Not My Beloved Book Collection!
In a few weeks, my son will be going to Hawaii to live for awhile. While there, he is hoping to find a job to earn him some money so he can pursue his own impossible dream to travel for several months before he looks for a serious job . As he is packing his belongings, he has decided that he wants to read and take some exotic books with him.
Many of you probably know by now that I am a voracioius reader. Books are most prized possession, and probably, I have close to 1,000 of them. My son compiled a list of his most desired books, and went into my office, which many would conclude looks like a small library. Before long, I saw many of most beloved books in his arms, stacked on upon the other. In his arms lurked the collection I had built over the past few decades, including the works of Nabikov, Calvino, Garcia Marquez, Bashevis Singer, Borges, e.e. cummings, and Mario Vargas Losa! 'Do you have Portnoy's Complaint,' he asked, by Phillip Roth? 'What about Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky, and The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundara?' Rather startled, I said, 'do you know it has taken me most of my life to collect these works? They are a part of me?' He responded, 'well have you read them?' When I said yes, of course, his conclusion was if that is the case, these books should be given to my children to enjoy and devour carnivoriously, as I had over these past several years.
Parting with some items is like giving up a piece of oneself, at least so it feels with my book collection. Can it not be said, that it is best to wait until one is deseased to let go of certain aspects of his/her property? Most certainly, I feel this to be the case with my books. Is there a kind of strange uniqueness to them, by definition, as they relate to the history of who I am, and what I am all about? Is my being truly attached to and defined in relationship to these books?
Knowing that his reasoning is logical, it still feels as if I am giving up a huge part of myself...My books...The essence of my being. Thankfully, or maybe not so, the more I think about it, he did not see all the works I have on the Holocaust, or my beloved The Magician of Lublin by Bashevis Singer, hidden deep inside of some unknown book shelf!
Nevertheless, I am happy that I have a son who has inhereted my love for reading, my tolerance for others, and the pursuit of knowledge, no matter where it is. Books bring perspective and knowlege, thereby power.
Thank you for your minds.
Many of you probably know by now that I am a voracioius reader. Books are most prized possession, and probably, I have close to 1,000 of them. My son compiled a list of his most desired books, and went into my office, which many would conclude looks like a small library. Before long, I saw many of most beloved books in his arms, stacked on upon the other. In his arms lurked the collection I had built over the past few decades, including the works of Nabikov, Calvino, Garcia Marquez, Bashevis Singer, Borges, e.e. cummings, and Mario Vargas Losa! 'Do you have Portnoy's Complaint,' he asked, by Phillip Roth? 'What about Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky, and The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundara?' Rather startled, I said, 'do you know it has taken me most of my life to collect these works? They are a part of me?' He responded, 'well have you read them?' When I said yes, of course, his conclusion was if that is the case, these books should be given to my children to enjoy and devour carnivoriously, as I had over these past several years.
Parting with some items is like giving up a piece of oneself, at least so it feels with my book collection. Can it not be said, that it is best to wait until one is deseased to let go of certain aspects of his/her property? Most certainly, I feel this to be the case with my books. Is there a kind of strange uniqueness to them, by definition, as they relate to the history of who I am, and what I am all about? Is my being truly attached to and defined in relationship to these books?
Knowing that his reasoning is logical, it still feels as if I am giving up a huge part of myself...My books...The essence of my being. Thankfully, or maybe not so, the more I think about it, he did not see all the works I have on the Holocaust, or my beloved The Magician of Lublin by Bashevis Singer, hidden deep inside of some unknown book shelf!
Nevertheless, I am happy that I have a son who has inhereted my love for reading, my tolerance for others, and the pursuit of knowledge, no matter where it is. Books bring perspective and knowlege, thereby power.
Thank you for your minds.
24 Comments:
For a minute I have been feeling rather guilty because I have become overwhelmed and depressed with the news and the arguments of the Katrina.
I can't tell you how good it feels to pop over here and read this. Thanks to you and your son --- for this wonderful distraction. As a matter of fact, I am going to read me a book today ---!
Between my husband and I we have 6 full bookcases of books. If my children were to take them I'd be horrified! If they make a list I'd get them their own copies. Maybe not all at once but at a pace where they'd get to read them.
My Grandma had hundreds of crafting and sewing books. I was priveleged to inherit some of them. Below her name is mine. She was also a fabric hog and I got most of that.
I'm rather possessive of my collection too. I have books I have read over and over, and some I will probably never read again... but I wouldn't want to part with any of them. They collectively define me. They illustrate who I am, how I've evolved, and what passing interests I've entertained. They are precious to me and I would love for my kids to read any and all of them... but take them out of the house? That would freak me out!
You're a loving woman... and brave!
It is so hard to part with our books. Then we have to remember that being stored on our shelves is not the place for them, but in some ones hand being read and in some ones mind being considered.
My Grandfather had quite a collection of civil war era books (signed copy of Grant Memoirs etc) that were lost in the 1969 Los Coyotes fire. He had an interesting comment "I have read them, the shame is that no one else will be able to"
It does feel as if I am parting with a piece of myself, but mallory, your grandfather was a wise man, with some good words in his heart! I will remember them for today.
Hi, thank you for visiting my blog :) I hope you come again!
I think it's sweet your son wants your books. I understand how you feel about them too, so maybe you could stipulate he returns them to you upon finishing them. In a day when most children veer a different direction from their parents, it's refreshing to see a child actually wanting to partake of something their parent read, learned and grew from.
If you still want to keep them safe, maybe you could arrange that as he finishes one, he could mail it back and you send him another. That's just a suggestion so that both of you are happy.
