I continue my
journey in Totnes. Here I review two more bookshops.
Totnes is
incredibly lucky in the way that a reasonably small town, filled with some
great history, is graced by three bookshops, two of which are second-hand. If
you fancy a bargain, or perhaps a more battered and hard to find copy of a
book, Harlequin is perfect: and if you want to be engulfed in the shiny, just
out of the packet feel of new books, Totnes Bookshop is the one for you. The
small bookshop down Castle Road is cosy and welcoming: imbued with the
knowledge of its owner.
In Totnes two
bookshops straddle the high street and grimace at each other: Harlequin Books,
full of tatty old Penguins, and shelves marked ‘Collectable and Unaffordable,’
and Harlequin Books’ younger and more attractive cousin, the Totnes Bookshop.
Independents
like Totnes Bookshop are ideal for all your book news, and help is at hand with
the knowledgeable and diplomatic staff. The shop covers a wide range of
subjects, and as I said, keeps up to date with new releases. Apart from books
it sells picture frames, scented candles: a whole paraphernalia of stuff that
seem to be picked out for the reader: these objects would be perfect next to a
comfy armchair, your reading chair next to a shelf of books.
Totnes’ other
second hand bookshop offering is the quaint bookshop found on Castle Road, just
round the corner from the others. If Harlequin was middle aged and hippy and
Totnes Bookshop young and hip, this bookshop is the younger’s old and
mysterious, yet welcoming, aunty. Bravely displaying books on its narrow
windowsill, it provides that intimate and friendly atmosphere that is akin to
stepping inside the living room of your grandmother. Rugs
and wooden chairs
aplenty, shelves bursting with old books, this is a place to browse in depth.
Separated into two rooms one cannot help but feel that you are surrounded by
books, and that any doors or staircases to the rest of the building are
obliterated by books that seem carefully selected, that have the privilege of existing
in this Aladdin’s Cave. It is a brilliant shop, with an exclusive selection.
Here ends my
exploration of the bookshops of Totnes. Fiercely proud of the lack of chain
stores and big brands, this town has something for everyone, and caters
extremely well to the needs of the public.
