Let's Go to the Bookstore Together (Daunt Books, Marylebone) 

What a sublime video! Glad to know you are interested in Indian literature. Some recommendations: 1) R.K. Narayan's short stories (Malgudi Days would be a good start): Narayan's talent for bringing out the extraordinary out of the ordinary was unparalleled. The (often tragic) humour, the vernacular, the rustic yet exotic settings - all come together to portray a world that never existed in reality, yet reflected the Indian experience so beautifully. For me he is the Indian Chekhov. 2) Rohinton Mistry's "A Fine Balance": This novel by the Canadian-Indian author born into a Parsee family delineates the India of the mid-seventies. Amid political turmoil we follow the lives of a Parsee widow and two Indian villagers forced to leave their rural home for better prospects in an urban centre, struggling to strike that "Fine Balance". Mistry's prose is poignant, humourous and very "Indian" and his portrayal of the Parsee way of life is second to none. 3) The Mahabharata: What can I say? Eight times the length of the Iliad and the Odyssey combined, the grandeur of the ancient Indian epic can be aptly summarized in the words of its mythical author: "What is found here, may be found elsewhere. What is not found here, will not be found elsewhere". Wishing you a great time exploring Indian literature! :)

Your channel deserves a million subscribers. There is so much substance in it, you changed my perspective on reading. And yes I am reading Anna Karenina and loving it. Thanks a ton, keep doing good work, may God bless you.

I love 'The postmaster', a short story by Rabindranath Tagore. There is a short paragraph in there that rings so true which I absolutely love!

You are very lucky to have access to such a variety filled store. I've never experienced the like as they just don't exist in my corner of the world. Given I also live in isolation far beyond the madding crowd, where there are no bookstores (and I have to travel a long way to see one), I haven't had the luxury of manual book browsing for several years. Thankfully there's internet, and online stores! Online book buying has so many limitations though. I appreciate you handling the books and flipping pages, as much as describing them. There has been the occasion where I've gone and bought a second copy of the same book in a different publication because I didn't like the font of the first, or the size or the feel. Nothing online tells you how stiff the book is to read, how much margin is on pages etc.. Or even if an introduction is even there. One could have to, sometimes, search a proverbial rabbit warren trying to find the name of the translator for some copies. Hence I love watching book reviewers. People with similar interests who can direct me towards something I wasn't familiar with, or a new version of something familiar. People willing to discuss the differences between editions as much as what an edition holds. Showing the guts of a book actually helps me choose what I want. I liked seeing around the front cover and size, and seeing inside while hearing your thoughts of the books. I like the Everymans Library publications too, although they can be pricey compared to others, and I've also found in some cases I've preferred other publications where a different translation is desired. I have a penchant for art covers (yes I will judge a book by its cover if I'm going to purchase it for a place on my shelf like they're a photo album), and these have never been particularly nice. Everymans really are publications better with the dustjacket removed. Art covers meaning thoughtful art on the cover, as I'm not a fan of the prevalent use of solid colour or boring basics on many books these days. So I'm also not a fan of covers that look like wrapping paper lol. I give those cloth bound copies a miss (and I've heard those showpieces are not as durable to read as others, but as I have never held one I can't voice an opinion). Give me paintings on covers that tie in with good text in a book that doesn't fight me to read it and I'm happy. Given my circumstances I'm as grateful for the show and tell of publications as I am for the review of the authors (or translators) work.

I am a Bengali and i feel proud to see you beacause of reading the literature of my country. I highly suggest Rabindranath Tagore.

So many interesting books! But I think the ones I’m reading now, Persuasion, Marc Aurel, Zarathustra and Proust keep me busy enough. Apart from this I am listening and reading to Tennyson’s In Memoriam and copying one sonnet a day. This was such a surprisingly powerful tool you gave me. My handwriting has improved a lot (always a week point, I’m a doctor you know) , my memory as well. Altogether I have really unlocked a lot of memories, found some quiet satisfaction in my life. Have removed some time consuming activities. All this thanks to your advice. Can’t thank you enough!

