"I can quit any time." That's what the addict says. And I did today, when I left the bi-monthly local library sale with nothing in hand. But there will probably be a relapse, as temptation is always lurking.
A few years ago I started scooping up old hardback books, attractive but mostly secondary or inexpensive reprinted works by well-known authors, and only a very few first editions or valuable rarities. Some of the late 19th century ones are bound or illustrated with style you don't see anymore and just had to be saved.
People have interests, avocations and pursuits that give a shine to daily life; often these can be more like obsessions than entertainments -- things like sports, religion, family. pets, video games or golf. You have to keep an eye on yourself. Eyeing those overflowing shelves, someone needs to heed his own advice.
Their history is usually unknown and one wonders...were they kept quietly in one home for decades or had they endured several moves or changes of ownership?
Many look untouched and may have never been read. Some have a little story hidden inside: a bookmark made from the cover of a 1940 magazine, a review of the book from 1955, a short grocery list...the best one is a moving letter dated 1978 from a mother to an adult daughter giving her a beloved volume from 1930 which her husband had given as a wedding present. From London, this edition of the Rubiayat is bound in tooled leather and beautifully illustrated by the great Willy Pognany. Maybe a grandchild cleared out the daughter's home and that's how it ended up at the sale. One book had a wedding announcement inside from 1946; the name written on the flyleaf was, according to the newspaper article, the flower girl with her age given as 14 and the address. People you never knew you come to know a little; the books may be passed on and in time someone may wonder who and what you were.
 |
| The Pognany volume |
No comments:
Post a Comment