LEWINSKY BOOK SELLING BRISKLY.

Byline: Michael Coit Daily News Staff Writer

The display table for ``Monica's Story'' inside the Barnes & Noble Bookseller in Encino became a reading corner Thursday as patrons leafed through the first copies of the tell-all biography - hyped in no small measure by Monica Lewinsky's two-hour interview with Barbara Walters the night before.

Curiosity about what the former White House intern had to say about her relationship with President Clinton and her treatment by prosecutors drew the interest of browsers and buyers like Lynn Camhi, who decided to pay the $24.95 price after watching the televised interview.

``I was pretty impressed with the interview. It completely changed my mind,'' said the Sherman Oaks resident. ``She gained my respect.

``And this is her story, which we have heard little about.''

Across the San Fernando Valley and on the Internet, plenty of readers shared Camhi's interest in the Lewinsky book, which is a collaboration with Princess Diana biographer Andrew Morton.

Sales were brisk at Dutton's Books in both North Hollywood and Burbank, forcing owner Dave Dutton to order a new shipment so the stores wouldn't sell out. Dutton noted that his stores typically don't sell many copies of best-selling gossip books.

``It's actually selling a little more rapidly than I anticipated. Generally we're not a best seller, instant-hit type store. We tend more toward literature and art books,'' Dutton said.

``I realize this has more ramifications. It's a major occurrence, a phenomena in American culture. But I underestimated the popularity.''

Internet sales were brisk. On barnesandnoble.com, the book was selling 2.8 copies per minute for a few hours late Wednesday.

``We're selling it at a rabbit's pace. We've never done anything else nearly close to this,'' said Ben Boyd, spokesman for the Internet bookseller.

Boyd said the Internet is ideal for ordering an anticipated best seller before it hits stores.

Anonymity probably had as much to do with the Lewinsky book's Internet popularity, said Sally Hallada, who stopped by the Barnes & Noble in Encino on her lunch hour. ``People probably don't want to be seen with it,'' she said.

Hallada, a Studio City resident, decided not to buy the book after listening to portions of the Lewinsky interview.

``I figured I've heard it all,'' she said. ``But I hadn't heard her say anything, and it was pretty much what I expected.''

The Encino Barnes & Noble sold 15 copies the first few hours after opening and sales continued at a mild pace throughout the day.

``We've had some calls seeing if we carried it,'' said Mark Allec, the store's manager. ``It would be safe to say this would probably be a consistent seller for a short period of time.''

While hoping to keep pace with the initial demand, Dutton wasn't buying more than 25 books at a time. ``I would guess in a month from now we would be lucky to sell one or two a day. The market will saturate very quickly,'' he said.

Sales at barnesandnoble.com likely will drop further more quickly, Boyd said.

``Next Thursday or Friday, if we sell 15 or 20 copies a day, that will be good.''

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PHOTO Lynn Camhi of Sherman Oaks looks at a copy of ``Monica's Story'' at an Encino bookstore Thursday.

Tina Gerson/Daily News