It is uncanny to read a book that describes the same dim hallway, the same scullery kitchen and outdoor bathroom, as the place in which you live
As a bookseller, I spent most of April recommending escapist fiction and travel writing. That was the single most common request I received: for books that would transport readers quarantined at home. A few joked that given their holidays were postponed, they would read a book set in India, or Italy, or wherever it was they were going, instead. Most of these transactions took place over the phone. I would then cycle to people’s homes in Geelong on my clumsy bicycle, delivering their parcels. The bookshop was empty, the entrance blocked by a trestle table, but we did more trade that month than we normally expect.
So, there was armchair travel happening in the lounge rooms of our customers, and then there was the book I was reading, which led me straight back to where I was sitting – to the exact house in which I lived.
Continue reading...from The Guardian https://ift.tt/38Uje3l
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