Good morning Saloners! A new week, new month, and new year--I'm still a little stunned that 2011 is really here. Some days I still find myself dating documents as August! Guess it's time to finally get with the times...or is it.
Scott and I were eating dinner last night and during a lull in conversation I let out a big sigh and asked Scott what I should write about for my Sunday post. After explaining with a bit of exasperation that my topic needed to be at least a little book related, Scott said I should write about e-books. But I don't have any experience because I've been so resistant!
Yes, all the normal arguments--I can't flip the pages, hold the weight of the book in my hands or on my lap, lend it to a friend to read, I have so many books in my library it seems silly to download electronic ones before reading the other first, bookmarks will become obsolete, etc etc. But Scott pointed out another aspect that I hadn't really thought about: passing books down through the generations.
Sunday Salon: Paper Books as Keepsakes?
My Great Aunt Fran had a beautiful and impressive library with over 10,000 catalogued books. Before she passed away several years ago, I loved visiting her home--in the historic Salt Lake City Avenues--and browsing through the titles. I could have spent hours in her library grabbing at gorgeous editions of books I had already read and loved and curious copies of books she collected over the years. Many of her books came from her second husband's library and many of those from the libraries of his family.
I've always joked, but firmly believe, that I inherited my all bookish tendencies from Aunt Fran. When she passed away, my mom asked if I would like anything from her house to remember her and I emphatically noted BOOKS. Oh the treasures she had on her bookshelf! Including a first edition Huckleberry Finn. My mom and grandmother took away several boxes of books for me and they have been lovingly displayed on my shelves since then. Most are too fragile to actually read, but they're a piece of her and a piece of family history. The Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights in the picture below are fairly common editions of the books, but Fran's first husband, Glen, purchased them in 1943 while stationed in San Diego. He died shortly after in the Pacific theater of World War II and these books are the only keepsake I have for a great uncle I never met.
Yes, my books from Aunt Fran are priceless to me, but I love finding myself halfway through a second-hand read picked up at a library sale or Half-Price Books and discovering a little token someone has left behind--plane tickets, pictures, playing cards, receipts, to-do lists, bookmarks, etc. I've started making the habit of randomly leaving my own mark in books I read, tucking away this or that for someone to discover in another time. Not to mention inscriptions people leave behind, first editions copies, and even author's signatures in the front cover. All of this is lost with the move to electronic books--the passing down from generation to generation not only the books that we loved so much but also little pieces of ourselves. Scott, who doesn't enjoy reading and thinks my collecting habit verges on the ridiculous, explained to me that the move away from paper is an injustice to future generations. While I wouldn't take it that far, it does provide an interesting twist to the paper versus electronic argument.
I honestly didn't mean for this post to go on for so long--but when I started looking at my shelf of collectibles(above...please ignore nasty iPad smudges), which holds century-old Balzac (top shelf), Dickens (middle shelf), and Twain (middle to bottom), I realized how much I love and cherish my books. My final statement in my dinner-time conversation with Scott about books was "Now I really don't want to get rid of any of my books!" Scott gave me an eyeroll and changed the subject.
Today's Questions:
I don't really have any concrete questions for today as this post ended up being more of a ramble than a focused topic for discussion, but I'd love to hear any thoughts you have on books for future generations. Do you look at books as treasures to be passed down or are they simply a means of entertainment for the moment? How do you feel about the transition between paper and electronic books?
I hope you're all having a wonderful New Year's weekend! Scott and I might try to sneak in a showing of Tron, but otherwise I look forward to a lazy day of finally reading your end of 2010 thoughts as well as any other interesting things you've written in the past few weeks. I also plan to try and find at least a few books that I can part with and finally finding a book to be my first read of the year.
Many Happy New Year's Wishes!!
Happy New Year to you and your family. Have a wonderful reading 2011!!!
ReplyDeleteHere is my Sunday Salon post!
Hmm, I never thought of that! I'm not sure if we have anything like that in my family. I like my nook for sure, but I mainly use it for buying some newer books that come out. I still mainly read actual books so I don't think it would be an issue for me. But it's a good point!
