6 Jul 2013

Book collectors O.C.D.

It's such a pleasure to me these days to get a shelf of books all the same height and of similar design. I'll even buy again my favourites when they are republished in a new format just to see them lined up in orderly fashion. (Peter May is not a favourite. He plots well but isn't otherwise much of a writer, it's just that the books are coincidentally all hardback.) I'm catching up on new Elizabeth George paperback editions. She is definitely worth the expense. Ann Cleeves - why oh why did 'Raven Black' have to be white? Very distressing for me. Later paperback editions of Phil Rickman are much easier to read with larger, clearer typeface, but that matters less than their neat uniformity. I completely understand why people collected Penguins and had them organised, greens, blues and Kings across their walls. Of course the original Penguins have become impossible to read. Eye-wateringly small font size on yellowing paper, and they fall apart in the hands. 


Some, like poetry, refuse to conform.







3 comments:

Gillian said...

I really love this display of books on shelves.I think everyone, other than librarians, must have a similar preferential ordering. Size is most important to me and also colour. Luckily if you have enough books you can use those two as sub-categories within SUBJECT. That is, if you have a library and all the shelves it needs.
Cheers Gillian

carol said...

I knew a book collector who wanted only small red books (could have filled his shelves with Chairman Mao I suppose.)

stitching and opinions said...

Mine have long ago out grown the shelves and are now piled on floors, I tend to stop at knee height and start a new pile else where, which you will discover when you visit!