Weird things for sale
Actually this isn’t so much the thing itself that’s weird as the place selling it: apparently CostCo is now going to sell “The Illustrated Torah.”
Good, bad or indifferent – what do you all think? Is this too weird, or just another day in corporate America?
Also, CVS has its own store-brand line of Chanukah candles (which were on the shelves even before Halloween).
I don’t understand what’s weird about this… To me, it’s weird that CostCo exists at all, but, if they sell washing machines and giant jars of mayonnaise and packs of 36 panties and 72 rolls of toilet paper, then why not books? and if they sell books, why would they not sell such a title? Is it weird that Barnes and Nobles sells the title? Or Borders?
Well, Costco has a very small book section, and they limit the titles they carry to items they think will have mass-market appeal. When I worked in the music business, we tried very hard to get one of our albums into Costco (and Wal*Mart, for that matter) but it isn’t easy (and we weren’t successful)…
I think Bob said it best almost 1/2 a century ago:
Disillusioned words like bullets bark
As human gods aim for their mark
Made everything from toy guns that spark
To flesh-colored Christs that glow in the dark
It’s easy to see without looking too far
That not much
Is really sacred.
My only concern was that it would be some crazy publishing house putting out a “Torah” with weird christian spin… but the publisher is Gefen. I haven’t seen The Illustrated Torah, but this is fantastic news. The more time people spend reading this the better, and Costco just opened up the opportunity for basic Torah study to millions of people (kids?).
I suppose the most unusual thing about this book showing up in the mass market is the title. If it had the same contents and were called “The Illustrated Old Testament: Volume I”, we wouldn’t blink an eye.
Where I live Costco is frequented by many frum families and they’ve responded by expanding their kosher section (each store has some control over what they sell there, I guess). There are often Jewish books in the book section, too. So this doesn’t strike me as weird at all. I do a lot of shopping at Costco and I always look at the books and sometimes buy Jewish titles there.
Doesn’t seem weird to me. Are the only places that should sell Jewish books supposed to be seforim stores?
I bought this book several years ago. Michal Meron’s illustrations are beautiful and the parsha synopses are easy to read and concise. I can see no reason why Costco shouldn’t carry it, seeing as they heart Jews by carrying frozen Empire chicken, Pesach products and kosher baked goods.
Although I think I’d probably find it a little creepy if Costco were to sell Artscroll siddurim in a convenient 10-pack.