Stories from the Book Store
Sometimes I wonder if I am not actually saying the words that seem to be coming out of my mouth. How, when we tell someone that only the first two books in a series (Twilight or Eragon) that they will then follow up with the question, is the (next book in series) in paperback?
So, here is a story of a cutomer, who may perhaps be blind and deaf, or a story of a bookseller, completely unable to communicate efficiently to customers:
Cust. - "I'm looking for Twilight at the series."
I smile, nodd, and lead her to the wall-o-Twilight. It's a small wall, but it is entirely filled with the books of the series, two different hardcovers of Twilight, three different paperbacks, hardcover and soft cover of New Moon, and the last two books. It's an impressive sight.
Me - "Everything's on the wall here. What books do you need?"
"Which ones are in paperback?"
"Twilight and New Moon are in paperback. The last two, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn aren't out in paperback yet."
"I'm just interested in the paperbacks."
I smile, nodd, and hand her a copy of Twilight with the original cover. "This is the first book, which comes with this cover, the movie cover (I gesture to said book) and a smaller version with the movie cover."
The woman stares at the book in her hand, then looks back at the movie cover one. "I already have that one," she says, pointing back to it.
"Okay, then you'll need New Moon." I grab that book for her, in paperback.
The woman looks between New Moon and Twilight, which she's still holding. "So this is?" She holds up New Moon.
"The second one."
She looks back at Twilight. "So what's Twilight?"
I feel my face turning a bit blank. She comes up asking for "Twilight and the series" ans she doesn't know what Twilight is, even though she already has it? Granted, before Christmas everyone was asking for Twilight, even people who knew nothing about it because it was on Christmas lists. Thinking this might be a late Christmas gift, I supply "Twilight is the first book in the series."
"Oh. I've already read that one."
I really have to wonder about that.
"I don't need this one."
"Okay." I take Twilight out of her hand, and but it back on the shelf right in front of her, where I'd gotten it.
The customer looks back down at New Moon. "So you don't have the others?"
I reach out and touch both Eclipse and Breaking Dawn, on the next shelf over, at eye level, which are both spine out and some facing front. "We have the other two, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn, but they're not out in paperback yet."
"Oh. Which one comes next?"
I hand her Eclipse.
"And you don't have the other one?"
I want to smack my forehead repeatedly, into the bookselves or the stacks of B.D. I think they would be equally effective in rendering me unconcious. Is she listening to me? Is she unable to look with her eyes? The book is right in front of her!!! (I know, and have experienced, that when someone's telling you directions - it's right there, to the left, up a shelf - that my hearing takes over and my eyes are unseeing orbs. But this is not that situation.)
I hand her B.D. and force a smile. "Yes, we do have the last book."
"Is it in paperback?"
"No."
She holds up Eclipse. "And is this in paperback?"
"No."
"When will it be out in paperback?"
"Possibly in May."
"No sooner?"
"No."
"Oh."
And she walks away with New Moon. This complete interaction could have been twenty minutes shorter, if she'd just belived me when I'd said that only the first two books were in paperback. *sigh*
So, here is a story of a cutomer, who may perhaps be blind and deaf, or a story of a bookseller, completely unable to communicate efficiently to customers:
Cust. - "I'm looking for Twilight at the series."
I smile, nodd, and lead her to the wall-o-Twilight. It's a small wall, but it is entirely filled with the books of the series, two different hardcovers of Twilight, three different paperbacks, hardcover and soft cover of New Moon, and the last two books. It's an impressive sight.
Me - "Everything's on the wall here. What books do you need?"
"Which ones are in paperback?"
"Twilight and New Moon are in paperback. The last two, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn aren't out in paperback yet."
"I'm just interested in the paperbacks."
I smile, nodd, and hand her a copy of Twilight with the original cover. "This is the first book, which comes with this cover, the movie cover (I gesture to said book) and a smaller version with the movie cover."
The woman stares at the book in her hand, then looks back at the movie cover one. "I already have that one," she says, pointing back to it.
"Okay, then you'll need New Moon." I grab that book for her, in paperback.
The woman looks between New Moon and Twilight, which she's still holding. "So this is?" She holds up New Moon.
"The second one."
She looks back at Twilight. "So what's Twilight?"
I feel my face turning a bit blank. She comes up asking for "Twilight and the series" ans she doesn't know what Twilight is, even though she already has it? Granted, before Christmas everyone was asking for Twilight, even people who knew nothing about it because it was on Christmas lists. Thinking this might be a late Christmas gift, I supply "Twilight is the first book in the series."
"Oh. I've already read that one."
I really have to wonder about that.
"I don't need this one."
"Okay." I take Twilight out of her hand, and but it back on the shelf right in front of her, where I'd gotten it.
The customer looks back down at New Moon. "So you don't have the others?"
I reach out and touch both Eclipse and Breaking Dawn, on the next shelf over, at eye level, which are both spine out and some facing front. "We have the other two, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn, but they're not out in paperback yet."
"Oh. Which one comes next?"
I hand her Eclipse.
"And you don't have the other one?"
I want to smack my forehead repeatedly, into the bookselves or the stacks of B.D. I think they would be equally effective in rendering me unconcious. Is she listening to me? Is she unable to look with her eyes? The book is right in front of her!!! (I know, and have experienced, that when someone's telling you directions - it's right there, to the left, up a shelf - that my hearing takes over and my eyes are unseeing orbs. But this is not that situation.)
I hand her B.D. and force a smile. "Yes, we do have the last book."
"Is it in paperback?"
"No."
She holds up Eclipse. "And is this in paperback?"
"No."
"When will it be out in paperback?"
"Possibly in May."
"No sooner?"
"No."
"Oh."
And she walks away with New Moon. This complete interaction could have been twenty minutes shorter, if she'd just belived me when I'd said that only the first two books were in paperback. *sigh*