Bookstore: The Life and Times of Jeannette Watson and Books & Co.

Lynne Tillman's 1999 book "BOOKSTORE" about the New York City independent bookstore Books & Co. and its founding owner Jeannette Watson is must reading for any booklover who can't resist the treasure hunt in whatever environment that presents itself, and for any bookseller who delights in the total preoccupation of books. Ms Tillman's book is an excellent biography of a successful, compassionate bookseller and an insightful history of the mid-to-late 20th century book business. It is both immensely enjoyable and, for me, a bit sad to read; my wife and I owned a smaller independent bookstore of a similar name Ñ Books & CO Ñ that specialized in quality pre-owned hardback books and, coincidentally, was closed in the same year (1997). We didn't know, then, about Jeannette Watson's Books & Co. and took our name from Marks & Co, the English bookstore featured in Helene Hanff's marvelous book "84 Charing Cross Road" and in the equally delightful film of the same title Ñ "Co" represented the English bookstore's silent partner Cohen; our "CO" represented nothing at first and, later on, stood for "Collectibles" when our business expanded to include antiques and collectibles as theme objects for our books. As Jeannette Watson attests, those were wonderful years for both bookstores and booklovers. We certainly enjoyed them.

I enjoyed the book, but truly it could have been better edited -- the first 100 pages were repetitive -- it felt like the literary equivalent of the film, Groundhog Day: endless returns to the inset-format commentary, rendered by the same store clerks, until I wondered what lesson I was supposed to learn in order to exit this torture. The first three or four times, their opinions were refreshing, not the twelfth or fifteenth. Other than that, I loved the characters. Yet I fail to see what the problem was: Jeannette and her clientele loved the store; her father threw money at her to keep it thriving, and even her wealthier customers offered financial help. So why did it fail? That remains a mystery. Intriguing.

This book was an absolute delight to read! I love spending my free time in bookstores, and if I lived in New York, Books & Co. would have been my home away from home. The quotes and ancedotes from the writers, and customers made the book that much more fun! I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading, or just wants to know the inside scoop about the bookselling process. I found myself writing down the titles of books mentioned in Bookstore to put on my "Books to Read List". This is written in a fun, engaging style-you won't be dissapointed.

If you've ever dreamed of owning a bookstore or if you just have a passion for books and bookstores, you should read this book! Its inspirational but also shows how much hard work is involved--you'll definitely gain a greater appreciation for your local independent bookstore (if you're lucky enough to still have one). Lynne Tillman did a wonderful job of intersplicing pithy quotes in just the right places in the narrative, which is in the first person from the store owner's viewpoint. The Fran Lebowitz quotes will be of special interest to those who live in NYC--they made me laugh out loud!

Bookstore is the story of a woman, Jeannette Watson, who made her dream come true by opening her own bookstore, Books & Co., in New York City in 1978 and kept it alive through thick and thin for 20 years. The economics of the business and a nasty landlord finally drove it out of business, but for its 20 years it was a haven for writers, readers and lovers of literature. With an introduction by customer Woody Allen, Bookstore is filled with stories told in the first person by the people who read there and the people who bought there. It is a poignant and sad story that is ultimately a triumph of one woman and her dream over the crass commerce that is bookselling today. Books & Company lives on in this fantastic volume.