The Shops

by India Knight

Some people, the author included, love shopping so much that even the weekly trawl round Waitrose is a treat. In this guide and memoir, India Knight dissects the singular pleasures afforded by this favourite pastime: from dragging your mother around TopShop aged 14, to feeling your entire life would somehow be perfect if only you bought that battered leather sofa. Part series of essays, part lists of essential information, you will never wonder about where to get the perfect 2-inches-off-the-waist pants again.

"The Shops" is a book for anyone who's ever had to part with cash, which is to say, a book for everyone. Full of crucial information, the book is designed to turn even the most reluctant purchaser into a devoted, converted happy shopper.

Genres: Nonfiction

Hardcover

First published November 6, 2003

About the author

India Knight is a British journalist. Her novels have been translated into 28 languages.

Knight, a native French speaker, lived in Brussels until about the time she turned nine. After migrating to the United Kingdom, she was educated in London. She was awarded an exhibition to Trinity College, Cambridge, where she read Modern Languages from 1984-1987, before starting her career in journalism.

In addition to writing for and contributing to major British magazines and newspapers, India Knight writes a prominent weekly column for The Sunday Times. She is also a regular guest on British radio and television.

After writing an article in The Sunday Times about her daughter's special needs - her youngest child has DiGeorge syndrome.

Knight lives in London with her three children.

Reviews

[Annie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some amusing bits, but it gets tired quickly (and, of course, the danger of such books is that they are out of date by the time they go to print).

[Stephanie]

This one is impossible to rate. On the one hand, as an actual practical guide (as it was originally meant to be), it's completely out-of-date - almost every website I went to, based on her recommendations, no longer existed, and neither did the companies behind them. On the other hand, the way she writes about shopping is delicious, and I read the whole book with a lot of enjoyment despite the fact that I completely disagree with her on many, many fronts (e.g., importance of make-up, appearance, etc., etc.). So...is it 1-star or 4-5 stars?

[Heidi Gallacher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book when I read it in the Noughties. So useful. But it is now badly in need of an update - please! Some of its recommended websites no longer exist and the advice has become obsolete.
Publishers - take note and revive it with a new edition!

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

India Knight's writing is enjoyable however about a third of the book comprises shop recommendations that are quite UK centric and outdated

[Macy Mckay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read over two very sleepless nights. This was the perfect antidote for a lot of unhappiness I was going through. So soothing to focus on the best chocolate to buy, how to find the right perfume, where to find perfect presents for family members. As if.
It could so easily have been a compendium of websites or maps of central London, but it is so much more. And much much funnier than it should have been.
Five minutes googling after reading the chapter on wedding dresses, I found out that there has been an awful lot of unhappiness in India Knight's own life, and a lot of online trolling.
But this book is lovely.

[Sasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun book on shopping...esp. for those in the UK

[Mary Karpel-Jergic · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love to shop so enjoyed this book at he time. India Knight seems to have made a lucrative career out of helping us to spend our money. Recommending must pay her handsomely.