Customer Reviews

The King's English, Adventures of an Independent Bookseller

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Betsy Burton is the proprietor of The King's English, an independent bookstore in Salt Lake City. Since the store opened in 1977 she has had many high and low moments, and in this memoir she ably dsecribes both.

I have always had a secret hankering to run a bookstore myself, and The King's English both reassured and alarmed me. Burton has had the pleasure of dealing with many wonderful, charming people as employees, partners, authors, and customers over the years. She has also had to deal with viccisitudes like dealing with business partners she doesn't agree or get along with, authors who really prefer not to waste their time with the vulgar people who actually sell and buy their books, and employees and customers who are dishonest or outright criminals. But even the low points as described in The King's English are enjoyable to read about because Burton is naturally witty and a born writer.

Burton waxes most profoundly and enjoyably when writing on three subjects: her private struggle dealing with a handicapped child, the tendency of some people to try to censor/ban books which upset them, and the growth of the superchain bookstores and the dot-coms which have threatened her business over the years. I found this last subject particularly interesting since I am still mourning the loss of one of the great independent bookstores, Oxford Books of Atlanta, which died nearly ten years ago.

Somehow or other when I've passed through Salt Lake City I've overlooked a visit to The King's English. Now that I've met the store's proprietor through this book I intend to put it at the top of my agenda, and will hope to see the bookstore alive and well and to find Betsy Burton hard at work within.

A comfy chair, your favorite warm beverage and this book makes for a very pleasurable stay indoors on a dreary day. To the author, running a bookstore is a calling, not a career. She chronicles the joys, frustrations, risks and rewards of following her dream with an avidity that effortlessly sweeps us into her world. Her passion is palpable - as if she is taking you by the elbow through her store, excitedly sharing the realization of her lifelong dream with you.

The behind-the-scenes guided tour is sure to fascinate customers of independent bookstores as well as those who aspire to own such establishments. How does the owner decide which books to buy for the store and whom to employ? How knowledgeable do the employees need to be and how do they build a rapport with customers of diverse literary tastes? What is it really like to host a famous or little-known author to conduct a reading at your bookstore? How does the management deal with controversial books? Burton addresses all these and many more issues in her book, her narrative deftly covering the intricate interplay of her professional and personal lives.

In an age of un-innocence, when writers are all too eager to unburden their existential angst and analyze yet another malaise of modern society, it is refreshing to read a book such as The King's English. It is not only the saga of a bookstore, but a story of a woman's dream brought to fruition by hard work, intuition and faith in her goal.

It is hard to imagine that the story of an independent bookstore in Salt Lake City could be a page-turner, filled with drama and suspense, humor and tears. But "The King's English: Adventures of an Independent Bookseller" has those elements, and more. It is a delicious read, a booklover's feast.

Along with tales of the ups and downs of the bookselling business, "The King's English" is chock full of stories about authors and books. Burton whets our appetite for books with "book blurbs," and her narrative bubbles with enthusiasm as she describes authors' visits to her store. That Burton venerates authors is apparent on every page. When a friend accused her of "toadying up" to authors, she acknowledged that she worships at the feet of the best of them. Why shouldn't she? "They can craft words into sentences that make music and at the same time shed light on the human condition, can make the heart and the mind sing the same heady song. They are geniuses deserving of worship."

Her hero worship is leavened by her sense of humor, her ability to poke fun at her star struck behavior. There was the time she invited Isabel Allende home for dinner and was so distracted that the honored guest had to take over the cooking if the meal was to be served at all.

"The King's English" is also a story spiced by the David and Goliath struggle of the independent bookstore against the mammoth bookstore chains. What are we losing when chains bring us books without the personal touch of those who know and love them, who can introduce us to new authors, who sell books because they are good, even if they never become the next best seller? Though Burton does not challenge her readers explicitly, we need to ask ourselves what our role should be in that struggle.

And the dessert of this feast is the lists of recommended books, from The Kings' English and other independent bookstores around the country. I found some of my favorite books among Burton's suggestions, so I trust her guidance. I took her book with me to the library and selected three books by authors I had not read. Each was a treasure. [...].

"The King's English" is a great read, and a valuable resource.

