Bring Back The Bookstores

I love reading! There is nothing better than going to a bookstore and perusing the shelves for a short read or finding exactly what you are looking for with the help of the friendliest sales associates I have ever met. However, finding good bookstores can be a challenge. With so many ways to consume information, technology is growing, and bookstores are dying. Even ones that have had movies and books made about them end up replaced, and in the case of Marks & Co (the adorable English bookshop), it was by a McDonalds. Before becoming nothing more than a plaque and a story, Marks & Co was a hub of information and intelligence, and it’s time we bring it back.

The movie/book 84 Charing Cross Road tells the story of an American writer who is consistently disappointed in the selection of the bookstores around her, so she begins a correspondence with Marks & Co, which seems to be able to meet almost every one of her desires. Well *spoiler alert* the owners die, and she never gets to go there in person because when she finally gets to England, the shop is vacant. Despite this sad fact, one would assume that due to the popularity of the film, book, etc., the shop could be reopened or commemorated in some way. It was, but only by a plaque. Now a Mcdonald’s resides in its place, which is ironic considering how much Helene disliked America compared to England. Books preserve so much culture and information; trying to replace them with 5-second searches on the internet is atrocious, so I say bring back the bookstores. Remind people the joys of beautiful hardcover books, the joy of writing in the margins, and the excitement of turning a page. Books are like artwork. When Helene received the green clothbound book with the gold-leafed pages, I audibly gasped in astonishment. A book has so much to offer its reader, from knowledge to entertainment to self-discovery and should be accessible to everyone. It is hard for bookstores to stay in business, so there should be some way to protect them.

I had a similar experience to Helene, although less dramatic. One of my favorite parts about my annual family vacation was when we would go into the touristy town, and my parents would buy me books for the car ride home. I loved everything about that bookstore. It had something for everyone, especially me. I have gotten everything from cookbooks to filth, yet I always went back for more, searching for my next read. However, two summers ago, when I went for my yearly visit, it was no longer my precious bookstore but another touristy clothing shop. I was devastated, to say the very least. My heart sank into my chest, and I cried out in agony over the effect capitalism once again had on something I love.

Bookstores are magical places; I hope they will be around for a long time because I’d be lost without them!