New Bookstore Owner Sticks To The Basics

A little over two months ago, Blair Gianoulis, 32, and his wife, a first year resident at St. Francis Hospital, arrived in Hartford from the midwest, a place with a lot of chain pizza stores, and not many independent bookstores.

So Gianoulis created one at 203 New Britain Avenue named Marsyas Books, a place he says where people can just sit around, and, well, break something.

"You can break anything and not worry about it," he said. This is not a license for violence, after all it's a bookstore with an owner who is laid-back, conscientious, and knowledgeable. "I want anybody to feel comfortable," he said.

At Marsyas Books, titles are neatly arranged on tables and shelves throughout the 450 square foot space that might otherwise serve as offices next door to Beij, Williams, & Zito monuments.

The building opens with a small alcove and office space, and then opens up to a larger high-ceilinged room filled with books.

A room to the left of the alcove is home to Luis Colon, New Britain Avenue Merchant Coordinator. Gianoulis specializes in fiction, poetry, drama and some philosophy titles.

"My goal basically is to give people access to literature," he said.

He explained that some book collectors highly value first editions of a book, which are sometimes printed on acid-free paper.

"The editions don't really matter to me, it's the sentences," he said.

Gianoulis grew up in Cambridge, Mass. and attended Cambridge-Ringe Latin High School, a public school most noted popularly, perhaps, for being the school of New York Knicks center Patrick Ewing.

He played football at Bates College, looking back on the experience with self-effacing modesty.

"I'm proud to say I was the worst football player on the worst football team in the nation, you can put that down," Gianoulis said. He played linebacker.

Gianoulis also spent time in the midwest while his significant other was going to medical school in East Lansing, Mich. at Michigan State.

An east asian history/religion major at Bates, he experienced big-ten football and studied literature.

"I didn't read much fiction until I was 23, 24, since then it's been about 9 years non-stop."

"I'm not a business person, I'm a book person, I'm not attracted to this field for money," he said.

But there are popular titles at Marsyas, and Gianoulis has his favorites: Nikos Kazantzakis, Herman Hesse, Graham Swift, who wrote Waterworld, and Eugene Ionesco.

He said some of these author's selections he likes better than others.

Now in Hartford, Gianoulis hopes to put in a phone at the store soon, with potential for providing a service to South End neighborhoods and beyond.

Marsyas Books is open Monday - Friday, 10am - 5pm.