Wednesday, July 27, 2005

You live several lives while reading a book

Even before I set foot into the shop, I fell in love with it jus 'coz
it is named "Blossoms" which reminds me of the color n fragrance of flowers and since I’m as much fond of books as I am of flowers ,this place was added to my list of must-visit places in Bangalore.

My auto came to a rickety stop at the entrance of Church Street, the auto guy apologetically telling me “maadam yeh to one-way hai” and so I begin my search for this much-sought-after-shop. After many mumblings of directions by nondescript strangers on the road, I entered this shop- my pupils dilated and I was filled with this immense sense of feeling which ,for the lack of a better word, I would state as happiness and I sought to regain my lost senses on seeing so many books under a single roof(ok make that two considering the floor above which stocks non-fiction and strictly not my domain)

I picked up as many hard bound copies as I could lay my hands on till the shop assistant couldn’t take it anymore - I could imagine her irritation at the sight of a greedy bibliophile like me who kept piling up books into hands as if it were some sort of a shelf!
So many old titles and hardbound editions of Jane Austen, of Daphne Du Maurier, of ThornBirds...

I was in some sort of trance when the sound of my ubiquitous cell phone brought me back to the humble land - my friends were waiting for me to join them for a movie.
The timing couldn’t have bin worse, since I cud carry only a few of the books I had to remove most of them from my list.

Which comes to my second visit, this time I wasn’t alone, S had also come along n I was glad that she’d also picked many books, including a few for her kid nephews n nieces.
What is interesting about these dog-eared, yellowed pages of the books is that each one seems to tell a tale of their own apart from what they hold.
Esp. the ones that have been given as gifts -I pity all those people who, for whatever reasons, let go of these precious books.
But then someone else’s loss is my gain!
So thanx to the visits to this quaint lille shop in Church Street, my collection of books has increased considerably.

I have to mention the absolute treasures I picked up
Walden and Other Works by Henry David Thoreau
Notes from the Underground by Dotsvesky and
a beautiful hardbound copy of the Works of Edgar Allen Poe.

Due credit is given to this woman in the shop who was waxing eloquent to her partner ‘bout the first two books and I lost no opportunity in picking them up.
The book by Poe was a wonderful find by self.(a big pat on my back)

Now I think itz high time I plan my next visit ...

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Super!! you just now wrote about my favorite bookshop in Bangalore. Well, in fact there are many people who love this bookshop. In all modesty i must add that i have been instrumental in introducing this book shop to a lot of my friends. Yeah, i always been telling about the charm of old books.

Pip Pip,
Arvind

Unknown said...

dudette, i know exactly what u felt when u got into that store. man, i know my eyes glaze over and i slip into a wonderful oblivion where only i exist and the books around me. its like being on weed, man. cheers, and congrats on ur new find!!!

Rohan Kumar said...

Got anything new to recommend which u might have read up recently?
A lil unrelated but I have to mention certain ppl I know whose idea of reading is limited to Archies / Sportstar and who still drop by bookstores looking for their own version of Gayatri Iyer like that scene in Swades :-)

Anonymous said...

shopping. shopping. shopping. nothing better. :)

Sagnik Nandy said...

i don't visit book shops unless i am there to buy study books :(( i have nothing to say - nothing to add :((

Swathi Sambhani aka Chimera said...

@Arvind
glad to know that u njoyed reading 'bout ur favorite buk shop.
i bet ur frends must b eternally greateful to u for having introduced them to this haven.
hmm.. the charm n smell of old books - heavenly.

@shyo
so u also seem to identify with tat feeling?i know Cal has tons of such bookshops -having shopped there once.

@Rohan
of the books that i've read recently i recommend "The curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time" by Mark Haddon (my revu for the same is at
n also "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar wilde (shud warn u that this is on the heavier side)

@Mediochre
perhaps it has but then u really need to hunt around, so now u know wat i'm gonna do the next time

@Vicky
nothing in this world compares to the shopping experience esp. if they r as amazing as "Blossoms"

@Sagnik
dun worry, isnt it different strokes for different folks?

livinghigh said...

ahem... a book shop for second hand books? and two stories at dat? neat.

PS: the personal touches to de songs in de earlier post were great! ;-)

zombiee said...

congrats on the find º¿º , so u like another "Blossom" in the "garden" city :)

Fatally Flawed said...

aha...EA Poe and Mr.Thoreau? Definitely a "find" I must say...wonderful

R. said...

I went beserk at an old bookstore recently now I've got about 3 dozen books to finish (ain't complaining). Is this store in Bangalore?

Rohan Kumar said...

Thnx for ur recommendations will try and get a hold of 'The curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time' but will stay away from Oscar Wilde book not quite my cuppa tea :)

Swathi Sambhani aka Chimera said...

@lh
it is an amazing shop, a must visit for all bibliophiles in B'lore n glad tat u liked my previous post.

@zombiee
u must make it the erstwhile 'garden city'

@R
3 dozen!wow! tatz something ,yup the storez at B'lore

@Rohan
hope u njoy the buk

zombiee said...

"erstwhile" ? how ? arent we all moving ahead leaving behind all that is quondam? We can only hope that if not better, atleast it become a reasonable green compromise.

Rohan Kumar said...

Hey I wish i cud park 5 red cars in front of ur place for recommending that book :-), nice cross between Baby's day out and Rainman.

Anonymous said...

new post up at my blog. and lady u do do do do need a shoutbox.

Anonymous said...

lady. can we have comments opening in a popup window ? it would really be helpful.

Swathi Sambhani aka Chimera said...

@zombiee
yaa a comprising green land, u said it

@rohan
wish u cud ...(the red cars i mean) 'am glad u njoyed tat buk, now if u want another reco, thatz 'Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck'

@Prabha
hope u do tat soon n believe me u wudnt b disappointed.

@Vicky
yup checkd ur blog today ,weekends r generally off blog days for me

RT said...

Post happened finally and my visit here too after a decently long hiatus.... :-)
And visits to book shops are always a mixed bag of feelings.. the sea (blame the metaphor on my current state of affairs!) of books around delights you and you never have enough dough to buy them..
will check out blossoms when I am in your land next..:)

Subramaniam Avinash said...

tnk you for visiting yucky poetry and saying nice things about it!

Swathi Sambhani aka Chimera said...

@rt
ya do visit Blossoms when u r at B'lore.hope the situation is improving in b'bay

@dopppsy
Anna Akhmatova n yucky?? puleeeze