The reason why 'The Vegetarian' sold out in US bookstores

"So many people have been asking all day, but we don't have ‘The Vegetarian.’ We ran out of it yesterday. I'm really sorry."

On Friday (local time), Margo, who works at the popular bookstore "Strand" in Manhattan, New York, said this with a regretful expression‎. In fact, I had already read the book a few years ago. I said, "It's okay," and walked away contentedly.

Americans seem to love books. No matter where you go, you can easily spot people reading—whether in the park, at a café, or on the subway. They carry books or Kindles (Amazon's e-reader) wherever they go. While there are concerns within the U.S. itself that fewer people are reading compared to before, coming from a country where everyone is glued to their phones, I can't help but wonder what exactly they're worried about.

Why do people here read so much? First, I think about the subway. That's right. There's no internet connection in New York's subway, which boasts a 120-year history. It's surprising, but true. You get a brief connection at the stations, but once the train departs, it’s back to no service. So, without a book, it can get quite dull.

This one-dimensional reason isn’t the whole story. Last year, when I was doing a training program in Washington, D.C., the subway there had excellent internet connectivity, yet there were always people holding books. It was the same on vacation—people read at the beach or in the forest. When did people here start doing this?

A scene came to mind. No matter where you went in the U.S., there was always a neighborhood library nearby, and there were young children, two or three years old, sitting together, looking at books. In those libraries, the kids read books, sang songs, and played with Legos. On weekends, volunteers would come and read to them for two or three hours. Both physically and emotionally, the library was the warmest, most friendly, and beautiful space. American libraries have various programs tailored to different age groups, including activities and book clubs. Neighborhood libraries would lend up to 50 books at a time for three weeks, and if there were no reservations on a book, you could extend the loan for another three weeks.

In elementary schools, the only mandatory homework for every student was “20 minutes of reading a day.” Students would write down which book they read and for how many minutes in a reading log, get it signed by their parents, and submit it. The teacher would return it with a simple word of praise. While it started as a goal to read for 20 minutes, soon, no one was stopping at just 20 minutes. People who grew up with such a deep, long-lasting love for books were spread throughout society.

As I left the bookstore, I bought a copy of Lee Min-jin’s ‘Free Food for Millionaires’ in English, a book I had read long ago. On Amazon, it was $10.32, but at the bookstore, it was $21.99. Still, I chose to buy it there. Unlike the large bookstores in Korea, where most books are tightly wrapped in plastic so you can’t browse through them, this bookstore allowed you to flip through any book freely, and I felt a sense of gratitude and duty to show at least this small courtesy. Of course, the people in line at the register probably knew the Amazon price, but today, as always, there was a long line of patient Americans waiting without any tricks. We loved the Nobel Prize, but they loved the book.