Love how you pronounce the words and titles correctly. It’s appreciated. 🙌🏽😊 Oh and this bookshop is gorgeous, I agree, definitely the most beautiful in London.

What a great bookstore! That is a beautiful edition of the Earthsea series 😃📚

Love these bookshop tours! Well done!

Haven't been to Daunt's since I moved to Paris twenty years ago - but loads of the books on my shelves have one of their bookmarks inside! Loved that shop.

I love everything about this video! I'm not very well-read when it comes to Asian literature, but we're on the same page about Borges.

My gawd, what an encouraging push to get back into reading. Just excellent. It minds of the days I lived in the isolation of Northern Canada (no Eskimos . . . but close to where Captain Henry Hudson met his demise), when I'd trek down to a relative southern clime and hit up a bookstore. London looks a more exciting locale to do that kind of bookish indulgence, to be fair. Still, your reminded of good times and good reads discovered. Cheers, lad!

Rabindranath Tagore (Bengali pr. Thaakoor)....a great start in Indian Literature. Though the poems and lyrics in the original Bengali language were in rhymed verse. I belong to the same Bengali community he belonged to. At every festival, we read out/sing his poems and lyrics in functions and gatherings (in Bengali of course). Also, he is the National Poet of India. Hope you'll like him. We also call him "Kobi Guru" (The master poet). About the Bhagavad Gita, Bibek Debroy's modern translation (Penguin) is good. Cheers!!!

Love browsing book stores in London and Hatchards in Piccadilly is my favorite (and it doesn't hurt that you can go next door to Fortnums and have excellent Afternoon Tea) But I've never been to this one and it looks fabulous.

When I worked in London thus was my lunchtime haunt. Not far away near the Oxford Street tube was Biblion in Grey's Antique Market. The Raj Quartet is an excellent read.

Lovely, I wish I could visit this amazing library.

What a gorgeous looking book store Ben, hopefully I can visit this when I next go to the capital. Agreed the artwork on the ‘The Hawk in the Rain’ is very nice; such a personal collection for me too. PS: looking forward to returning to the HLC Patreon group this month - after a manic May for me, and sharing ideas with you all. - James :)

Please sit down, on the spot and read The Pearl IN THE STORE! Sorry for shouting, but its a must.💙

I absolutely need to go to this place! 😍

Just subscribed, love the channel! I would love to see you look at Italian literature, people like Montele, Svevo and Pirandello (and that’s only from the 20th century). It’s such a great avenue to explore, especially the way in which it influenced French literature during the French Revolution.

I'd say that Hatchard's Piccadilly is the most beautiful bookshop in London.

As an Indian, it makes me so happy that you are reading Rabindranath Tagore (your pronounciation was on point by the end on the video 👍) and exploring more of Indian literature. We were taught some of his works in school but I don't think I understood it much then beyond just what was taught and definitely didn't enjoy it as much as it clearly deserved to be. I think I'd pick up some of his works again, thanks to you. And thanks for the other recommendations. I've been wanting to get into Japanese literature and one mostly just hears about Murakami.... definitely will check out the others. Also, I'd love it if you did a video about Rabindranath Tagore's works and your favourites among them. 😁

Beeeeaaaauuuuuutiful! Fantastic video. Love your reading taste.

My favourite bookstore in London. Possibly my favourite place in London, actually.

I love bookstores. I love your bookstore vlogs! Do you ever go to John Sandoes?

When, if ever, You're in DownTown Los Angeles You will want to visit "The Last Bookstore" ...It is the Greatest (I mean that) I've ever seen. I was in there for hours and didn't see it all. Ground floor= new books. Upstairs is a used (pre-read)book labyrinth of joy and unending cases and shelves of wonder and wander to swim your mind through.

It will not (probably) be a very popular view, but to me Yukio Mishima -- despite his unfortunate mental problems -- is arguably the greatest world writer since Shakespeare.

