance the relaxed atmosphere and uplift moods. That the aroma of coffee wafting over sections of the store makes for a delightful setting.
eBooks at B&N
A totally new concept in reading is available for those who on the move would like to avoid the problems of carting weighty tomes. Known as eBooks, these are books in dematted or electronic form that can be downloaded to your computer, laptop or portable eBook device. Such devices enable the reader to carry an entire library of reading material to fall on anytime, anywhere.
The software and eBooks are available at B&N. An unpublished work of the beat guru of the 60s, Jack Kerouac’s Orpheus Emerged is presently available in this format.
Books on travel, local interest
The reference and travel sections are particularly a delight to visitors to the city. Maps, travelogues, local city guides of Los Angeles and major cities of the world are neatly stacked. Customers sit comfortably and browse these publications before arriving at a purchase decision.
On the morning I entered the travel section, there were people reading on the leather sofas with sunlight pouring over their shoulders. Some youngsters were sprawled on the floor near the window.
‘You don’t need to travel all over the world,’ says Peter Tam, a Chinese student sitting next to me, ‘You get all kinds of information about the world, right here.’
Library Chat and other events
At every B&N outlet there is an Event’s calendar and a list of upcoming literary and related events. These programs are put up well in advance, leaving room for people to plan their time and mark up their diary. At these programs, booklovers get to meet authors, join a book discussion or participate in lively discussions.
On one of my visits, a delightful children’s party was in progress. It was to mark the release of the fourth Harry Potter adventure. Due publicity preceded the event and nearby schools were sounded about the upcoming program. The event held in the children’s section had a reading from JK Rowling’s book. Kids packed all available space, and listening to the narration in pin-drop silence – enthralled and mesmerized by the magic of words and imagery evoked.
Hanging out at B&N
A large number of people lob up at the store at odd parts of the day. As wives shop at nearby Ralph’s or other departmental stores, the rest of the family makes a beeline for the comfort bookstore. Inside the air-conditioned facility, are books and magazines to suit every taste. Practically all B&N stores have a Starbucks coffee kiosk where a variety of coffees and other refreshment are available. It is not uncommon to see someone carrying a tall lidded – unspillable—coffee container into the store and heading for a sofa to savor the latter and a book.
Children’s section
This is an extremely popular section in B&N. A fun place with colourful, toy-like furniture and a setting that seems irresistible to kids. All manner of children literature, music tapes, CDs, DVDs, software and eBooks abound in the section. Clearly, a lot of thinking has gone into its planning – with a view to developing a relationship with prospective customers of the future.
Children engrossed in books or concentrating on their reading is a very reassuring sight that augurs well for the future of the printed word.
On-line shopping
If it is not possible to reach B&N, you may shop for books from the comfort of your home or college or research center for wherever you have your PC. A powerful search engine built into the B&N website allows for quick and easy navigation that takes you to desired areas of interest. Besides prices, availability there is several discounts, bargains and other freebies offered to the on-line customer.
You put the book or books in the virtual shopping cart, charge it to your card, and have the purchase delivered to your doorstep. Secure shopping and expeditious dispatch are other lures the savvy company offers. In these days of commuting and parking hassles perhaps this is a big boon.
But frankly, nothing quite compares to the joy of actually going out there and taking in the heady Barnes & Nobles Booksellers experience. The easy, relaxed setting, books and booklovers all over, and the faint aroma of coffee in the air, add to the romance of reading.
Mistaken Identity
Nov01, 2001
I can well understand how it must be to be a Sikh and living in America today. Though the situation wasn’t all that bad some years ago, cases of mistaken identity were common.
Take the time when the Wife and I were waiting at a railway station in Van Nuys, California. No one else was around. We sat on our suitcases waiting for the train to Fresno. That’s when I spotted a lone motorcyclist. It was a sight to send shivers down the spine. The motorcyclist — a cop — went past us, made a u-turn and came up to us.
‘‘Morning’’, he smiled breezily and smoothly, casually slipped into Mexican. Before we could answer, he asked, ‘‘Comprehendo?’’
In my best English accent, I said, ‘‘I beg your pardon, old bean.’’
For some reason that caused he motorcyclist to jerk his head back, remove the goggles, smile and take a second look — hard and long — at us.
‘Does the lady speak English too?’’ he asked.
Normally on our air travels we dress formally, but here we were in old jeans and leather jackets as we were travelling on bus and train. A choice of apparel obviously inappropriate for the occasion. It was a case of mistaken identity.
To show that we had not hotfooted it from across Tijuana into California, we had to show our passport. This also meant discussing where we were from, where we were going, why we were in the USA and so on.
“Yes, we love this beautiful country’’, we said and quickly added, ‘‘But mind, only to visit. We plan to head back to India after visiting family in Fresno’’.
That wasn’t the first time we were mistaken for aliens. Surely it had something to do with the colour of our skin. And perhaps the way we handled English or the way we behaved.
At JFK when on the inter-terminus shuttle, a large, gabby woman driving the coach asked, ‘‘Sir, which terminal?’’ When I answered and wanted to know if it would take long and whether flights were on time that day, she stared at me. ‘‘We’ll be there in five minutes’’, she answered and took on the other questions at the next stop. Finally unable to control her curiosity, she blurted, ‘‘Say, how come you have that funny accent? Are you from Harvard or something?’’
That was little better than the one who drove us to the airport in Chicago. The man said, ‘‘Naw. Don’t tell me. Let me guess. You guys are from New York, right? I can tell a New York accent from a mile. Yessiree, bob.’
On my first trip to Kalamazoo, Michigan, waiting to be picked up for a meeting, I stood outside the hotel — wearing a jacket and tie. A group of young pretty girls passing by waved out and said, ‘‘Hi’’. When I returned the greeting, one of the girls, a petite red-head came running up and excitedly started speaking to me in Greek. I didn’t understand a word. I apologised and explained to her in slow English where I was from.
‘Jeez!’’ she said, making a face, “I just lost a soda bet. I was sure you were from Greece. Isn’t that somewhere near India?© Copyright - Author