Bookstores in London
By: Paige Kesselman
London has a rich and lengthy literary history housed in the plethora of bookstores around the city. Bookstores to Brits are like McDonald's and Starbucks to Americans — everywhere, unmistakable, and often overwhelming in number. There are two types of bookstores prevalent in the city: Waterstone’s, the UK equivalent of Barnes and Noble, and small independent stores that survive on the kindness of regular patrons.
Waterstone’s can usually be found on London’s main roads. They’re the perfect place for students and book-lovers alike, but be warned — some locations tempt you with deals like “Buy a copy of X by Random Author, and get a free coffee!” Some of their tables and displays offer “Buy one, get one half off,” which can easily become dangerous when you suddenly find yourself with four to six books in your arms, each waiting impatiently for their turn to be purchased. Sometimes, if you don’t pick up any books at all, the shelves turn and loom over you, threatening to drop their contents on you as you attempt to leave the store. This is especially terrifying when you’re downstairs in the nonfiction section and have only seconds to find the staircase and get away. Some say you can still hear the voices of crushed patrons in the basement.
As perilous as Waterstone’s might seem, it’s the independent, smaller bookstores around London that are far more treacherous. They may not all have basements and second stories, but some have first editions that cost more money than you’re willing to spend on meals. There are so many of them all over the place that you may need to watch your back, for these stores are certainly watching you, with or without your notice. Legend has it that many of them are able to hypnotize unsuspecting tourists by emanating that famous old-book smell, and then force them to spend too much time and money on the printed word. You will build immunity to this trickery over time.
By: Paige Kesselman
London has a rich and lengthy literary history housed in the plethora of bookstores around the city. Bookstores to Brits are like McDonald's and Starbucks to Americans — everywhere, unmistakable, and often overwhelming in number. There are two types of bookstores prevalent in the city: Waterstone’s, the UK equivalent of Barnes and Noble, and small independent stores that survive on the kindness of regular patrons.
Waterstone’s can usually be found on London’s main roads. They’re the perfect place for students and book-lovers alike, but be warned — some locations tempt you with deals like “Buy a copy of X by Random Author, and get a free coffee!” Some of their tables and displays offer “Buy one, get one half off,” which can easily become dangerous when you suddenly find yourself with four to six books in your arms, each waiting impatiently for their turn to be purchased. Sometimes, if you don’t pick up any books at all, the shelves turn and loom over you, threatening to drop their contents on you as you attempt to leave the store. This is especially terrifying when you’re downstairs in the nonfiction section and have only seconds to find the staircase and get away. Some say you can still hear the voices of crushed patrons in the basement.
As perilous as Waterstone’s might seem, it’s the independent, smaller bookstores around London that are far more treacherous. They may not all have basements and second stories, but some have first editions that cost more money than you’re willing to spend on meals. There are so many of them all over the place that you may need to watch your back, for these stores are certainly watching you, with or without your notice. Legend has it that many of them are able to hypnotize unsuspecting tourists by emanating that famous old-book smell, and then force them to spend too much time and money on the printed word. You will build immunity to this trickery over time.