It's been almost thirty years since The King's English opened. Thirty years of books in Salt Lake City. Thirty years of competition from the big stores already there (Sam Weller's and Deseret Book, owned by the Mormon church). Thirty years of watching the big chains like Border's and Barnes & Noble move in. Thirty years of change with Amazon.com becomming the big guy.

Ms. Burton has created a book store, as she says, of the type in which she would want to shop, carrying the good books that she would want to read. She has used some rather inspired marketing with numerous author signings. She has published lists of good books worth buying in the original hard back version because you're going to want to read them more than once. She published a newsletter.

All this is classic marketing, but something seen all too little. This book is a classic in how to do a small specialized store that defines its market carefully and knows how to approach it. Here the subject is books, but these same fundamentals can and do work in a wide variety of companies.

This is a rare, well written look inside an independent bookstore and the booksellers who own and operate it.
I am an avid reader and am somewhat familar with the operations of a bookstore.
This book gives the reader a chance to peek inside an independent bookstore. You become privy to the travils that face an independent bookseller in the era of the big bookstores and the internet.
There are reading lists for just about every interest.
Finally, it is a joy to see a book that is printed on top quality paper.
Wi;;iam

Buy this book for the great lists of books from the last 25 plus years!! If you could read just one list, you would be well read. Betsy Burton not only created the reading lists, but she captures what is best about shopping in your neighborhood stores. As you follow the charming history of this Salt Lake icon, you watch a community grow and change. You see the world through insightful lists of books that reflect the history of the last 25 years. You read personal stories about authors that we have adored. Betsy is a voice for good books, for the power of reading, and for shopping locally! And, I have always gotten great service at TKE!!! The staff actually hand delivered a gift for my grandmother! And they always know the perfect book for all the kids in my life... Betsy has done a terrific job, at the store and in her book.

This book is a delight. Passionate, strong-willed, full of love for literature and liberty --especially for our First and Fourth Amendments -- Betsy Burton gives an account of her first twenty-five years as one of the owners of The King's English, an independent bookstore in Utah's Salt Lake City.

For the person who wants to learn more about the book industry, you'll learn about sales reps and what goes into getting on to various bestseller lists. For the person concerned about protecting our rights, you'll learn about some of the threats that have been made to bookstores, from both individuals and the government. For the person who simply adores reading, you'll learn a bit about how your precious books make it into your hands, and if you took the process for granted, you will take it for granted no longer.

You'll also learn some of the pitfalls of opening a business with little (or no) experience, how to deal (or perhaps how not to deal) with the press, and how to work (or not work) with partners and employees, and last, but not least, how to maintain conviction in the face of cut-throat competition (where the competition is likewise mysteriously cutting its own throat).

Finally, you will enjoy Betsy Burton, and the way she barrels down on problems. I laughed out loud when I read about how she could not get a key to open the trunk of a car (a problem I have also experienced - glad to see I'm not alone) and how she dealt with a Harry Potter crisis.

Well worth reading!

This is a wonderful read for anyone who enjoys (or is addicted to) going to bookstores, reading, and hearing authors read. I recommend purchasing the book from an independent bookstore rather than ordering it through amazon. You'll feel rather guilty if you order it.
Burton has contributed a very special addition to the genre of books about books. This one has the added benefit of the story about her experience starting and runnig her store, which makes for a much more personal and engaging read.

How could a book lover not love this book? Brimming with passion, wit and insight, THE KING'S ENGLISH is part personal memoir, part cultural and social history. Burton's narrative voice is authentic and fresh, and her story about creating and living a literate life is an important one.

I would buy this book for the lists alone. A great resource for book groups.

If you ever dreamed of owning a bookstore, this wonderful book is a thoughtful look inside the business. Betsy opened the King's English in 1977 and this is a history of what we all hope will be the first 25 years of the store. If you've never been to the store, it is exactly what you dream a bookstore will be. All the books you want to read, knowledgable booksellers who have actually read the books and can recommend others. Betsy and her store is the reason I love books. She learned my tastes and expanded my horizons (which were then mostly true crime ack!)

The book is often witty, sometimes profound and always delightful. It's not only about the store but the state of bookselling in America and all the many authors who have signed books at the store. But perhaps the best thing is the dozens of lists of favorite books by category collected from independent booksellers all around the country.

Bravo for a brave touching story.