A man came in and asked my colleague to recommend a great crime book. She showed him several but he wasn't keen. She sent him down to me on the fiction floor. He said he wanted something that was a big adventure, maybe crime, but not dull, it had to have everything.
I asked what he had read and enjoyed previously. He said Dan Brown. Sigh. I showed him Kate Mosse "Labyrinth" and said that whilst I haven't read it myself it has been touted as the intelligent female version of "Da Vinci Code". He held it and said "Maybe."
Then I was inspired, and said "Ooh, I know...Kate Atkinson's "Case Histories". It's a detective story, hugely enjoyable. It's a page turner where you really want to know what happens, It's an easy read, but extremely well written, I can recommend it without hesitation."
He held that in his hands too.
Then he told me that actually he has never read a book written by a woman, and didn't think he'd start now, but thanks. He handed the books back whilst I protested. He left.
5 weeks ago
9 comments:
What a freak. Seriously, I can't believe people like this exist.
I know, it is rather astonishing isn't it? Apparently though it is a rather common male attitude. Women are happy to read books by either sex, men prefer to read men.
As someone brought up on Enid Blyton and Agatha Christie, before discovering the likes of Anne Tyler, Ruth Rendell and Margaret Attwood, I find that incredible. Mind you, I tried a Martina Cole recently and it was a bit rubbish. In a good way.
Grrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrr!!! What a complete bastard.
I actually have Case Histories, but haven't read it yet. I hve read other books by women though. And men too.
Hello Dave. Ah, Enid Blyton, there was no finer a writer to my 9 year old self, the Secret Seven were ace. I do think Martina Cole is rubbish, and plenty of women writers are tosh, as are men. Their are some superb writers, and I have never cared what sex they were. My favourite writers are a happy mix. Which is healthy.
Gah! The shame of writing their instead of there. I can't see an edit option either.
Talking of Enid, I was a huge Malory Towers fanatic in my pre-teens.So much so that I brattishly demanded a dog, just so I could call him Timmy.
I have to agree on "Johnny Come Home" - a major classic, but I felt they never matched The Beat - none of whom are living in NZ as far as I know.
The Beat were better actually, and even better than them were the Specials who still sound somehow fresh and cool today.
Re: Enid, I didn't read Mallory Towers but instead had the St Clares series. I wanted to go to boarding school and have lots of jolly japes. Funny how I read Secret Seven not Famous Five, and St Clares rather than Mallory Towers. I wonder if it's a Tiswas vs Swap shop thing? (You may not know them but they were Saturday morning kids tv shows, and you were one or the other, never both.)
I did go to boarding school in Sevenoaks. It was nothing like Malory Towers. No secret detective clubs or disappearing jewelry, just spotty boys.
Oddly enough, I had a Specials/Madness/Selector/Two Tone day last week, sparked by hearing Enjoy Yourself on Eastenders.
Surely Swap Shop should not be mentioned in the same sentence as the mightly Tiswas?
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