About the shop
Independent, city-centre, and stubbornly paper-first.
Misery Worming Books began with a rented room on Strada Memorandumului and a conviction that Cluj-Napoca still has space for a bookstore that knows its customers by name. We are not a chain outlet and we are not a café with a few paperbacks near the sugar. The floor is for books first: tables for opening a chapter, shelves you can reach without ladders, and a till that can pause for a long recommendation.
The name is odd on purpose. We wanted something memorable that did not pretend to be a medieval manuscript house or a lifestyle brand. “Worming” nods to the old sense of reading one’s way through a volume; “misery” is half joke, half honesty about how seriously some of us take a disappointing translation. Regulars shorten it to “Misery” when they phone; we answer either way.
Buying is personal. We work with Romanian distributors, a few European small presses, and private sellers who bring clean second-hand lots. Every title earns its centimetre. When something fails to move, we donate or return it rather than discount it into a sad pile by the door. That keeps the room readable and the staff recommendations trustworthy.
How we work day to day
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Listen before we sell
We ask what you finished last, which language you prefer tonight, and whether you want comfort or an argument on the page.
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Keep the room calm
No promotional screens, no competing music. Conversation is welcome; shouting over a playlist is not required.
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Stay local
Address, phone, and hours are real. If we are closed for inventory or a private event, the window note says so.
The shop is run by a small team who also read for pleasure — fiction, criticism, and the stubborn nonfiction that explains how cities like Cluj grow. We welcome students, translators, teachers, and visitors who want something better than airport thrillers. Children are fine when accompanied; our core shelves are written for adult readers.
Visit us at Strada Memorandumului 12, 400114 Cluj-Napoca. Open Monday to Saturday, 10:00–19:00. Call +40 264 555 318 or write [email protected] if you need a hold, a gift shortlist, or details about an evening event.