Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
You wouldn't want to see any division of books? All mixed up in the bookstore: history, biography, cookery books, romance, crime, SF, sorted only perhaps by author?
That would make it almost impossible to find books. Everyone I know of browses for books by genre. If I want a history book, I'll go and look on the "History" shelf of the bookstore.
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I'm not suggesting anarchy.
And I don't consider history, biography, cookery etc as genre.
I rather liked the days when fiction was one thing, with maybe Mills and Boon being displayed separately - not unlike the way books are sold in charity shops(
and I take on board they have a smaller stock, and less issue with stock control). As a reader I was much more likely to take a punt on an author that I had never heard of.
An example would be a trip to Smiths, back in the 80's, they had a 3 for 2 offer, I came away with Primo Levi If This is a Man, Michele Guinness The Promised Land and Garrison Keillor Lake Wobegon Days.
That wouldn't happen these days, because you have to walk half way round the shop - so you end up with three books from the same 'genre'. Or maybe a book from the adjoining section that the marketing department has decided match.