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  • Confessions of a Bookseller

  • By: Shaun Bythell
  • Narrated by: Peter Kenny
  • Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (325 ratings)

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Confessions of a Bookseller cover art

Confessions of a Bookseller

By: Shaun Bythell
Narrated by: Peter Kenny
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Summary

"Do you have a list of your books, or do I just have to stare at them?"

Shaun Bythell is the owner of The Bookshop in Wigtown, Scotland. With more than a mile of shelving, real log fires in the shop and the sea lapping nearby, the shop should be an idyll for bookworms.

Unfortunately, Shaun also has to contend with bizarre requests from people who don't understand what a shop is, home invasions during the Wigtown Book Festival and Granny, his neurotic Italian assistant who likes digging for river mud to make poultices.

The Diary of a Bookseller (soon to be a major TV series) introduced us to the joys and frustrations of life lived in books. Sardonic and sympathetic in equal measure, Confessions of a Bookseller will reunite readers with the characters they've come to know and love.
©2019 Shaun Bythell (P)2019 Hachette Audio UK

What listeners say about Confessions of a Bookseller

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

The narrator for the first book was better.

The narrator was better for the first but still really enjoyed this one. Think this narrator missed Shaun's sense of humour.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I loved it

I bought this after buying and enjoying the first book. It may appear to some people, to be a mundane subject, but is a warm and funny book. The writers' observations, particularly regarding his customers, and actually life in general, caused me to laugh out loud so many times. Buy it!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Very enjoyable, although narration seemed rushed.

An engaging account, slightly marred by the often gabbled narration, as if the person had somewhere else to be - last orders, perhaps? Consequently, some words and sentences were unintelligible to me; a good speaking voice, however...just slow it down a bit in future.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great review for a great book

this book is really funny, it actually makes me want to run my own book shop. Nikki must be my favourite character, she is witty. Granny was a barrel of laughs as well

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Accents

Granny's Italian accent came out anything but Italian, but other than that both the book itself and performance are excellent.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I loved this book!

It's the first audio book I've listened to that made me laugh. I've worked in bookstores all my life, chains and second hand, and recognised so much of what Shaun refers to, it really made me smile :)
I've listened to the second book first by mistake, but it hasn't affected my enjoyment, I don't think it really matters if you listen to them the wrong way round. I'll listen to the first one in a week or so.
My only criticism is that the narrator speaks as if someone is holding a stopwatch up to him. But if I slowed it, it sounded a little odd. But it didn't spoil it. But that could just be me.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A good light and fun book

Nice easy listening for an audio book.

Easy to pick up at many intervals and still follow

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A brilliant follow up

Having first finished The Diary of a Bookseller, had the pleasure of listening to the sequel. Hilarious as ever. Will have to visit the shop, say hello to Captain and buy copies of the book when next in Scotland.

Highly addictive listening and unreservedly recommended.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

very entertaining, even for a bookseller.

loved it and will recommend to others. writing style makes it fun to read. Funny, sad and entertaining

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

wish I had time to sit and read this

having listened to the first I couldn't wait for this one and my goodness it doesn't fail to bring joy to my car journeys.
not quite as laugh out loud but I feel that could be due to me feeling I am now a local to the bookshop and expect some of what is written.

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