Books that age still attract loving readers
Tucked away from bustling Ruijin No.2 Road near Tianzifang is a disheveled shop selling secondhand books. Unlike new or renovated bookstores, it has no designer décor, no chairs for customers and no well-honed customer service.
In short, it’s an unpretentious shop offering nothing more than books with yellowing pages.
The New Culture Service Center, as the shop’s name is translated, was established by a group of retirees from the Shanghai Old Bookstore in 1989. It relocated from Changle Road to its current site 18 years ago.
I walked past a small restaurant, a store selling steamed buns and a community health center, looking for any sign to direct me to the bookshop. In the end, an elderly resident from the area led the way.
Through the gaps in clothing drying out front, I saw the glittering plaque of the bookstore, which was in sharp contrast to the dim room inside.
The shop holds some 40,000 volumes, spanning science, education, geography, literature, medicine, history and arts. The second story of the building is a storehouse.
Slogans, such as “finding books for readers, seeking readers for books” and “knowledge is power” graced the walls.
I tried to interview the middle-aged clerks, but they refused my request. Though icy, the welcome was not without its straightforwardness.
“The bookstore has been reported on before, but to little avail,” Qiu Guanhua, manager of the bookstore, told me. “We are quite dispirited now.”
Still, I was invited to stay in the bookstore and meet some of the customers — people of all ages who share the same passion for tracking down and reading old books.
One 80-year-old man dropped in to ask for a book published in the 1950s by The Commercial Press, but he failed to find the one he wanted.
“When I choose a book, I am interested in its editor, publisher and publication date,” said an 85-year-old man surnamed Qiu. “I prefer reading first editions. Editors of old did a lot of research on the contents of the book before writing a foreword that is the quintessence of a book. Nowadays, it is very easy to publish a book, and fewer editors spend time on research.”
Qiu said he has loved reading since childhood. He majored in automation at Nanjing University and worked as a civil servant before retirement.
“I have collected around 20,000 books,” he said. “I no longer purchase books, but instead return some to circulation. Some of the books in this shop were donated by me. Nowadays, I am interested in current politics more than literature, and I would rather read news on a mobile phone.”
In contrast with Qiu, a man surnamed Huang, who is in his 60s, said history repeats itself and reading classics, especially history books, is the best way to reflect on current social issues.
He was browsing through a history book when I approached him.
“I like reading history books because many ancient people had moral integrity and that greatly influences me,” said Huang.
Once fond of collecting antiques, Huang said he shifted his interest to
secondhand books about five years ago. Since then, he has purchased around 300 books.
“The books are not for collecting but for reading,” he said. “I feel sad nowadays that some older books have become collectors’ items and might not be read at all.”
Used books are generally cheaper than new volumes, which is one reason why Huang prefers to buy secondhand.
Then, too, secondhand shops offer the serendipity of looking for books.
“Several weeks ago, I paid only 4 yuan (US$0.6) for the second volume of a trilogy about the history of Song Dynasty here,” Huang said. “The cost was less than a bowlful of scallion oil noodles. Last weekend, I found the first volume, by accident, at the Sunday secondhand book market at the Confucian Temple. It cost me 5 yuan. There is only one volume left to find, and I believe I can track it down.”
Like Huang, a customer identifying himself as Wei Wei, also loves the thrill of the hunt for books. He often visits the used bookshop during his one-hour lunch break from work in a state-owned company.
“The experience of reading old books is totally different from that of reading new books,” he said. “The color of paper, the fonts and the content are all different. In used books, I find some enlightening notes or signatures left behind by previous readers or authors. The authenticity of information gleaned from social media often isn’t reliable. It’s better to reference old books.”
Wei said if he wanted to buy a newly published book, he would go online.
“It is too easy to buy a book online,” he said. “It doesn’t give me a sense of achievement.”
Wei led me to another venue nearby that also deals in secondhand books.
Yongqian Tang is outfitted with rosewood furniture, bamboo bookshelves, paintings, calligraphy, wooden plaques, a classic sofa and an oval dining table. It has the atmosphere of a cozy home.
“Passers-by are welcome to read books here for free if they take good care of the books,” said Ji Junjie, owner of the shop, who was dressed in traditional Chinese clothing. “Sometimes, I invite them to drink tea with me. Books bring me
(fateful coincidence). There is no boss here. Everyone is equal.”
For Ji, the venue is not so much a bookstore as a community gathering place. Indeed, Bai Bulian, a bookworm and temporary staffer in the shop, was brought by fate to the site.
“I quarreled with my girlfriend and she kicked me out of our studio,” he said. “My bicycle broke down in this neighborhood. I saw this place and was attracted by the books, so I decided to stay.”
He now gives customers brief introductions to books.
Bai said he reads dozens of books a day by using a rapid reading method.
Yongqian Tang comprises both a bookstore and an antique shop. The antique shop dates back to the 1990s, while the bookstore opened this year.
“Some used books here were given to me by older area residents,” said Ji. “I have a responsibility to protect them and find good readers for them, which is the reason why I opened the bookstore. The income we get is donated to a charity.”
He doesn’t seem particularly interested in making a profit.
“I will feel very happy if old books no longer in print are still in circulation,” he said. “It means that people treasure books and are not willing to sell them or throw them away.”
No matter messy or tidy, shabby or comfortable, both bookstores are contributing to that cause very nobly.