What do you think?
Rate this book
Sold Out
After a long and painful Christmas shopping expedition, Robert Llewellyn had a revelation. He had enough stuff; he'd had enough of rampant consumerism; he would simply stop shopping for a whole year. "Sold Out" follows the highs and lows of a former hippie drop-out who morphed into a wealthy Western male as he attempts to disengage once more from a consumer-driven society. Challenging, thought-provoking and funny, this book proves that it doesn't have to be embarrassing to darn socks in the 21st century.
256 pages, Paperback
First published October 6, 2008
About the author
Robert Llewellyn
56 books75 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.
Robert Llewellyn is an English actor, presenter, and writer. He is best known for his roles as presenter of Scrapheap Challenge, and as the android Kryten in the hit sitcom Red Dwarf.
Robert Llewellyn is an English actor, presenter, and writer. He is best known for his roles as presenter of Scrapheap Challenge, and as the android Kryten in the hit sitcom Red Dwarf.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 2, 2024
This is a book about a man not doing something for a year, i.e. not buying things/ going shopping.
It could have been an episodic step-by-step of him having to darn socks or make odd meals using the scraps in the cupboards, but it's far more sweeping than that. As such, it's introspective, with Llewellyn reflecting on some specific periods during the year, but mostly his considerations of consumerism and one's place within society when viewed through different lenses.
'It’s the world we live in and we have all got used to it, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t question it at every opportunity.' p65
It could have been an episodic step-by-step of him having to darn socks or make odd meals using the scraps in the cupboards, but it's far more sweeping than that. As such, it's introspective, with Llewellyn reflecting on some specific periods during the year, but mostly his considerations of consumerism and one's place within society when viewed through different lenses.
'It’s the world we live in and we have all got used to it, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t question it at every opportunity.' p65
September 8, 2017
This is a slightly odd book. Firstly, I think it's probably not the book you think it is - it certainly wasn't what I was expecting.
The premise is simple. Professionally reluctant media star and all-round good egg Robert Llewellyn decides to drop out of the consumer rat-race for a year, hilarity ensues, thoughtful closing chapter, everyone moves on better and wiser people.
Except that's not what we get. There is actually very little in the book about the practicalities of, or experiences during, his self-imposed period of consumer exile, and lots and lots of industrial-grade introspection, family history, and lightweight philosophising.
This could have turned out to be extremely tedious and grating, but is saved by the author being at least tolerably interesting and intelligent in his views and rather more self-aware than most luvvies, and it ends up being an interesting and moderately thought-provoking read. Don't expect any great revelations or life-changing epiphanies, however.
The premise is simple. Professionally reluctant media star and all-round good egg Robert Llewellyn decides to drop out of the consumer rat-race for a year, hilarity ensues, thoughtful closing chapter, everyone moves on better and wiser people.
Except that's not what we get. There is actually very little in the book about the practicalities of, or experiences during, his self-imposed period of consumer exile, and lots and lots of industrial-grade introspection, family history, and lightweight philosophising.
This could have turned out to be extremely tedious and grating, but is saved by the author being at least tolerably interesting and intelligent in his views and rather more self-aware than most luvvies, and it ends up being an interesting and moderately thought-provoking read. Don't expect any great revelations or life-changing epiphanies, however.
January 29, 2023
Not quite the book I thought it was, which I thought would be about depriving oneself and foregoing lattes and expensive wine. No, the act of not shopping isn’t covered much in this book but it does cover what drives us to shop and accumulate things we don’t need. He touches a lot on class and life in general. It’s an uplifting book which also allows you to make your own decisions rather than shame you into doing the same. His writing style is relaxed and at the same time intelligent and thoughtful. Might have to read ‘Thin He Was’ next
November 29, 2018
A truly fantastic book, incredibly easy to read. From what I found to be a rocky start I soon got incredibly involved in the author's trials and tribulations largely because I found continual common ground. As a migrant that's become quite anglicised it gave me a deeper understanding of how the British, and particularly the middle class, tick.
It's made me eager to check out some of his other work.
It's made me eager to check out some of his other work.
April 20, 2010
I hardly ever read non-fiction. I think the last non-fiction book I read was Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams, which is now a program starring Stephen Fry. I have risked a step into non-fiction again and wasn’t disappointed. This is a fast read—I whizzed through it in just a couple days (and I’m a slow reader). It’s the sort of book that while I read it, I wished I had a highlighter because I kept thinking “Ooo, I want to remember that for later.”
I read this book because a while back, I stumbled upon Robert Llewellyn’s YouTube channel and caught the most recent episode where Mr. Llewellyn was informing his viewers that he had just bought his first new thing. Not knowing the context, I went back and found that I had just missed a year-long vlog called “Making Do” where Robert Llewellyn vlogged about his progress of not buying anything but food and medicine for a full calendar year. Strangely enough, I found this series at the same time as I was desperately trying to think of something to give up for lent, so I took a cue from Mr. Llewellyn to not buy any material items for the Lenten season. That was hard enough, and I’m not even a shopper. Imagine doing it for a year.
