Second, Third and Fourth Hand
Jan. 19th, 2011 10:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eumeliaI love second hand books.
I love the fact that the books that belong to me now, were loved by someone before me. I love the creased spines and the yellowed, aged pages. The smell of bookcases and cardboard boxes rather than glue.
Like Giles said: Smell is the most powerful trigger to the memory there is. A certain flower or a whiff of smoke can bring up experiences long forgotten. Books smell... musty and rich. The knowledge gained from a computer is... it has no texture, no context. It's there and then it's gone. If it's to last, then the getting of knowledge should be tangible. It should be, um... smelly.
Mind, that I have a very healthy love for computers, but Giles is possibly one of the most inspiring characters and figures of my early adolescence and late childhood - there's a reason I want to be a tweed wearing, martial arts knowing Librarian Hero!
I received my order from Better World Books (which I ordered just over a week ago, dude they're fast!) and I four of the books I bought were for a course I'm taking next semester - I'm taking a Toni Morrison course - yes, yes, lucky me!
But the one book I purchased without a cause other than "hey, there's a sale! I'll get a book I've been wanting for a while!" and that book is Sarah Schulman's People in Trouble.
Another thing about second hand books is that usually, they are third or fourth hand books and they come to be marked and used and dog-eared. I won't be unfolding the dog ears in this book, as I'm interested in seeing what pages caught the reader's attention and how invariably it now has mine.
But the very best thing? Finding a note.
This book came with a note! From one woman to another. Due to the nature of the book and the author (the book being about the AIDS crisis, a lesbian affair and written by a lesbian woman) I safely assume that the women who exchanged this book are queer themselves and I feel they were probably good friends.
This is the note I found in the book.
I'm not sure if the last word, which I think is the writer's name, is that or "Viavex" or something else.
Opinions?
Regardless, how cool is that?!
I love the fact that the books that belong to me now, were loved by someone before me. I love the creased spines and the yellowed, aged pages. The smell of bookcases and cardboard boxes rather than glue.
Like Giles said: Smell is the most powerful trigger to the memory there is. A certain flower or a whiff of smoke can bring up experiences long forgotten. Books smell... musty and rich. The knowledge gained from a computer is... it has no texture, no context. It's there and then it's gone. If it's to last, then the getting of knowledge should be tangible. It should be, um... smelly.
Mind, that I have a very healthy love for computers, but Giles is possibly one of the most inspiring characters and figures of my early adolescence and late childhood - there's a reason I want to be a tweed wearing, martial arts knowing Librarian Hero!
I received my order from Better World Books (which I ordered just over a week ago, dude they're fast!) and I four of the books I bought were for a course I'm taking next semester - I'm taking a Toni Morrison course - yes, yes, lucky me!
But the one book I purchased without a cause other than "hey, there's a sale! I'll get a book I've been wanting for a while!" and that book is Sarah Schulman's People in Trouble.
Another thing about second hand books is that usually, they are third or fourth hand books and they come to be marked and used and dog-eared. I won't be unfolding the dog ears in this book, as I'm interested in seeing what pages caught the reader's attention and how invariably it now has mine.
But the very best thing? Finding a note.
This book came with a note! From one woman to another. Due to the nature of the book and the author (the book being about the AIDS crisis, a lesbian affair and written by a lesbian woman) I safely assume that the women who exchanged this book are queer themselves and I feel they were probably good friends.
This is the note I found in the book.
Amy dearest. Managed you two Sarah books 2nd hand (people in trouble is best). My grandma died in Jan 2nd. Sigh. Been a hard week.
Speak to you soon. Was wonderful seeing you.
♥ Viaoex
I'm not sure if the last word, which I think is the writer's name, is that or "Viavex" or something else.
Opinions?
Regardless, how cool is that?!
no subject
Date: 2011-01-20 03:18 am (UTC)I sometimes get the urges to leave little notes in my library books when I return them. I never quite get up the courage, though, because I'm a silly creature like that.