ReplyDeleteI have tons (boxes upon boxes) of childrens books that I hope to one day pass on to my children for their children. Some of these are books from me and my sister. I go back and forth on ereaders but what it comes down to is even if I eventually get one, I will always prefer the feel of a book in my hands and going to my library. Great post and hope you figure out which book you want to begin the new year with!
ReplyDeleteOh Trish, I think this: "I've started making the habit of randomly leaving my own mark in books I read, tucking away this or that for someone to discover in another time" is undoubtedly one of the most awesome things I've ever heard!
ReplyDeleteI have mixed feelings about ebooks. I, too, love the feeling of real books and the stories connected with reading books (like your lovely story about your aunt's collection). But there is also the convenience of reading ebooks. For example, I'm (attempting, anyway!) reading War and Peace as an ebook. I can easily look up any words I don't know in the dictionary. Also, I have instant access to a list of characters (when I forget who someone is!) and I can browse through each section's list of subplots. Helpful.
ReplyDeleteYou are so lucky to have your aunt's books - they sound like a treasure. I have a couple of e-readers and don't enjoy them like I thought I would, for many of the reasons you cited. I also have trouble spending money on an e-book - for some reason I don't feel like I'm getting anything for my money when I buy one.
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting perspective!
ReplyDeleteI do have an ereader, but I do not see it replacing my (ever growing) library. I see them working in tandem and for different purposes.
Loved the post, Trish. Very thought provoking.
Happy New Year to you, Scott, and the little one :)
I always get rid of my books - trade paperbacks will last for a good couple decades but not for generations, and I hate hardbacks - so I don't mind the very passing nature of ebooks. But then again, I'm not very sentimental when it comes to things like books...
ReplyDelete*Gautami - Happy New Year to you, too.
ReplyDelete*Jenny - I think I'd use the ereader for mostly newer books as well--or some of the free classics that I can't purchase right now. But the thought of books going away or even not having the same effect does make me a bit sad!
*Samantha - Yes, your kids will love that--especially if they're readers. I was lucky enough to steal away some of my own childhood books from my mom but sadly many of them went to garage sales or donations without my knowing. I'm grateful for what I do have, though and I know your kids will be too!
*Debi - I'm such a sucker for finding things in books--it's funny how many pictures of cats I find! ;) It's a little thing and who knows if anyone will actually find the tokens, but I like the idea, too.
*Readerbuzz - It's funny because War and Peace was the first ebook I contemplated downloading! But then I wasn't sure which edition and got overwhlemed. ;) ereaders do have their benefits but sadly not in an inheritance type way.
*Bermuda - Now if I only could have gotten my hands on that first edition Huck Finn! ;) Like you I have troubles spending so much money on an ebook, but as my husband reminds me--everyone's gotta make money.
*Molly - Ya, kuddos to my non-reader husband for providing such an interesting light! :) But yes, I like the idea of ebooks and paperbooks working in tandem. I just worry about future generations and how they'll feel about physical books. Happy New Year to you, Molly.
*Amanda - As I was writing this post I realized this is why I have such a hard time getting rid of books--every book I've read is tied to a memory and even if it's small I just can't let go. But you do keep some books--think about your Harry Potter collection or some of your favorites that you keep or purchase because you loved.
I just got a Nook so am not sure how I feel about it yet. If you asked me a year or two ago, I'd say I was like a friend of mine who prefers feeling the pages on his fingers as he turns them. However, even he is considering getting an e-reader. I think like readerbuzz, the capability of having the dictionary right there for classics is a plus, and not having to lug around a 1,000-plus page book is another plus.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh I started salivating when you described your aunt's library collection.
ReplyDeleteWhat treasures! I would have found myself in heaven among your aunt's books.
ReplyDeleteMy family has given books as gifts and hand me down books for as long as I can remember. I have a few that belonged to my grandparents. They're very special to me. I definitely would like to carry on that tradition. As for e-books, I'm still just starting to get into them--there's so many advantages to reading that way--particularly a space issue. I imagine that if I come across an e-book that I would want to pass down or just have on my keeper shelf, I might go out and buy a paper copy. I don't think paper books are going anywhere personally.
