dimanche, août 28, 2005

when you really need the iliad

Forget about Coke and smile. Now, you can have a twix and "The Iliad," no matter what time it is.
(I read about this on Parisist and finally found the story in English. )

Can't Wait for a Book? Paris Can Help
Readers craving Homer, Baudelaire or Lewis Carroll in the middle of the night can get a quick fix at one of the French capital's five newly installed book vending machines.

Stocked with 25 of Maxi-Livres best-selling titles, the machines cover the gamut of literary genres and tastes. Classics like "The Odyssey" by Homer and Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland" share the limited shelf space with such practical must-haves as "100 Delicious Couscous" and "Verb Conjugations."

"Our biggest vending machine sellers are 'The Wok Cookbook' and a French-English dictionary," said Chambon, who added that poet Charles Baudelaire's "Les Fleurs du Mal" — "The Flowers of Evil" — also is "very popular." Regardless of whether they fall into the category of high culture or low, all books cost a modest $2.45.
Inspired by Tess

1 commentaire:

missusrmgood a dit…

Speaking as someone who has a panic attack when she finds she has to wait in line or for a meeting or appointment somewhere and forgot to bring a book, I would like book vending machines installed in all doctor's offices (especially urgent cares) and DMV locations.