Gould's Book Arcade

If you've spent any quality time in Newtown, you will know Gould's.

It is indeed an arcade. A vast, multi levelled expanse of literary glory.

It is a place to think. A place to look. A place to engage. A place to make out.

And a place to read.

The first time I stumbled upon the store, one thing caught my eye.  A sign. "We buy books and magazines".

At that moment, it was winter. I was in the deepest depths of student poverty. I was down to my last Pall Mall and was tossing between spending my last four dollars and twenty five cents on a milkshake or four packets of pasta.

You buy books?

Holy Jesus.

My mind seized upon the pile of textbooks and magazines gathering dust in the corner of my dark, damp bedroom, ten minutes down the road.

The Essentials of International Relations. The Macmillan Encyclopedia of Art. King Lear.

Countless editions of glossy Vogues.

I was going to be rich. I could buy the pasta AND a milkshake. Fuck it, I could buy three milkshakes.

I sprinted home and shoved every book and magazine I could lay my hands on into a green enviro bag, and proceeded to sprint back to King Street.

Ok, I tell a little lie.

The sprint was more like the laboured chugging of a rusty bicycle loaded with bricks.

By the time I arrived at Gould's, I could feel my face burning and my lungs heaving.

I approached the counter, completely spent.

If you have ever seen the man himself, you will understand this description.

He is tiny. He sits amongst a mountains of books. A little Hobbit with a long white beard. But he does not acknowledge you. This is what makes him more intimidating than your average burly policeman.

I placed each book and magazine carefully upon the counter for his inspection.

He looked at the collection for the briefest of moments.

"No."

That is all he said.

No.

"But these ones are practically new. Not a dent. Not a rip. They're perfect. Look at these textbooks, international relations, politics, media... everything!"

"No. Don't want them."

You fucking prick.

In my mind, I tossed the books back into the green bag and threw them at his head.

In reality, I gave him the filthiest look imaginable and walked out of the store.

I later researched this man, Bob Gould.

Bob Gould has been a Sydney bookseller for more than thirty-five years, at a number of locations, and at Newtown since 1988. Gould's Book Arcade specialises in out of print books, publishers remainders of the last 30 years, and second hand books, catering to the general reader, students and some specialist areas.

Australian history and politics and Australiana are the main specialty areas. The collection on labor movement and left-wing politics is the broadest in Australia, and stands up well by international standards, covering Australia but also other countries. The Art collection contains thousands of books. There are big sections on Military History, Poetry, Plays, Fiction, Movies, Science, Philosophy, and all areas of human interest and endeavour.

I guess he had enough copies of King Lear, then.

Heres a link to the socialist, left wing writings of Bob Gould.