The Diary of a Bookseller

FRIDAY, 22 AUGUST

Online orders: 3

Books found: 2

Laurie was in today.

A less than friendly email this morning among this morning’s messages:

It is now 22nd August and I HAVE STILL NOT RECEIVED POMFRET TOWERS.

I LIVE IN CUMBRIA JUST ACROSS THE SOLWAY FIRTH FROM WIGTOWN.

A BOOK ORDERED VIA ABEBOOKS FROM SOUTH AFRICA ARRIVED IN TWO DAYS AND ALL OTHER ORDERS HAVE BEEN DESPATCHED AND RECEIVED PROMPTLY.

12 DAYS TO RECEIVE A BOOK FROM WIGTOWNSHIRE TO CUMBRIA IS FRANKLY UNACCEPTABLE. PERHAPS YOU SHOULD CONSIDER AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD.

After lunch I went to my parents’ house to get my shotgun and shoot a Kindle (broken screen, bought on eBay for £10), imagining it was the missing copy of Pomfret Towers. It was remarkably satisfying to blast it into a thousand pieces.

Before closing a man brought in three Ian Fleming first editions, including Dr No (lacking jacket), for which I gave him £150, then immediately regretted it. With hindsight, £100 would have been more than adequate.

Till total £296.47

20 customers