Book Save
Unless a book is absolutely falling apart, I’ll let it live. I have a lot of respect for books… I don’t even like to dog-ear pages. Magazines are a different story.
Unless a book is absolutely falling apart, I’ll let it live. I have a lot of respect for books… I don’t even like to dog-ear pages. Magazines are a different story.
I used to work in the machine shop of the art college on campus… and I totally did this! There was a guy who had this gorgeous illustrated copy of Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tales and he was asking me the best way to saw it in half. One sad-girl face later, and I had a new book.
books are almost holy in my household. they are never destroyed, (although a friend of mine burned her copy of twilight in disgust, but that I can understand)
Better pay her, Ryan, she is crazy. I hate people ruining books. Most of books in my library are from the Antiquariats (for some reason, i dont know the english word for this beautiful shops). Used, touched and some of them falling apart. I never trash one of them or buy a new one.
What I really hate is that in college, most professors encourage students to underline passages, or to write notes in their books. It made me cringe every time I saw somebody doing that. Books are too special to me to do that, even if I absolutely hate the book. What made me really sad was that a chipmunk had gotten into my room (thanks to my brat cats) and died. What I didn’t know was that my copy of “I know why the caged bird sings” had fallen over and was covering the thing as it decomposed.
I ended up having to recycle the book because it had this horrible odor on it, and there was some juices from the decomposing body. Thankfully, I have a wonderful friend who has an extra copy of the book. He is even seeing if he can get the author to sign it for me.
The only time I’ve disposed of books was when I was forced to do so – a nasty accident involving lots of water (and therefore, residual damp) 🙁
These days, being a bear of little income, I tend to buy books from Goodwill (yay, Goodwill!), or get free books for my computer and pocket computer. Project Gutenberg is fantastic for freely obtaining books whose American copyright has expired (your mileage may vary in other countries!)
Oh, and an FYI for Alex: “Antiquariat” translates into both “antiquarian” and “second-hand”; I tend to think of the former as being a book store with lovingly-preserved books, and the latter as one where previous owners have been a little more… cavalier with their former possessions 🙂
Sarah: EW! EW EW EW! Just my luck that I was eating as I read that!
*feels all ICKY now* Still going to finish eating, though!
Astragali, thanks. What I just don’t get is why the English language (which often use foreign language) using something like this phrase: Second-hand bookshop. That sounds horrible. Well if I think about it as a linguist: German – Secondhand-Buchladen, Italian – libreria di seconda mano, Hungarian – Secondhand könyvesbolt or French – librairie d’occasion… We just have the word antikvariát.
I’m the same Brig, a book has to be on death’s door before I replace it :)!
Books are the second religion in my house :). In my whole family pretty much. I literally cringe when I see someone fold the cover over so they can hold it in one hand, GAH. My local second-hand bookstore is my favourite store in the whole world. I can’t walk in without buying something, which is why I have a to-read pile of 60+ books, so I have to avoid it for a while, le sigh.
Alex, you’re welcome 🙂
Although I agree that “second-hand” is not a particularly pretty term, I do love the sheer variety of expression in English, and it definitely helps with radio shows like Just A Minute (New series starting tomorrow!!! *bouncebouncebounce*) (No, I don’t work for the BBC :D).
It certainly doesn’t hurt when you’re writing poetry, too!
I love old books and would never harm them. They have character. I love to turn the thickened pages of a well read book. New books…bah! They don’t smell as good as an old, used book.
Goodness, Y’all… you do love your books.
I hope you’ll take a moment to check out the new Paris photos on the Flickr… as there are photos of Shakespeare & Co… the world’s worstedly organized bookstore in Paris… but so nifty and cool.
I do have something to admit….. um… I bought some French comics whilst in France… and I am deciphering them… and I decided (I’ve never done this before) I have decided to write the English next to the French. Sigh, yes, I am writing in my books. There, I said it, and I feel better.
Sarah: Your decomposing rodent story made me gag. Good call on finding another copy of that book.
Astragali: I am soooo checking out that new radio show! Thanks for mentioning it.
Carrie… you made me laugh. Le chuckle (hee hee, Meggie)
Count me in as a book lover!
Back in my bachelor days, I bought a “Bag O’ Books” from a yard sale for a couple buck. You had to buy them sight unseen (other than the ones on top), but I saw one I wanted. After I got home, holding the bag in one arm while I drove my moped with the other, I went through my treasure. Some good stuff, some “bleh* stuff, and *gasp!* one porn. (I do not ever read porn. And the only erotica I write is for my wife.)
And yet… when I moved to another apartment, I STILL had that book and I STILL couldn’t throw it away. Only after deciding that I didn’t have anyone I could give it to, I FINALLY threw it away, but even then didn’t throw any garbage on top of it, instead putting it on the top of the garbage bag. And I STILL felt bad about it, even though – in my opinion – the writing itself had no redeemable quality.
I’ve since overcome that level of squeamishness and now realize that while it is good to respect books, the respect should derive not from their physical existence but rather from intangible characteristics. It’s what the book represents – ideas, creativity, desire to communicate, and willingness to reveal one’s soul – that is important. And ownership of books reflects a person’s own mind’s eye, even if some of the books have yet to be read.
Brig: Maybe you should have used Post-It notes for your translations – making sure, of course, to write on the note before you stick it down…
Just a thought 😀
Although there are margins… they are small… so post-its would cover the pics… and I’m not okay with that. But nice suggestions. I am okay with writing LIGHTLY in the comics. By the way, my French comprehension is improving.
Good to hear your French comprehension is improving 🙂
The other suggestion which popped into my head would have involved a scanner, a graphics-editing program, and (optionally) a printer… Scan the comic, split up the panels to have an area you can write or type alongside, and the original is unharmed.
But then, I have way too much time on my hands 😉
wow, I’m the only one with a little bit of both sides of the fences. on one hand, I love and respect books, but on the other, there are some I love so much they just look horrible.
books are great, but if you can fully enjoy them, they aren’t their greatest. (and yes, I have dog-eared some books. you may gasp and shun me).
I’d be agahst, too. I dog-ear, but I wouldn’t dream of cutting pages out of great works like “Treasure Island” or really any book for that matter. If you want the illustrations separate get a scanner. P.S. Are Ryan and Randie ever going to be a couple?
If it is falling apart you stick it together. You DON’T cut it up, sorry, but I’m rabid bibliophile. Destroying books really sends a shiver down my spine. I count the burning of The Library of Alexandria one of the greatest crime ever.