I've enjoyed reading some of your other articles too, Barbara. :)
Are they hardcovers or paperbacks? Cause I'd part with the paperbacks as an excuse to replace them with hardbacks.
Ultimately, though, I am the same way you are. Immediately after I finish something, it goes right on the shelves with the others. It's as if, because I read them and they are now part of my mind, that they are physically part of me. Maybe that's why it creeps me out to read used paperbacks. Because they feel too personal...someone else's page creases (not that I'd dogear a book!), coffee stains, spine cracks.
Ahhhh Books...I love them....I love reading......Me and hubby and little one loves books....Hubby reads more than anyone I know....He is always reading a book....Sooo on that note....since we all read so much...that means I feel like I live in a book store....lol....I have books I treasure more than others...and a few that is priceless....I could see me in your shoes... when little one grows up...I'm just going to hide the good ones.....I can just see her going after hubby's collections.
Thank you for visiting, carolyn.
The books are both hardcover and paperbacks. Some of them I have had for more than 20 years.
but they are just books...
I am a confirmed bibliophile, I think that I might have about 15,000 to 20,000 since i collect to also sell on the internet. My personal collection I have resently been able to start parting with for this reason. I am lucky enough to have a Library/Book Angel who feeds me constantly with 'new' books. She will bring me books I need for my spiritual evolvement and now gets me in the right place at the right time for 'Sale' books for my internet sales. I have an autographed book collection with about 100 books, that I will not sale, unless I have two copies. 1st edition collections and so on. BOOKS ARE MY LIFE. Got this from Grandma Juanita too. Barbara, also, I understand the 'Terminal Uniqueness' thing now, you are so correct. Off to pat the bookshelves.
I have at least 10 boxes of books in the garage and another million on shelves in my home.
I tend not to loan out books or CDs because they are valuable to me. My preciousssssss, I hate to lose them.
But if my children wanted to borrow some I probably would let them.
Hi Barbara!
Like you,I have an extremely large book collection, gathered over a long time. I couldn`t bear the idea of having any of them leave my possession.
But,you are passing on the knowledge you have accumulated to your son, who will go on to cherish them as you have, and, hopefully, will pass them on again, to his children, in turn.
You have passed on your love of books to him.
There`s a nice sense of continuance there.
It willbe sad to part with them, but hey....you`ll have a few more spaces on the shelves to fill now ! !
I love my books, too -- even just looking at them sitting on the shelves. I do admit, however, that there are many here that I've "borrowed" from my parents.
My collection seems puney next to some of those mentioned here!
Yes, I have already affixed some labels to the insides of the books as they sit in our son's room, with my name on them. Some of them are so old, that they cost under $2.
But I can see that what I am giving will indeed be a gift of great love, that of literature, and all of its passions.
I get attached to books that I love, too. It does feel strange, at times, to give any of them up. I'm trying to learn, though, as I simplify my life.
Ah, the joy of knowing your son loves to read and will have read the same books you cherish!
Ah, the angst of knowing you may never see your beloved books again!
What's a parent to do???
You are very sweet and generous to let him take those books, especially since they're all still in print and he could build his own collection. I'd tell him to get his own, or at least to return them unharmed, on pain of death. :-)
PISAN CANTOS
LXXXI
~ Ezra Pound
What thou lovest well remains,
the rest is dross
What thou lov'st well shall not be reft from thee
What thou lov'st well is thy true heritage
Whose world, or mine or theirs
or is it of none?
First came the seen, then thus the palpable
Elysium, though it were in the halls of hell,
What thou lovest well is thy true heritage
What thou lov'st well shall not be reft from thee
Spreading the knowledge is definitely empowering.
Kate, what a beautiful quote by EP. Thank you for sharing it!
Thank you for the reading list!
I walked into a bookstore the other day when I was completely stressed and was instantly comforted by the smell of paperback books and coffee. I am an avid reader. I love my books. What's heartbreaking to me is that there are hundreds of people in the souh now who have lost their book collections. Libraries and schools will lose all of them because of the mold. Most of my books are boxed up and labled because of the move, and we opened the boxes yesterday to see what I could spare. It's hard to give up my books, but I can't imagine beings stuck in a disasterous situation without a book to take my mind off things.
My husband has so many books that I myself can't keep that many. But I think it's best to read and pass on books. A book that isn't being read can't be a happy book, can it?
I think I would limit him to three books. You are only allowed 50 lbs. per suit case and over that you have to pay by the pound. He can only take two suit cases for check in and two small cases for carry on. My daughter flys all the time and we are always looking for ways to "lighten the load". glad he is a reader, nothing like it.
Barbara - know exactly what you feel here, because I feel the same way...My belongings include many books but other things too..that I have accumulated over decades...it is part of who I am.
I should consider being more of a giver or detach myself from some of these things, but it hurts...like a detachment disorder or something. At the end though you also made another great point.
P.S. Thanks for letting me know about the new release of my favorite author. Will get it right away when available.
Have missed you very much, lately though anything other than a picture or a post with a few words....my concentration level has been ZERO..no reading or anything...but hopefully my cycle is coming back. Perhaps that is what stress does to you or I should say ME anyway.
Also no energy for much these days. Thanks for visiting me though...(smiling)
I also have a huge book collection, and would have trouble parting with any of them. I am constantly using my books as references, so it would be difficult to let someone take them even if I have already read them.
I hope you and your son can work out a compromise on which ones he can take or not.
Also, with all the comments here, it's great to see that there still are many reader left in the world!
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