Although he does quote a few journal entries at the beginning of his chapters, if you’re looking for a day-to-day in-the-moment journal of his experience, go watch “Making Do.” This book isn’t that. Instead, this is a book of essays. In fact, I’d say it’s more like a memoir, revolving broadly around what occurred during this year and memories relating to consumerism. These memories include his relationship with his parents, trying to go vegan for a girlfriend, living in a truck, buying his first Mac, and driving various kinds of cars (oh, yes, he’s managed to work cars into the theme). My favorite quote is about the Prius:
“Anything that [Jeremy:] Clarkson hates that much has got to be a good thing…I make a point of loving all the things he hates. I use him as a moral compass. He’s a very useful man” (p 152).
But even when he’s not taking a stroll down memory lane, his pontifications on what drove him to give up buying things for this period are very interesting. As a wet liberal, Mr. Llewellyn goes into some political analysis, but also some self-analysis. The chapter on Guilt is of particular interest. He disclaims right away that this is a very middle-class book, and middle-class people tend to feel the most guilty. I have to admit, as I read this book on the subway, I felt guilty with all the people begging for change and can’t-afford-a-shower-ers (I tend to read with books near my face where people can read the cover, not in my lap). I didn’t want them to think that my worst problem was that I buy too much and was trying to learn how not to. The ideas surrounding middle-classness are things that the middle-class are aware of but things that they’re trained to ignore. This book brings to light some of these issues. It’s interesting to me, as an American, to see how class differences work in England. Are they really as different as they are here, as he suggests? Because class doesn’t mean nothing in America either.
Although I learned a lot from reading this book, even if I have to keep in mind it is the observations of one man, and not god-given fact, I think I learned the most from the chapter on Misogyny. That is, why do women like to clothes-shop and wear make-up. I actually don’t know the answer to this because I don’t like doing either of these things. I think I’m missing a gene somewhere. If I need to buy clothes, I prefer to guess at the size and buy it rather than try it on, and heaven forbid I need to try on more than one article of clothing. I also don’t see the appeal of wearing makeup. Mr. Llewellyn wagers that women wear makeup and fashionable clothes not to look good for men, as many assume, but to look good to other women. Ah, it’s a show-off and acceptance thing. I am both uncompetitive and oblivious to what other people think of me, so this rings true, at least for me.
The book more of a thought-provoker than a leisurely stroll through a mall-less year. Don’t read it if you’re afraid of looking at your own behavior and responses to what goes on in consumer society and a world that is trying to go green. But if you’d like some insight into class, the changes the world is undergoing now versus the ones of the past, and the hypocrisy that makes us human, check it out. It’s a really good read.
For more from Mr. Llewellyn, check out “Making Do” and “Wet Liberal Weekly” on YouTube and “Carpool” on Llewtube.com.
I read this book because a while back, I stumbled upon Robert Llewellyn’s YouTube channel and caught the most recent episode where Mr. Llewellyn was informing his viewers that he had just bought his first new thing. Not knowing the context, I went back and found that I had just missed a year-long vlog called “Making Do” where Robert Llewellyn vlogged about his progress of not buying anything but food and medicine for a full calendar year. Strangely enough, I found this series at the same time as I was desperately trying to think of something to give up for lent, so I took a cue from Mr. Llewellyn to not buy any material items for the Lenten season. That was hard enough, and I’m not even a shopper. Imagine doing it for a year.
Although he does quote a few journal entries at the beginning of his chapters, if you’re looking for a day-to-day in-the-moment journal of his experience, go watch “Making Do.” This book isn’t that. Instead, this is a book of essays. In fact, I’d say it’s more like a memoir, revolving broadly around what occurred during this year and memories relating to consumerism. These memories include his relationship with his parents, trying to go vegan for a girlfriend, living in a truck, buying his first Mac, and driving various kinds of cars (oh, yes, he’s managed to work cars into the theme). My favorite quote is about the Prius:
“Anything that [Jeremy:] Clarkson hates that much has got to be a good thing…I make a point of loving all the things he hates. I use him as a moral compass. He’s a very useful man” (p 152).
But even when he’s not taking a stroll down memory lane, his pontifications on what drove him to give up buying things for this period are very interesting. As a wet liberal, Mr. Llewellyn goes into some political analysis, but also some self-analysis. The chapter on Guilt is of particular interest. He disclaims right away that this is a very middle-class book, and middle-class people tend to feel the most guilty. I have to admit, as I read this book on the subway, I felt guilty with all the people begging for change and can’t-afford-a-shower-ers (I tend to read with books near my face where people can read the cover, not in my lap). I didn’t want them to think that my worst problem was that I buy too much and was trying to learn how not to. The ideas surrounding middle-classness are things that the middle-class are aware of but things that they’re trained to ignore. This book brings to light some of these issues. It’s interesting to me, as an American, to see how class differences work in England. Are they really as different as they are here, as he suggests? Because class doesn’t mean nothing in America either.
