Categories: uncategorized
Date: 09 November 2009 12:09:27
Admittedly I am after a specific Bible, a Catholic RSV, either hardback or leather bound. I did have the Ignatius Press edition, and it's lovely, but it didn’t survive being baptised with coffee. Naturally, the coffee-Bible interface happened after I spent ages tabbing the pages.
On Friday night I hurtled down to the Catholic Truth Society shop by Westminster Cathedral. Whilst they had the edition I was after, they only had it in paperback, and I don’t like paperback Bibles, the pages fall out. They also had a travel edition in a zipped leather case with a Miraculous Medal on the pull tab (this made me giggle). I went to the St Paul bookshop round the corner, only to discover that it has a somewhat flexible attitude to their closing time - I got to the door at 1750, knowing they close at 1800, only to discover the door being locked and the closed sign up.
“No worries,” I thought, and off I trotted to the massive Waterstone’s on Piccadilly, via Hatchard’s, which is where Mowbray’s Religious Books ended up after the Waterstone’s on Margaret Street turned into Bravissimo. (Pay attention. There will be a quiz later).
Nooooo. There were KJVs as far as the eye could see, rainbow-bound Good News Bibles (neither good, nor news, nor the Bible), more NIVs than you can shake a stick at, but no RSV, Catholic edition or not. I have a King James Bible, the Good News Bible gives me the fear with all those faceless people, and I don’t like the NIV.
Harrumph.
“No worries,” I thought, “I am going to Oxford tomorrow, surely I must be able to get it there.”
Waterstone’s again had KJVs as far as the eye could see, rainbow-bound Good News Bibles, more NIVs than you can shake a stick at, but no RSV.
Blackwell’s had the edition I wanted, but in paperback, and the Oratory bookshop had it leather-bound, but they only take cash, and I didn't have enough cash on me...
Apparently it is that hard to buy a Bible.