I don't really feel the pull to own nice copies of many of my books. I have maybe 4 or 5 that would be worth handing down, and a few out of print ones but that's really it. I don't collect books for the sake of having them at all. I'm actually enjoying a very streamlined set of shelves right now- two incomplete shelves of books, that's it!
ReplyDeleteOn leaving things in books, I keep wanting to tuck my blog cards into library books to see if anyone else finds me that way.
I'm just now getting comfortable with ereading, but I don't want any real books in e-format. It's okay for books I know are one time reads, but for books I think I'll love I still want a physical copy.
ReplyDeleteI'm one of those people who love their eReader. For me it's mostly because it's much easier on my eyes. I was starting to have a lot of trouble reading print copies so the eReader saved me there. Do I want to give up print copies - no. I still enjoy opening up a new book and reading it.
ReplyDeleteFor you, you're lucky to have books like that to treasure from your Aunt. I would absolutely be passing those down if I had something like that. I think it's important and I know for any book lover they'd love to have something like that passed on to them.
Have a great Sunday Trish!
I'm not really a book collector, but I do like having copies of classics that I will re-read or my kids will eventually read. I never really thought about passing them down to my children. Your aunt's library sounds incredible, but I think I'd be too afraid to touch anything.
ReplyDeleteI love my ereader and couldn't do without it just because of my travel, but I love the paper books to have on the shelf. Maybe some day ebooks will have more thrills like being able to sign them and see that and put in inscriptions and lend and the like, but it's hard to say what will happen. I can't see paper going anywhere though :)
ReplyDeleteWow, for some reason reading about those books of Aunt Frans got me a little emotional. Weird. I love the history behind every book and she difinitely lived such an amazing life with a lot of great stories. She was amazing wasn't she?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I have a couple of ereaders, and I just can't seem to make it through a book. There is nothing more comforting than a book in hand. I don't know that I will ever give up buying actual books. They are emotional and in a way they tell about who you are for future generations. That is just my take.
Great topic. I love reading about how everyone feels about this subject.
I love collecting books. I have some older editions that I have found at used book stores, including a few first editions. There is something so wonderful about old musty books sitting on a shelf.
ReplyDeleteWhen my grandmother passed away and we had to clean out her house, my family had me go through all of the books sitting in the basement. I found a lot of treasures down there, including a history textbook from the 1880s! I also found a bunch of her hardcover novels from the 1930s and 1940s with her writing in them. I kept all of them to have a piece of my grandmother.
I look forward to having a house with a library in it. I told Matt he better plan on it, and he's okay with it. My books are my memories, which is why I have such a hard time getting rid of them. They hold pieces of myself and I hope that when I eventually have kids, at least one of them will share that love. :)
I don't think of them as anything to be handed down, because I have no one to hand down to. None of my nieces or nephews are readers. However, I do think of books as things to be passed around...I love passing books along to friends.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, Trish! This is a great post! I loved reading about the little history of your aunt's books; so precious!
ReplyDeleteI still couldn't get myself to read e-books. Apart from those normal arguments, I find my eyes get tired easily if I read them onscreen for an amount of time. Plus, print books have beautiful covers! :P
For your question, I definitely view books as a part of my collections and/or treasures to be passed down to our next generations; but I also view them as a mean of entertainment. After all reading is my passion. :)
*Unfinishedperson - Yes, the size and the capabilities are impressive, but I went to B&N today and half the fiction section was gone (or compressed) for the new Nook display. Sad in a way?
ReplyDelete*Christina - It. Was. Amazing (Aunt's library). Sadly I think most of it got taken up by one nephew and then sold to second hand stores/antiquarians. Still makes me upset.
*Lit Feline - I don't think paperbooks are going anywhere...soon...but I do think that there will continue to be adjustment. I think it's only inevitable to some degree. :(
*Lisa - Wow--you really did weed down a lot when you moved! I think I'd miss my books way too much. ;)
*Amy - Yes, I'm with you on one-time reads. And maybe the free classics (for now), but I do love my paper!
*Darlene - I can definitely see how ereaders are appealing--I see more and more people using them and it makes me happy that people are reading. I guess because I've always been a collector it's hard to let go.
