Fishpond.com.au – A Review

I discovered on-line booksellers fishpond.com.au (Fishpond) about six months ago and was quite initially impressed by the prices offered on new books, but also by the free postage on orders over $50.00.

Previously, I had bought most of my books from Amazon.com, but due to the expense of shipping, I usually waited until I had a bulk order. Another problem of ordering at Amazon.com was the excessive shipping time.

I saw Fishpond as a new way of buying lower cost books and having them delivered quickly, as Fishpond have a Tullamarine warehouse. However, although Fishpond claims that most of the items will be delivered within 3 to 5 days of ordering, in my experience, I have found their shipping to be excessively slow. In some cases, books that were to be delivered within a week have taken eight weeks to arrive. It is true that Fishpond emailed me to let me know of the delay, but their new time estimates were as wildly inaccurate as the original time estimates.

The best aspect of Fishpond is buying second hand books. Fishpond allows users to list their used books for sale to other Fishpond users. The service is allows users to purchase used books through their existing Fishpond account and therefore simplifying the payment process. I have found the service to be prompt, and so far each of the books I have order has arrived in the condition described by the seller.

However, I have sold several books via this method, and have not found the process as easy for seller of used books. Once the order has been placed, the seller has two days to post the book to the buyer. Selling second hand books on Fishpond allows sellers to ask a higher price than at conventional second hand bookstores, but payment is not immediate. Fishpond collects the sellers asking price, plus $4.95 postage, but then keeps 10% of the total price. In most cases, postage on novels is $5.00, but for hardcover and heavier books is usually $9.00. Potential sellers should factor this into their asking price

Under the standard conditions, Fishpond agrees to make payment to the seller within 7 to 14 days of the order being placed. However, in my experience, Fishpond’s payment schedule is as unreliable as there delivery. If, as a seller, you can afford to wait for payment, it is possible to recover a little more for used books than selling them to second hand book dealers.

In short, Fishpond sells a wide range of books generally at better prices than can be found in traditional stores. A further benefit is that Fishpond offers a service to buy and sell second hand items. However, if your purchase is time-sensitive, I would steer clear of Fishpond, unless purchasing second hand books which arrive within one week of purchasing. When considering selling, it is worth weighing up the time spent packaging the items and the time between the sale and payment being received. It may be easier to simply take your books to a second hand dealer.

The Talented Mr Ripley - Patricia Highsmith

Well, I must be one of only a few on the planet who have not seen the movie 'The Talented Mr Ripley', so, before watching it I decided that I would read the book. Yes, I am one of those book-people as the blog might suggest.

Anyway, on with the show. The blurb for this book states (and I am quoting the Daily Telegraph here) "It is hard to imagine anyone interested in modern fiction who has not read the Ripley novels." Well, I consider myself as an interested party in modern fiction, therefore, no need to image Mr/Ms Daily Telegraph, there are plenty of us out there (I checked).

Having such a big rap like that from the Daily Telegraph, the Ripley novel might be feeling some anxiety as to its ability to meet the required level to attain the reralms of classic modern fiction. However, it should fear not as I concurcompletely with the Daily Telegraph.

This is a chilling novel, but, not so that it is off the bed time reading list. The protanganist, Tom Ripley has a very warped sense of worth which is evident from his actions in Chapter One. Such is Tom's mindset, that his self worth is nothing unless he considers he is outsmarting at least one other person. His need for power can be found in the smallest of lies to the grand scale of murder. Tom's intellegence puts him in the category of genius, but his execution 'friendship' makes him one of the most frightening people on earth.

The book was filled with a number of twist and turns, which kept me gripped until the very end. The plot is well constructed and each chapter skillfully written. There is a beauty in the detective ways of the 1950s and a sense that other crime fiction is now filled with DNA samples and scientific jargon. In my opinion, I much prefer this style of writing and will be reaching for the next in the Mr Ripley series (once I have gotten through my existing list of must-reads).