Solana's New Bookstore is a Boon for Bibliophiles, But English Selection Sucks
Solana's brand new Sisyphe bookstore is a boon for Chinese bibliophiles and bookstore café society folks. Just don't expect much in the English department.
Although the new Beijing branch of this Chinese bookstore chain (which has numerous locations across the Mainland and is planning to open many more, according to this article) is bound to satisfy Chinese readers, my fellow bookish laowai will be disappointed by its scant selection of English books. Only a single shelf is dedicated to novels, nonfiction and other English fare for grownups near the shop entrance, though the selection for kids is better with nearly an entire back wall dedicated Captain Underpants (RMB 210 for a trilogy of those titles), National Geographic Kids magazines, each about 30 pages long and priced at RMB 30, and a series of 12-page-long picture books for younger children about such topics as barn animals, colors, and family members (RMB 60 each) – not quite what you and I might be desperate for.
While those young patrons may be satisfied with what's on offer, their parents will surely sulk at the dismal range of titles, mostly bestselling paperbacks that have recently been turned into big Hollywood films such as Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love (RMB 57 for a pocket-sized paperback), John le Carré The Night Manager (which was recently adapted into a popular miniseries that apparently is even popular in far-flung Sudan; RMB 70 for a larger trade paperback).
Most of the selection consists of trade paperback novels priced between RMB 70-90 (though Fifty Shades of Grey is a pricier RMB 120 for some reason; hopefully the shop's owners raised the cost because of the risque content, and not because they think it's well written). There's a wide variety of Lonely Planets on offer, priced between RMB 150-200, and a few hefty hardcover coffee table books, including one that celebrates Vanity Fair's centennial. Fans of nonfiction will be sorely disappointing, with alarmingly few titles available save for, oddly enough, all six of Winston Churchill's The Second World War series, so a handful of British history buffs may be placated. Suffice to say Page One has little fear of losing it foreign customers to Sisyphe.
More encouraging, however, was how many Chinese patrons enthusiastically squeezed into the jam-packed shop, leaving me with a positive outlook on the state of China's publishing industry. From a glance, people seemed to be enjoying cooking books by the likes of Jamie Oliver translated into Mandarin; biographies of successful stars like Kobe Bryant, Oprah, and Steve Jobs; and translated versions of bestselling Western novels.
Patrons of any nationality, meanwhile, will enjoy the shop's chic little adjacent café, which serves cakes for about RMB 30 per slice, standard cups of Americano, mochas, and espressos for also about RMB 30 each, and a few more exceptional offerings like a tiramisu iced latte (RMB 35) that ticked all the boxes for a winter warmer. That means foreigners will at least be able to purchase a sweet treat to lift their spirits after perusing the sad selection of English books, while Chinese customers will have a place to crack open and thumb through the impressive selection of Mandarin titles. I really do hope, however, that Page One remains open, because without it, Sisyphe certainly won't be adding fuel to the fire for any voracious foreign readers in Beijing.
Sisyphe
Daily 10am-10pm. 1/F, Bldg 1, Solana Mall, Chaoyang Park, Chaoyang District (5905 6490)
北京市朝阳区朝阳公园蓝色港湾国际商区1号楼L1（14号线枣营站A出口）
Photos: Kyle Mullin