*Kristi - Yes, she did have a LOT of things in her house we weren't allowed to touch. ;) My parents don't collect books but I did sneak a few of my childhood books from home to read to my kids.
*Amy - Oh absolutely ebooks have their benefits--especially for travelers who have limited luggage space! It'll be interesting to see where ebooks go in the future!
*Michelle - Oh how I loved looking through Aunt Fran's books. She was really amazing, wasn't she? I still miss her when I visit Salt Lake. It's interesting how differently people feel towards paperbooks! I just assumed all book lovers would be attached but it doesn't seem that way.
*Allie - Yes, I'm just like you--books are memories and that's why I can't seem to purge either. Even if it's just a small memory. What a treasure to find your grandmother's books from the 30s and 40s! I absolutely love stuff like that as well. And I hope you get your library some day!
*Softdrink - My aunt didn't have any children either--just the 12 nieces and nephews (my mom's generation). I love the idea of passing books on to those who love them--just not good at practicing the idea. ;)
*Melody - I'm like you--reading the screen starts wearing on my eyes after a while. Maybe it's the light from the screen? but mostly I think it's just a mental thing for me--it's not as comforting as a real book! Times change, though!!
Though I don't have any neat old books with history, I definitely understand your point. I don't have warm feelings towards e-books, though I can't exactly pinpoint why. I can totally understand their convenience, as well as their space-saving capability. And I believe the Nook (and soon the Kindle) have a "lend" feature in which you can share your books with others. I still like to hold the book in my hands, turn the pages, look lovingly at my books on my shelves. Call me old-fashioned :)
ReplyDeleteP.S. I can hear your big sigh to Scott in my head! ;)
Hi Trish, I hope you had a great New Year day :)
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a fantastic year ahead too!
Wow, so lucky for you to have such great treasures. I have some books from my uncle, which are so yellow that I am not sure how long the will last. I don't know who will inherit my books lol! But I want it to be someone like you who treasures them, the way I did.
I enjoy iPAD, because it lets me carry as many books I want, and eBooks - the ones that I have had like forever.
But I really am not sure about what else to think about this point.
Very thought provoking post. I hate to see books go away. E-readers are so "unsexy." Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteI love e-books as an additional source of books, not as a replacement for paper books. I find I buy either non-fiction or books I know I won't read twice, like mystery series.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have any books passed down through the generations in our family, but I now that I have Shane I do consciously buy paper copies of anything I think he might like when he's older - like the Percy Jackson books for example. I'd like him to have books I've read and liked and saved for him!
I agree completely! Marginalia is something I adore, and when you actually get pieces of something - like the love note I found once - it's such a heartwarming experience. You feel a connection to the universe through books that are shared or passed down.
ReplyDeleteDid you know Jason took a whole bunch of books from Aunt Fran, too? That was one of the things he remembers most about her also - all the walls of books.
ReplyDeleteE-books?! I don't think I will be jumping on that bandwagon ever. There is something about finding little treasures, notes left in the cover, etc., that you just don't get with e-books. And then, of course, I love the hold the book and turn the pages.
I'm of the mindset that you can have it both ways. There's no law that says you can't continue purchasing books, going to book signings, passing down beloved treasures, and at the same time downloading eBooks on an eReader. I absolutely love reading eBooks on my iPad or Kindle in my home library - it's the best of both worlds! :)
ReplyDeleteP.S. What will people on a blind date do if they can't have Pride and Prejudice with a rose on their table? It just wouldn't be the same with a Nook and a rose. For some reason, I'm laughing really hard at myself.
ReplyDeleteIf I had books that should be passed down, like you do, then I would. I do have some books that are keepers because I reread them or they are special editions, but nott many keepers in general.
ReplyDeleteAs for ebook vs. paper, I like my paper! I like the feel, the smell (weird, I know), seeing where I am by the book mark. Ebooks are just the same thing all the time.
I love book covers, so when I close it for the night and see the cover I just say ahh, beautiful!
Take care of your "keeper" collection. you have some wonderful books there.
