Chennai's Landmark

Back from a day-long trip to Chennai distinguished by a quick visit to Landmark because of a delay in the return flight . Though clearly of the same mass-market sensibility that has overtaken Crossword, the shop has much, much more to offer. (One could spend only 20-odd minutes there, more's the pity.) After a hurried perusal, one walked out with The Malcontents, an anthology of satirical drama, poetry and prose edited by Joe Queenan; a paperback copy of Alberto Manguel's A Reading Diary; and A Plea For Eros, Siri Hustvedt's collection of essays on literature, sensuality, memory and more.

At the smart and well laid out Higginbotham's at Chennai airport, one unexpectedly came across a new edition of Henry Greene's Loving, Living, Party Going, so one added that to the kitty as well. Now back in good old philistine Mumbai, one plans to visit Crossword at lunch. Not for the books, but for the coffee and cream cheese bagel, which is about the only good reason to visit that bookshop these days.