Remainders of the Day (Diaries of a Bookseller #3) by Shaun Bythell

Book Review Jan 17, 2023

My review

4/5 stars

Having read a couple of other books by this author, I was pleased to find this latest offering on my local library shelf. It's the third in his series of diaries that he's kept about running his bookshop in Wigtown.

As with the other books in the series, the diary format gave an insight into a year's worth of running The Bookshop. Bythell gives a view of everyday happenings, from the types of customers he has and trips he makes to issues he has to deal with (broken boilers) and what it's like to deal with bigger online booksellers such as Amazon and ABE books. He captures the balance of interest and monotony perfectly, showing both a clear passion for his career and also a notable disdain for some of what that career entails. The author's blurb on the cover captures the mood of the book with accuracy: "His passion for bookselling is matched only for his sense of despair for its future".

As with the second book in the series, which I read a couple of years ago, the wide range of books that are housed within the shop impressed me. Bythell provided anecdotes and further information about a diverse offering of books that he came across in his work. He also did a good job of highlighting the challenges that bookselling is facing as a profession, as he illustrated the value of books decreasing over time and the juxtaposition of customers complaining about the dying beauty of a bookshop while simultaneously asking for discount on a £6 sale.

While the focus is very much on the bookshop and its contents, the author provides details about his personal life which helps drive a sense of connection and empathy for the man behind the books. It gives a sense of warmth that may otherwise be missing from the book and helps the reader understand what lies behind his sometimes acerbic wit. We were shown a window into his ongoing relationship with his ex, Anna, some information on his mother's health issues and a moving flash of his friendship with a man spending time in a mental institution. All of these seemingly irrelevant details add fullness to the book and soften the edges of a sharp view of reality in a tough industry.

This diary was written in 2016, so I look forward to reading more of his diaries in the near future.

Book blurb

The Bookshop in Wigtown is a bookworm's idyll - with thousands of books across nearly a mile of shelves, a real log fire, and Captain, the bookshop cat. You'd think after twenty years, owner Shaun Bythell would be used to the customers by now.

Don't get him wrong - there are some good ones among the antiquarian erotica-hunters, die-hard Arthurians, people who confuse bookshops for libraries and the toddlers just looking for a nice cosy corner in which to wee. He's sure there are. There must be some good ones, right?

Filled with the pernickety warmth and humour that has touched readers around the world, stuffed with literary treasures, hidden gems and incunabula, Remainders of the Day is Shaun Bythell's latest entry in his bestselling diary series.