Scott may not be a reader and may even give you the occasional eye roll but still, he gets it. He understands the need to have that physical object, to be able to look at it and share it.
ReplyDeleteI love finding those little bits tucked away in paper books. You just never know what you'll find and I do think that's one thing we'll lose if the world goes all electronic, book-wise. This week, I've been moving books and books and books, purging some and flipping fondly through others and exclaiming, "Oh, I didn't know I had that!" quite a bit. I was flipping through a book of poetry, today, and there was a scrap of paper on which someone had written notes about one of the poems and an old bookmark tucked in another spot. I felt like I'd found buried treasure -- and I'm not even really able to read the handwriting all that well! LOL
ReplyDelete*Laura - Look lovingly at the books on your shelf. That's a HUGE one for me, too. And yes, what will people on blind dates do without their P&P and rose? You crack me up--had me laughing out loud, too. ;)
ReplyDelete*Veens - Happy New Year to you! Even though the books are yellow, hold on to them! I don't even pick up some of these books because I'm afraid they'll fall apart. Glad you like your iPad--I'm trying to love mine!
*Catherine - LOL! Love that--e-readers as "unsexy." You're so right!
*Joanna - I can see using ebooks for ones you might only read through once and be done with. And how neat that you're already collecting books for Shane! I love that!
*Trisha - Oh a love note hidden in your books! How romantic is that? I just love those little tidbits of other's life--makes the books so much more than just a story between pages.
*Elise - I didn't know that Jason snagged some books but I'm glad! I was really upset when I found so many of them were sold by one of our parents' cousin. :( And yes, holding the books and turning the pages. I love that feeling, too.
*Joy - Oh the voice of reason. I guess you can have the best of both worlds and I see myself going that way--just makes me sad that we may be transitioning to a paperless society!
*Jenny Girl - No! Not weird that you like the smell of books--I think lots of us love the smell of books. Even the stinky ones!
*Lisa - Well, this coming from a guy who has his own shelf full of college textbooks. He won't get rid of ANY of them! Even though some of the classes he didn't even complete. Keeps telling me when I rid my shelves he'll do the same. ;)
*Bookfool - Oh, I love that you just recently found a treasure in one of your poetry books--even if it's not legible I still find it so romantic. Hmmm--maybe a post on the interesting things people have found in books!!
Happy New Year Trish! I do look as some books as treasures. I think ones that have some sort of history attached to them, whether they were a gift, a first signed edition, that sort of thing can be something to pass down to future generations. And, like you, I love finding little notes and comments in used books. I always wonder about the books' former owners. Where they bookworms, where are they now, etc.
ReplyDeleteI haven't had a chance to check out ebooks but we recently got an iPad so if I can ever get it away from my husband I'll check it out - haha.
A very interesting post! I am starting to read some ebooks, but I know I'll always want paper copies around me, especially of books I love. For me, I guess ebooks are kind of a screening process. I don't buy them, really, just borrow from the library or get them for free (classics and galleys). If I love a book, I'll get a hard copy; if not, I didn't waste any money or shelf space with it! I think books make amazing keepsakes, and your collection sounds wonderful. What a special way to remember someone close to you.
ReplyDeleteI, too, love finding things (bookmarks, tickets, inscriptions) in my books! It's one of the reasons I love to buy used books. I've never intentionally left something in a book I've passed along, though. That's a fun idea!
This is something I've thought about A LOT, and I hope this doesn't come across as disagreeable, just in my place I see the issue from a different perspective.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of eBooks. I'm not fond of them in their current FORM - a locked down file that you can read only on particular devices in particular ways - but I love the IDEA of them. In an ideal world, it shoudl be easy to change an ebook, easier even than a real book. IT should be the breaing down of the barrier between the writer and the audience - I mean, imagine, finding, say, your Grandmother's copy of Wuthering Heights, where she's edited in her own little fanfics about where Heathcliff was in the years he dissapeared, or where she interspersed her thoguhts about how it paralleled her own relationships at the time. You can tack things into a book - you can transform an ebook. And, when your grandmother died, the book could go to everyone who wants a copy.
