Life
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
All that `second hand' treasure on offer
DELHI HAS Dariaganj, Bombay has Flora Fountain and Hyderabad had Abids. But where do Bangalore book-lovers hunt for their treasure? While Bangalore's second hand books are not strewn over pavements for the world to see, there are little nooks where the compulsive bookworm can hit the jackpot, finding fascinating yet inexpensive books.
One might wonder why someone would go nosing around a musty corner to buy an old dog-eared book instead of buying crisp, gleaming copies.
For one, there's the obvious difference in price. But for a book-lover there are other reasons, like the smell and feel of an old book, that draw them into the little hole-in-the-wall shops.
Then there are the wonderful little messages you find written in old books: "To my darling niece for getting into medical school." That rare book or first edition that you have been trying to find is also far more likely to surface at a second-hand bookstore.
A casual walk down any other major roads in Bangalore will definitely lead you to vendors displaying by their "collections." Here, National Geographic magazine is available for Rs. 50, fiction for Rs. 100, and pocket general knowledge books for Rs. 15. Perennial favourites like P.G. Wodehouse, John le Carre and classics are also available on the pavements on Bangalore.
There are shops like Mecca stores at China Bazaar that buy back books for 90 per cent of the cost price.
For the more versatile reader, there are other options. Blossoms, on Church Street, stocks all kinds of books. Science, drama, poetry, cookery, biography, philosophy, literature, romance, comics, fiction, thrillers, Indian writing, sci-fi, fantasy — you name it and Blossoms has it.
The shop has recently moved to larger, better-ventilated premises. The shelves are easy to browse through and the sections are clearly labelled. Ask the person at the desk, and he'll immediately let you know whether a particular book is available.
Select Book Shop is an institution in Bangalore. It has books that you thought could never be found in India. The proprietor is very particular about the kind of books that find their way into his shop.
Even obscure books by Balzac and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn can be found here.
If you are looking for books on history, art, music, literature, philosophy or films, Select is the best place to start searching.
For Bangalore's book-lovers, the treasure hunt has just begun.
By K. S.
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Life
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
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