Just finished an essay on book collecting by Walter Benjamin (1892-1940) called “Unpacking My Library”. While I own a good number of books, by his standards, I could never be called a collector. For Benjamin there were 2 types of collectors. No, let me take that back; there is the acquirer of books and then there is the collector of books. The acquirer will purchase luxury editions and libraries with no real love for their content; he has purchased the bibliophile’s version of the trophy wife. I had a friend, RP, who had 6 different copies of Lolita in his library and has never read the book. I was baffled.
The collector has deep passion for each leather-bound book or even cloth-bound book. The collector will read the books that can withstand handling and if not, it goes in the glass case. However the collector knows the title is worthy because he will have read a different edition of it. This collector is cognizant of its quality and worth.
Ok, so I am not a collector but I do think I have the same passion for books, as does Benjamin. He mentions that the act of buying of a book gives it its freedom. It rescues the book from a lonely shelf and transports it to the hands of a lover.
If I am not a collector of books then you can call me a collector of stories. And I believe that just by reading them, I, or any reader, have given these stories their freedom. I love to look at all the books in my library, both read and unread. The ones that have not yet been read remain under figurative lock and key until it is their turn. Make no mistake, I also do care deeply about how they are packaged. It is rare that my book covers are not interesting or of some good quality.
One of my absolute favorite books is my paperback copy of Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey with its spine so broken, it is held together by scotch tape. So no, I don’t have any editions that are worth much of anything but I do have some titles that are worth the world.
(this is the copy that i bought in paris) Hee!
I get it.
ReplyDeleteI have recently gone on a quest for my favorite books from my childhood. I have been able to find many of them on the internet. I was suprised to find out that many of the ones from my childhood are in the posession of my older sister who is childless. She got all of them. I wanted them when my children were growing up but they were nowhere to be found. I recently wanted them for myself and to pass to my children for their children. These have only value to me but there is a real magic to a much loved book.