It's difficult for me to say that - I have a Verney strong fetishistic attachment to some of my physical books - I cried when my Emily Dickinson got ripped, for instance. I love their physicality, and I know that some of that is lost in a digital file. But, then I think we forget that other things are gained. For all that we complain, for instance, about how modern communication has made us isolated, think of how much you write and record, in comparison to someone just 50 years ago, you know? If you were going to write in a week as much as you write in a day of emails, texts, blog posts, comments, etc, for many people, you'd have to be a rich person with no need to go to work, and you'd frankly run out of correspondents, usually. Making information pure, endlessly reproducable, etc makes it very powerful in a lot of ways. Not that nothing is lost, but I think in some ways we just don't know what we would gain, yet.
Trish - Your posts draw me in and leave me wanting to read more of your writings. You have a gift. Of course I was touched by your comments about Aunt Fran and her library; even the comment about Uncle Glen, the great uncle you never knew. Books do carry generational connections, which e-books cannot. You know, I never thought about this before, but that generational connection is really quite amazing, when you think of it. Thank you for writing such thought-provoking messages. -- love, Mom
ReplyDelete*Iliana - Funny—I seem to be having the same issue with my new iPad; can’t get it out of hubby’s hands. ;) Wouldn’t it be fascinating to know some of the stories behind the books we collect? Knowing how personal books can be to us, I can only imagine previous owners’ love.
ReplyDelete*Erin - Wait—ebooks from the library? Really? I’ve never thought about that before but that would be a great way to “test drive” books to see if you want to splurge on the regular price. Otherwise, I’m still at the point where I don’t want to pay for something that’s not tangible!
*Jason - You make some really fascinating points about the ability to intregrate personal notes and tidbits into an electronic version of a book—like passing down an annotated copy of a book (does anyone want to read my scribblings in Les Miserables?) but it also raises the scary question of altering the actual material of the book. How easy will it be to edit books until several versions of Wuthering Heights exists. And sure this happens to an extent (makes me sick about Huck Finn) but the possibilities with electronic copies seem endless. But in the end, you’re right—sometimes we get so focused on one issue that we fail to see some of the beneficial possibilites as well.
*Kate/Mom - I suppose books are like any handmedown from a previous generation—the worth is in the hands of the holder. You really treasure Aunt Fran’s china and while I love her China (can we add that to my list??) I really love the books. Especially when I discovered Glen’s scrawls in the Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights copies I received. I could have never hoped for something so special. Thanks for the comment mom—you rock. ;)
Awwww such a heart-warming post. You're so lucky to have inherited all those lovely books from your aunt.
ReplyDeleteAnd I love reading the inscriptions and finding a piece of the reader in second-hand books too! :)
I don't like e-books, too. I've hardly read a couple of e-books over all the years I've started reading. It just does not give me the same kind of satisfaction as reading a physical book does.
Also, I can't look at a house without a library without physical books and feel like 'home'. Books comprise a very important part of my concept of 'home'. I'd love to have inherited books from my elders, but unfortunately, no one in the family reads seriously. I do have dreams that my kids will read - seriously read - and I would LOVE to pass on my library to them. I'd love to teach them to read physical books. I just can't see myself teaching my kid to read an e-book!
Who knows what the future holds, though?!
What a lovely post, Trish! Those books are really wonderful. I too construct many of my memories around physical books and can't imagine having a relationship of any kind fundamentally not rooted in some shared literary moment. Very odd, I suppose--but there it is. And I have what my mother call's a trousseau going for my son, full of books I grew up with and he grew up with that are waiting for a time when he has a young person to share them with.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this post! I just posted something on my blog (and I wish I'd read your post first so I could have linked to it...but I will go ahead and edit my post now :)) about whether or not we are losing something essential by moving toward e-books. You very eloquently express exactly how I feel about real, print books. And how sad would it be for us to have only electronic media to pass down to the next generation. Here is a link to my post, if you are interested in reading it.
ReplyDeleteThank you for a stimulating elegy about a subject I've been pondering over myself. I have cited you in my blog.
ReplyDeleteThis subject, in its widest perspective (i.e., humanism vs posthumanism) merits more attention. I hope you write more about it.
Thanks again....