There are some wonderful Australian book suggestions - 'Careful, He Might Hear You' and 'Water Under the Bridge' both by Summer Locke Elliot and also Joan Lindsay's "Picnic at Hanging Rock"

Benjamin did you ever get that Earthsea book? I know I shouldn’t even look at more books because I’m busy with the book club readings, but it looks so interesting! I may have to look into it for later. 🙂

Love your videos man and especially the bookshop tours keep them coming! A little help with the Borges pronunciation (I know the G or J in Spanish tends to be complicated for English speakers), it is "Bor-hes". I actually would like to recommend you my favourite Argentinian author, who is Julio Cortazar, you might have read Hopscotch, which is brilliant, but also his short stories are remarkable.

You're a blessing.

Flannery O'Connor once said, of "To Kill a Mockingbird," that it was "a fine book for children." She meant, I think, that the moral dilemma presented in the book was one that was so obvious as not to need a novelist's explication of the issue. I don't know if she was right or wrong, but it's a fine book in any case, and whether or not it manages to be profound is perhaps beside the point.

It`s in Aldersgate Street?

Some questions :1)what are you reading now?2)can you please make a video about your bookish journey? 3)Do you annotate your books? 4)will you stay with vlog videos? ( then please make a book reading vlog)

DO read the Raj Quartet!!! I re-read it regularly!

I think this is a bit like heaven to me

These are treats!

is there a hungarian section?

I really like Arundhati Roy: The God of Small Things.

Love u from India 🇮🇳....keep growing bro ....God bless u....read book by ambedkar

It feels good when you pickup a book by Rabindranath Tagore. I have some recommendations for you, try Subimal Misra's books translated and published by Harper Collins. Try Arundhati Roy's The God of small things. Then the Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. Aranyak ( Of the forest ) and Apu trilogy ( also transformed into great films by oscar winning director Satyajit Ray) by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay. You can also get some books by Taslima Nasreen. Then Munshi Premchand's short stories. You can read Midnight's children by Salman Rushdie. Will keep on recommending. Happy reading.

Hope to visit this lovely shop one day. Do check out Han Suyin. She's the author of A Many Splendoured Thing (the movie title being Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing). My favourite is A Mortal Flower by her.

Is there also a section of the balkan area? Especially the former yugoslavia countries? If yes, you really should give Ivo Andric a try! You might know his most famous book Bridge over the Drina but he has a collection of short stories about the jewish population in Bosnia and they were phenomenal. Especially the one named „Words“. When I read it I thought it was good but I can‘t stop thinking about a few of them. Also I love browsing through bookshops with your videos! I haven‘t been to one since ages

5:30 everyman's editions are great they look beautiful etc but i bought metamorphoses of ovid in everyman's and the translation is just cringing so i just put it away and kept reading the classic translation in pdf

Waiting for that video on Rabindranath Tagore...I would recommend to read some works of Satyajit Ray too

Hi Benjamin, I’m going to apply for Oxford university in the next academic year. I’m working on my personal statement at the moment and my “niche” topic is portrayals of state intervention in the 20th century. Do you have any suggestions?

Hey! Man I would highly recommend Indian Masterpiece Novel by Raja Rao, " The serpent and The Rope" it's a novel that gives you idea of true indian culture & metaphysics.

My favourite short story by Tagore is Kabuliwala

Would really like to go here.... Have you read the River of Fire by Qurutulain Hyder.... And yes Raj Quartet is really amazing...

May I ask why you chose to study just English Literature for your undergraduate degree, as opposed to world literature or “comparative” Literature?

RK Narayan's books are really good if you would like to read Indian literature

I love Steinbeck, but I'd give a hard pass on The Pearl, not his best. Kino and Juana or whoever, the story seemed predictable, but it was assigned reading in high school, might like it better now. I read some Rabindanath Tagore, maybe for readings in an Asian geography or religions in college, can't remember much about it, ditto for Proust, you can give me a refresher.

You should read the Urdu writers. Manto, chugtai, ishfaq ahmed, Qudsia bano.

You drove into Central London? How did you manage that?

Kalidasa the Indian playwright. We in India consider him a couple of notches higher than shakeshpaere....! pls do a video on him if possible. So much of it is lost in translation from Sanskrit, but still he is the best.

You must read Michael Madhusudan Dutta and satyajit roy