Why one should NEVER get rid of books.

[truepenny]

I was lying in bed Saturday night, not getting to sleep and for some reason obsessing over my dissertation. (Not in itself a bad thing, but I wish I could manage that level of focus when I'm supposed to be working.) And I suddenly thought, apropos of nothing at all, Equus! It's got a kind of formal Senecanism to it, as The Brotherhood of the Wolf has a very visceral Senecanism; it's a play, and I've read it, and I like it; and it looks all dignified and grown-up and persuasive about this rather sketchy twentieth-century argument I need to write.

I knew I owned Equus, so all was well.

Yesterday, I went to fetch out my copy for a reread and to confirm my memory that there are in fact ghosts of horses in the play, and discovered to my chagrin and amazement that I don't own it any longer. It should be between Shaw and Shepherd and it's just. not. there. (I just got up and went and stared at the drama/poetry bookcase again, and Equus continues obstinately to be conspicuous by its absence.)

Clearly, Equus went in the Great Purge of '01, when we moved into our current apartment. (I got rid of a appalling quantity of books, and our collection still took 40 small book boxes, 10 of which are residing in the attic.) I know what happened. But I have literally no idea of what I could have been thinking. It makes me want to go back in time and dope-smack my former self. Don't get rid of that, you nitwit!

The good news is that Equus is a common sight in used bookstores, so I shouldn't have any particular trouble in acquiring another copy. But I shouldn't have to.

Never get rid of books. Never never never.

Comments

[rysmiel.livejournal.com]

Forty ? Forty ?

Ours took eighty-three to move across the Atlantic; that being all of Papersky's, all of Zorinth's, and about half of mine. The thought of being reduced to a mere forty is... unutterably horrifying.

[monanotlisa.livejournal.com]

Well...there are SOME books one should rather get rid of.

Of course, this attempt may backlash--

when I was a tomboy child and hating "all these girly books", some friend gave me this big, schmoopy young adult novel called something along the lines of "Going south with Robin". Despite my utter horror, I politely thanked her but proceeded to give it to another friend of mine who, as I knew, read this sort of stuff. So. Then I went to this birthday party of another friend of mine...and, right there on the gift table, it was: "Going south with Robin"...

[reannon.livejournal.com]

I regularly donate "Taxes for Dummies" and "Writer's Market" to the local libraries when the new editions come out. I also donated "The Inner Game of Tennis" to the library because it was the single most boring book I'd ever read that wasn't by Melville.

I also lost several books in a succession of basement floods. Still sniffling over that.

Other than that, I still have every book I've ever bought, which explains why most of my collection resides permanently in boxes instead of on the bookshelves. I need a house for my books. When I move, I'll have to count the book-boxes. :)

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

I knew someone was going to come along and trump my 40. :)

That 40 is mostly just MY books. I do most of the book-buying, though we both read them, and a large fraction of Mirrorthaw's collection is still in his parents' house. (We've got to do something about that ...)

Also, every time we move, we seem to gain about ten boxes, no matter HOW many I weed.

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

When I move, I'll have to count the book-boxes.

Oh, definitely. It's a great way to shock and amaze your less bookishly inclined friends. *g*

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

Well, okay, fair enough. I don't repine over the Dragonlance novels. :)

[monanotlisa.livejournal.com]

Ah, but Tanis!!

& ;-)

you have--

[matociquala.livejournal.com]

--less bookishly inclined friends?

What are those?

Re: you have--

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

Computer geeks.

[vass]

You're feeding my book-paranoia. It's hard enough already to give books away, even if I know I'll never read them again.

I think my book collection is still at the bachelor's degree stage, though - I seem to recall that my move involved twenty boxes or fewer. Still, ever room in my flat (except the bathroom, which is too small and damp besides) has multiple bookshelves that I can bask in front of. *insert picture of me warming hands in front of bookcase with expression of unholy glee* *ambiguity retained, because it amused me*

[papersky.livejournal.com]

I purge the books regularly, even if I did have eighty mumble boxes. (I hated putting them in boxes, but I did enjoy writing "Aiken to Asimov" and so on. My favourite was "Caesar to Cherryh", though "Shute to Suetonius" also had a certain something.)

I don't often change my mind about wanting to re-read, but it has happened that I've had to re-buy things. Generally though, when there's that terrible invisible gaping hole on the shelf, it's because I lost it in the divorce.

Never merge your book collection.

[mitchellirons.livejournal.com]

Hello.

you are far too interesting a character to keep of a "friends" list. Cheers.

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

Welcome!