The Norrington Room Stole My Pension

[liadnan]

For various reasons it became necessary this evening to look for something in the folder I stuff all the paperwork for my Blackwell's bookshop account this evening. And then, you see, the original reason -looking for an invoice for the purposes of my VAT return due next week- was swept away in the urgent need to organise that file (from which I actually need something about once every other year). And now that urge too has been swept away by two successive and horrible realisations, viz and to wit: I have had a Blackwell's account for almost 10 years (I became quite emotional* at the discovery of a batch of bills addressed to 142 Walton St).

During that time I have spent a quite disgusting amount of money there, in Broad St and latterly CharingXRd. And I buy books in other places quite often. No. I'm not going to say how much. Well, what do you expect when you give me an account somewhere like Blackwell's on, effectively "pay us sometime, when you've got a bit of cash" terms. (At least, that's what it was in the old days. No longer.)

The first is an oddly depressing realisation. Particularly when I come across invoices for books I could have sworn I bought, oh around this time last year, and discover that, no, it was around this time in 2000.

(I did find the invoice I was looking for in the end. For anyone astute enough to be wondering, it was something with a CD in the back and hence a VAT element.)

Had a fairly blue weekend. Found the order of service for Dad's funeral in the general clearup that preceded (and was necessitated by) doing the VAT return. Hence*. I was sure I had significantly more whisky at the start of the weekend...

*I have of quite a lot of strong drink taken.

Comments

[rparvaaz.livejournal.com]

I have long had the habit of inscribing books with the date on which I bought them. I quite enjoy knowing how long I've had them.

I really wouldn't want to know how much I've spent on them though...

[eccles.livejournal.com]

There are many other things worse than books that you could be spending your money on. At least with a book you have a tangiable thing of knowledge and inherent worth.

[liadnan]

Have you read anything by Dan Brown?

[eccles.livejournal.com]

No, and I don't intend to. I thought that might be beneath you anyway.

[liadnan]

Very little is beneath me.
(I read other people's copies of Dan Brown, on holiday, though)

Dan Brown?

[nikandra.livejournal.com]

Are you sure you want to go there?

I have read the Da Vinci Code and thoroughly enjoyed it. But then, I like trash TV, trash films and atrocious music - things that made me laugh, in other words. Dan Brown is a horrible writer who mixes his facts (well, the few of them that he has, anyway) and, if you've read Eco especially, his treatment of the conspiracy looks forced and boring. In a way, the Da Vinci Code was as amusing (and difficult) to read as Killer Crabs (the worst book I've ever read and the prize of my small book collection).

Re: Dan Brown?

[liadnan]

Oh, I read an awful lot of tosh. The problem with Brown is not that the conpiracy theory behind it is loony, and was when Baigent Leigh and Lincoln came up with it, it's that the characterisation, plotting, prose style and everything else are abysmal.

It was voted Book of the Year or something the other week. I weep for this generation.

Re: Dan Brown?

[nikandra.livejournal.com]

Yes, but they are so abysmall they're hilarious! I haven't laughed so much in months as when I was reading the book (but that was why it also took me so long to read it; too much of it and it was just... bad, and not funny anymore).

Yes, I saw that. I refused to watch the programme because -- that crap Book of the Year? Hmmmm *snort*

Re: Dan Brown?

[frankie-ecap.livejournal.com]

The problem with Dan Brown is that the maths sucks.

Characterisation, plotting, prose style, that I can deal with. But the maths is just plain amateurish. And it's not hard maths.

[rparvaaz.livejournal.com]

That is what I tell myself too. :)

[liadnan]

I'm just an inveterate hoarder: I have every single invoice and bill on that account...