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Saturday, January 27, 2007

SELEXYZ must GO

Was at the Fashion Week in Amsterdam today. And we got talking about books, after three glasses of champagne. Yep, I know, but you can't discuss a fashion show for more than an hour. Marcel wanted to leave early to get to Scheltema Holkema Vermeulen, the best bookstore in town, before they would close, to get me a guide to Shanghai.
Never, I said, will I set foot in a store that calls itself Selexys. I just can't stand my favorite bookstore losing its identity in such a shameful way. I HATE Seelaxia, I want Zeelendis to die, I want the owner and now killer of the original brand to be arrested and put to trial! I..
Marcel said I was grossly overreacting: the shop had not changed at all. Not changed at all??? It's like your favorite uncle saying "I'd like you to call me stupid decadent oversexed brutal offensive childmolester" from now on. "hey, but I haven't changed at all!"

How can anyone in a right state of mind change a personal (be it may be a difficult) name like Scheltema Holkema Vermeulen into something like Zeelexiez? Books ARE personal, not some sort of anonimous, interchangeable fancy product! Things DO have to change sometimes, but loosing your identity for something this superficial and generic is just too much for me. What's the point? Who's benefiting from this change? Is it important that now I can see a Saloxis in Leiden also? I never buy books in Leiden, because I live in Amsterdam. And if I would, a small sign saying "hey, did you know, we're in the same family as Scheltema Holkema Vermeulen in Amsterdam" would do it for me.
Luckily, Dorothee totally agreed. I am not mad, I am ANGRY.
Please, people, join me in a full boycot of this store until the owners come into a right state of mind.
Hand me another glass of champagne, please, I need a drink.

1 comment:

Fred said...

Your pal was right - you are overreacting. Selexyz is a stupid name for a bookstore, I admit, but try pronouncing what it was before, especially if you don't speak Dutch. They need to sell books. Besides, and not too many of your average customers think of a book store as a deep personal experince. Get over yourself - books are a product.