Saturday, October 01, 2011

Life In A Metro: Books, A Click Away

That's one evening I am not going to forget easily. It was October 2005. A colleague, who is also a good friend, and I were at Landmark, the bookstore, trying to make the most of the annual sale. As we went about picking books, I eagerly waited for the phone in my pocket to vibrate — our salaries were expected to be credited that evening, and as soon as the money hit the account, I was to receive a text message. Since my friend hadn't signed up for the intimation facility, he walked up to me every now and then to ask, “Did the SMS come?” We were getting panicky. Our evening depended entirely on the message from the bank.

Finally it arrived, just when we had run out of patience and were considering putting the carefully picked books back on the racks. It is difficult to describe in words the relief that overcame us; suffice to say that we pulled out our debit cards with flourish.

Today, even though that particular evening remains in my mind, the whole experience of whiling away time at bookshops has already become a distant memory. I simply can't recall the last time I went to a bookshop with the specific purpose of buying books. Why should I when I have the bookshop coming to my doorstep — that too with books I thought would be available only in a quaint bookstore in some corner of Europe? Can life get any better?

If you are a book-loving internet-savvy Indian and haven't heard of Flipkart yet, you are probably living in a cave. Flipkart, India's answer to Amazon.com, has brought about a revolution so sweeping that it is soon going to change the way the lay Indian shops — and not just for books. Why should you go to a bookshop and pay Rs. 250 for a book (not to mention the hundred bucks you shell out as autorickshaw fare) when Flipkart delivers the same book at your doorstep for just Rs. 188? For the discerning reader, it's not just about the discount but also the access to books that are never available in Indian bookshops.

Take Henry Miller, for instance. He is one writer I don't just admire, but also envy. But what do I find of him in the bookshops? Two long-unsold copies of Tropic of Cancer and may be a solitary copy of Sexus? And maybe a surprise copy of Black Spring? But run a search for Henry Miller on Flipkart, and you will hit a goldmine. For a few thousand rupees, you can own every single word Miller wrote in his lifetime. Ditto for other authors. You no longer have to lament: “Oh, I love his writing! He wrote that great book, what's its name? I tried looking for it, you know, but couldn't find it anywhere.”

The fun has just begun. It will be more fun starting next year when Amazon begins its India operations. According to informed sources, it has already set up an office in Bangalore (Flipkart is also headquartered in Bangalore), though it remains to be seen whether Amazon is going to function under its own brand name or piggyback on a local franchisee.

The surging popularity of e-tail is, needless to say, giving sleepless nights to the large chains of bookstores. Stand-alone bookstores, which are run out of passion for the written word and which have a loyal clientele, may still survive the onslaught as long as the elderly owner, most likely to be well-read himself, genially guides customers into buying the right books. But it's the big chains, who shell out a fortune each month to maintain their stores in plush malls or in prime locations in various cities, which will take the hit. Eventually they will sell less books and more of other items.

For once, I am not complaining about the changing times. More cars mean more pollution and congestion, more connectivity means less privacy, but more books only mean a bigger library at home. Which person in his or her right mind would ever grudge that?

Published in The Hindu MetroPlus, October 1, 2011.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

my only grouse-flipkart doesn't have the facility that lets you riffle through or read a page or two.
this and kindle make me look at technology fondly,as a dear exception...
this paean was long due.

Anonymous said...

Flipkart if fine,but do you think reading will flourish,let alone survive ,past the next few generations? reading and imagination are heading for a grave decline.

Soumya said...

I first heard about flipkart here.
It is such a boon for readers in small towns like me - my nearest real book shop is 200km away.
Have shopped a couple of times. No complaints!

Sepiamniac said...

I shop on Flipkart, but I still make those trips to bookstores to sift through the shelves and spend an entire evening figuring out what to buy. Glad am not yet a prey to the new syndrome.

Banno said...

I am a big Flipkart fan. You are right, you have more choices. I just ordered a range of Hindi books. In Mumbai, I'd have to travel across town to buy a Hindi book, which never happens. Plus I hate the big bookstores and the music playing in the background and the traffic. I'm not complaining about online buying.

Neha said...

I'm still to try Flipcart and I still go to the bookstore to get books :(

Old school :)

Jayasrinivasa Rao said...

I have no problems with flipkart and I have bought books from their site too...I wonder why people dont even mention Indiaplaza when write about online bookstores...Even before flipkart came into the picture we had fabmall or indiaplaza as it is known now...and were the first to offer discounts...and of course now the discount is almost 30% minimum...and no postage...and I have bought books with them for years...their selection is good ...I have bought a number of books of my favourite authors - Umberto Eco, Borges, Kundera, and a great deal of books on music...I have also purchased fountain pens at unbelievable discounts...River of Smoke was available for almost 300 less than MRP...just thought I should mention this...

Jai

Anonymous said...

Hi!
I have been following your blog for a while now and was tempted to comment today. Just shopped through flipcart ... for the first time. :-)

Unknown said...

Interesting find, but unless a lot of things change, I wouldn't give up going to the nearest Barnes & Noble.

Free to read in store for any amount of time, comfortable seating, coffee shop and even a separate kids section with books (of course!) castle cut outs, soft toys, et all. In fact, I think we'll go there this very weekend :) Happy Reading Everyone !!

www.muebles-en-rivas.com said...

This will not have effect as a matter of fact, that's what I suppose.