BOOKS WILL SAVE US FROM ECONOMIC RUIN
Jul. 24th, 2009 12:32 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
defrogYes, it is that time again. The annual Hong Kong Book Fair – in which every bookstore and publisher in Greater China sets up one giant multi-level book store that charges admission for you to shop in it – is back and celebrating its 20th anniversary.
The doors opened yesterday, and it’s reportedly raking in the dough despite the economic downturn.
It certainly raked in mine this evening. Let’s just say that not only did I spend at least three times as much as Donald Tsang, but also my “to read” pile (which is already over 30 books tall) just grew by roughly one third.
Not that it was easy. As I’ve said in previous coverage over the years, most of the books in the fair are Chinese-language books, and of the remaining English-language books, the ones that aren’t self-help/business management books are written by Stephen King, Sidney Sheldon, Jodi Picoult, whoever does the Gossip Girls series and – this year – Stephanie Meyer and Charlaine Harris.
I exaggerate, of course (except for the part about Stephanie Meyer – the only way to visit a given booth and NOT see a Twilight book in either English or Chinese was to go to the religious book sections in Hall 3 ... so in that sense she is very much the new JK Rowling round these parts).
But the fair is very much geared to pop tastes. Which was annoying as I was hoping to get a copy of Pride And Prejudice And Zombies for 20% off. No one had it, even though I know they’re carrying it in the proper bookshops.
But I did get some Shirley Jackson, Graham Greene, Doris Lessing, Christopher Brookmyre and (finally) David Sedaris, among other things. I also bought a replacement copy of Naked Lunch, as my old copy is long gone and this version is the restored text. And as I’ve read the entire Burroughs library, I might as well start over.
Meanwhile. one good thing is that the venue is better designed this year thanks to some renovations in the convention center. They’ve stuffed everything into two big halls instead of in four or five halls (all on different levels) so it’s easier to hop between halls. Also, this year they finally got the bright idea of putting most of the English-language books all in one area – although they pretty much were in one place to start with, so it’s not a huge difference.
Anyway, not bad for an industry that’s dying.
And now, the whiskey.
Flying off the shelves,
This is dF
The doors opened yesterday, and it’s reportedly raking in the dough despite the economic downturn.
It certainly raked in mine this evening. Let’s just say that not only did I spend at least three times as much as Donald Tsang, but also my “to read” pile (which is already over 30 books tall) just grew by roughly one third.
Not that it was easy. As I’ve said in previous coverage over the years, most of the books in the fair are Chinese-language books, and of the remaining English-language books, the ones that aren’t self-help/business management books are written by Stephen King, Sidney Sheldon, Jodi Picoult, whoever does the Gossip Girls series and – this year – Stephanie Meyer and Charlaine Harris.
I exaggerate, of course (except for the part about Stephanie Meyer – the only way to visit a given booth and NOT see a Twilight book in either English or Chinese was to go to the religious book sections in Hall 3 ... so in that sense she is very much the new JK Rowling round these parts).
But the fair is very much geared to pop tastes. Which was annoying as I was hoping to get a copy of Pride And Prejudice And Zombies for 20% off. No one had it, even though I know they’re carrying it in the proper bookshops.
But I did get some Shirley Jackson, Graham Greene, Doris Lessing, Christopher Brookmyre and (finally) David Sedaris, among other things. I also bought a replacement copy of Naked Lunch, as my old copy is long gone and this version is the restored text. And as I’ve read the entire Burroughs library, I might as well start over.
Meanwhile. one good thing is that the venue is better designed this year thanks to some renovations in the convention center. They’ve stuffed everything into two big halls instead of in four or five halls (all on different levels) so it’s easier to hop between halls. Also, this year they finally got the bright idea of putting most of the English-language books all in one area – although they pretty much were in one place to start with, so it’s not a huge difference.
Anyway, not bad for an industry that’s dying.
And now, the whiskey.
Flying off the shelves,
This is dF