Although I learned a lot from reading this book, even if I have to keep in mind it is the observations of one man, and not god-given fact, I think I learned the most from the chapter on Misogyny. That is, why do women like to clothes-shop and wear make-up. I actually don’t know the answer to this because I don’t like doing either of these things. I think I’m missing a gene somewhere. If I need to buy clothes, I prefer to guess at the size and buy it rather than try it on, and heaven forbid I need to try on more than one article of clothing. I also don’t see the appeal of wearing makeup. Mr. Llewellyn wagers that women wear makeup and fashionable clothes not to look good for men, as many assume, but to look good to other women. Ah, it’s a show-off and acceptance thing. I am both uncompetitive and oblivious to what other people think of me, so this rings true, at least for me.
The book more of a thought-provoker than a leisurely stroll through a mall-less year. Don’t read it if you’re afraid of looking at your own behavior and responses to what goes on in consumer society and a world that is trying to go green. But if you’d like some insight into class, the changes the world is undergoing now versus the ones of the past, and the hypocrisy that makes us human, check it out. It’s a really good read.
For more from Mr. Llewellyn, check out “Making Do” and “Wet Liberal Weekly” on YouTube and “Carpool” on Llewtube.com.
July 30, 2012
Not quite what I expected. When the book describes how a Brit comedian Robert Llewellyn lives for a year (because he wanted to do it, not because he had to) without buying anything except food and medicine, I would have expected there to be some revelations on how much money he saved, and how to get stuff without spending money. Oh, and his not buying anything applies to new things - so if he had gone to shop at a local charity store like Goodwill, that would have been fine by his definition.
But it was much more of reflections on this ex-hippie's past and present. In the 1970s he lived as a house squatter, and very much didn't buy stuff he didn't need. When he then decades later finds himself married and with offspring, of course his needs are different - now one needs 9 computers, 2 cars, iPads and whatnot. And his wife or kids are not exactly thrilled about his not shopping.
The interesting parts were the reflections in history. So while I didn't find any special tips on how to do with less or how to get stuff one needs for less etc, the spending has changed quite a bit in the past 50 years. Food took a much higher % of the income than it does now. Houses were smaller, and people didn't need those 9 computers in a house, didn't do as many foreign holidays with an airplane, all the family members didn't have a mobile phone, and the belongings used to fit in a much smaller house. Oh, and instead of the global warming scare they had the fear of the next ice age, since the global temperatures fell between 1945 and 1975 - while people produced way more things than ever before. Take that, you global warming fans - it won't take long until the scare changes again. (Maybe 7-10 years of high volcanic activity across the different volcanoes on earth - sorta getting a cooling effect like in Europe in 1860s. No matter if anyone or everyone used a Prius or not).
Funny writing. I guess everyone will have to figure how the book affects them themselves...
But it was much more of reflections on this ex-hippie's past and present. In the 1970s he lived as a house squatter, and very much didn't buy stuff he didn't need. When he then decades later finds himself married and with offspring, of course his needs are different - now one needs 9 computers, 2 cars, iPads and whatnot. And his wife or kids are not exactly thrilled about his not shopping.
The interesting parts were the reflections in history. So while I didn't find any special tips on how to do with less or how to get stuff one needs for less etc, the spending has changed quite a bit in the past 50 years. Food took a much higher % of the income than it does now. Houses were smaller, and people didn't need those 9 computers in a house, didn't do as many foreign holidays with an airplane, all the family members didn't have a mobile phone, and the belongings used to fit in a much smaller house. Oh, and instead of the global warming scare they had the fear of the next ice age, since the global temperatures fell between 1945 and 1975 - while people produced way more things than ever before. Take that, you global warming fans - it won't take long until the scare changes again. (Maybe 7-10 years of high volcanic activity across the different volcanoes on earth - sorta getting a cooling effect like in Europe in 1860s. No matter if anyone or everyone used a Prius or not).
Funny writing. I guess everyone will have to figure how the book affects them themselves...
June 4, 2012
I like Robert Llewellyn, I think he's an excellent writer and a good man and I have liked everything he has done with this book being no exception. I also like Jeremy Clarkson who he does bash a little bit in this book, but then that's okay, I'm fine with the contradiction of liking them both. When I first started reading this book (I actually bought it for my mum because she's a hippy at heart and I thought the concept would please her) I was a little confused as to why it wasn't particularly about the struggles of not buying anything for a year, but then as the book went on I stopped caring and got into what the book was trying to say. I don't think it will change my life but it was a pleasant and thought-provoking read and that's good enough for me.
April 9, 2012
Not at all what I expected - better. Thought provoking. A lot of comparison between 70s hippie ideals and reality, which turned out to be quite relevant to the next book I'm reading - 'Time to Eat the Dog' where there is a lot of factual comparison between the ideals for a sustainable earth that were set out in the 70s (by international congresses, not just hippies) and the very different reality we find ourselves in today after mostly ignoring those ideals.
Read
May 25, 2009Wow, what happened to my review! Just finished this, I'm with Robert all the way even though the book is another tome by a guilty middle aged, middle class rich European telling us all that we're consuming too much. Good read though and Robert is engaging company. Not buying anything new for a year is a little more realistic I suspect than some of the other books I have read on similar themes.
June 14, 2016
Quick read which leaves you with a lot of introspection to do.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews