A local pub where I have spent a great deal of time over the last few months has an amazing array of books spread around it. Every window sill, several ancient cupboards and shelves are home to hundreds of books. Among them are the occasional copy of Reader's Digest, or Royal horticultural Society periodical from the last twenty years or so. However most are books from (what I have seen) pre-1970 with some from around the turn of the previous century. All the books are, naturally, covered in dust and the odd cobweb or dead spider.
All those forgotten books. Authors whose names mean nothing to me. Wonderful sounding titles like "Encyclopaedia of Article Ideas", containing, yep, ideas to inspire writers of articles. "A house called Creepers". "Portrait of a man with red hair". Books which could, for all I know, be the only copy still around.
A pencilled scrawl in the flyleaf might indicate that the book was given as a gift to someone in 1956. One wonders who the giver and receiver might have been; was the book the equivalent of The Da Vinci Code, and selected as the book of the week? Perhaps the book was the result of hours spent in every book shop in town to find the right gift.
I have to speculate the value of such a collection. In monetary terms, perhaps a great deal, perhaps nothing at all. From a literary point of view, this could be the dregs of work that have been resigned to never see the light of day again.
But how much history is captured within the pages, or have been seen by the books themselves?
Very interesting thoughts Indy, and better said that anything who could have attempt to say myself. But often my kind of thoughts when in a used books shop, another reason why i also prefer used books than brand new ones too.
ReplyDeleteAlways a delight for me to stumble across a name written on the first page or some forgotten paper or photo within the pages of a book that unveils a bit of its personal history. *smile*
I need the Encyclopedia of Article Ideas!!
ReplyDelete...any chance of, you know, maybe sliding it off the dusty shelf and secreting it out of the pub for me? *sly grin*
But yes. Old books are wonderful things. Like touching history.