Two major bookstores are Borders and Kinokuniya, both located in shopping malls. Borders, like the stores in the US, is a book-and-music complex with a cafe (actually Starbucks, which has invaded almost every corner of any business district in Kuala Lumpur). It’s a relaxing place with lots of chairs so people can sit and read. It carries US edition of titles in fiction and literature. But I also find the Penguin Great Love series that is exclusively published in the UK at a very reasonable price. Decor and setup of the bookstore are exactly the same as their US counterparts, with listening stations, children play area and magazine sections.
Kinokuniya, which locates on the 4th floor of Suria KLCC (shopping mall below the Petronas Twin Towers). The modern decor, hardwood floor, giant bay window and bright natural light make this my favorite bookstore. The Japanese-owned Kinokuniya has smartly conformed to Malaysia’s multiculturalism by carrying books in Malay, Chinese, Japanese, and English language all under one roof. You’ll see readers of all ethnic groups browsing and scouring the aisles. The store lends the air of an academic library with a touch of modernity and slateness.
My favorite hnagout (hideout) spot is the cafe on the upper level above the stationery section, where I can have a panoramic view of the KLCC Park. I spend hours reading and writing over pots of tea. Books here are cling-wrapped except for a sample copy for each title. I find am excellent selection of the UK Vintage Classics titles that are not available in the US like La Bal by Irene Nemirovsky and also the paperback of her latest in the US, Fire in the Blood. Authors from the Outmoded Author Challenge are not out moded at all and do have a fair share of exposure. Elizabeth Bowen, Anna Kavan, May Sarton, and W. Somerset Maugham all have their sections on the shelves of literature. I find a much desired copy of Maugham’s Far Eastern Tales to compliment The Gentleman in the Parlour. And to my utter delight (and consolation), Kinokuniya does make a distinctionbetween literature and pulp fiction.
While it’s inconclusive that the Malaysia government exercises censorship on books and media, I do observe that titles in gay interests, like novels by James Baldwin, Alan Hollinghurst, and Andrew Holleran, are not represented in any of these bookstores.
Filed under: Books, Malaysia, Travel | Tagged: Books, Bookstore, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Travel |
A Guy's Moleskine Notebook 
It’s heartening to know that there are stores somewhere in which one could step in and pick up copies of Kavan and Sarton off the shelves.
That’s so cool that those outmoded authors are not outmoded over there 🙂
Are the magazines wrapped or can you peek through those? I know in Monterrey the booksellers don’t like it when people read through the magazines. Thank goodness that’s not the case here otherwise I’d have been kicked out of Borders and Barnes & Noble a long time ago. ha.ha.
It’s alternately funny and a bit depressing that Borders is pretty much the same everywhere – the world over, apparently! I never know whether to be comforted or disheartened about the presence of carbon copies of well-known U.S. chains all over the world. Nonetheless, I’m enjoying traveling vicariously through you!
Imani:
I know! I’m so excited that I wish I live here just for the sake of the great selection. 🙂
Iliana:
I guess authors that were from the colonial period have such important and significant presence in countries that were once colonial. All the books are wrapped but a sample copy is available. Magazines are wrapped to discourage browsing.
Megan:
It comforts me that Borders encourages reading but like you said, at the same time it’s dishertening that a foreign chain dominates the local market. By selection and atmosphere I still prefer the other biggie here, which is the Japanese-owned Kinokuniya. 🙂
Golly, Mai — Looking at your photo of Borders in the Mall, it looks like you could be back in Kansas. Love your commentaries.
johnNokc:
That’s what I call globalization. Borders has invaded Singapore and Malaysia, two of the biggest markets in Asia. HKers don’t read so I suppose Borders won’t consider opening there.
I love the fact that they segregate literature from pop pulp fiction, would love to get some of that here in the United States! Your pictures are great, keep it up!
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[…] I was backpacking through Malaysia last December, to my utter delight and surprise, I found two wonderful bookstores in Kuala Lumpur. For a country whose primary language is not English, Kinokuniya at the Twin Towers offers a very […]