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A library just for looks?
By Meg | March 6, 2008
I came across Books by the foot through this post on The Consumerist. The idea is simple, you pay Strand Bookstore so much money per foot of books suitable for use as decoration (up to $400 for a foot of “antique leather” books). My first reaction was, “Wow, that’s such a rip-off! I could find boxes of books like that for that much.” My second thought was, “Wow. People really do buy books with no intention to read them.”
Now, that wasn’t really news to me. And it doesn’t surprise me. But it did get me thinking about my own books.
I have a lot of books. Ever after a series of book purges, I have about 9 large bookcases full of books, and one small bookcase. They’re almost entirely non-fiction, and I appreciate having such an extensive reference library available at home.
I don’t really think of them as decoration. Some of the books look pretty; some don’t. Some are hardcover books from the 19th century; some are cheap paperbacks that look worse after a few months of use. But on the shelves, they mostly just fill in space. If anything, it’s the space that I use for decoration, leaving certain spots open to feature our candles and crystals.
However, I also appreciate the impression that they give — and rightly so — that my husband and I value books, and value knowledge in general. It’s a nice feeling when someone comes over and gives them more than a passing glance. In fact, I love looking through the collections of others. It can be a great way to get to know someone and their interests, even more than just checking their Facebook profile. And when I find my favorite books on someone’s shelves… it’s often the start of great conversations and a great friendship.
So, maybe there is something else to using books as decoration: it seems dishonest.
I can see it now. “Wow, you must really love French literature.” “Oh, no, I just bought all those for the look of it.”
Granted, there are quite a few books in my library that I haven’t read — but at least I intend to!
Or does that really make much of a difference? I’m going with yes, since the mere fact that I want to read the books enough to buy and keep them shows that I’m somewhat interested in the topics.
What do you think about buying books just to use for decoration? And what would people think of you based on your personal library?
(By the way, you’d probably think I’m a huge nerd. The main topics covered by my books include: history, linguistics, foreign languages, and computers. I especially have a lot in the way of Roman history and Latin books, which a good chunk of books in Spanish, too.)
Tags: Books, Home & Garden, Impressions, Priorities, Spending Money
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March 6th, 2008 at 9:53 am
I could never do this. Part of my Saturday thrill is to go to a local bookstore and spend possibly $5 on books.
I walk away with five or six books every weekend. I can tell you a story about almost every book I have on my bookshelf; who cares if I have not read most of them.
Some people just have too much money…
March 6th, 2008 at 10:58 am
I LOVE books and reading but even *I* admit that I bought books to read once and I could get rid of them.. which is what I’m doing
March 6th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
Every time I go home my mother asks me to clean out my unsightly bookshelves, packed with hundreds and hundreds of high school paperbacks and beloved classic novels. “There must be some you don’t read or need anymore,” she tells me. Bah! I would never get rid of a book I enjoyed (or planned to read) unless it was damaged beyond use. Because of lack of space, and because I brought a ton of books home from my internships in publishing this past summer, the collection is everywhere right now. Oops!
People who feel the need to by “books by the foot” are posers beyond belief. If you don’t like to read, own that! Many people just aren’t readers, they do other things with their time. It seems like a waste of space in a home to use shelves, etc. for irrelevant stuff.
March 11th, 2008 at 12:29 am
Well said, Anastasia! I guess it’s like if I put sports gear on display (seeing how I’m not into sports at all).
FB, there’s no shame in that just so long as you pass them along for others to enjoy. I love reading, but as a result I always have more books to read than time.
Same here, Callith! Even though I have tons of books, they each have their story. I also love going to used book stores, even though I don’t go much nowadays. I’ve started going to the library instead, though, and since ours is good, it’s just about as fun and much cheaper.
March 11th, 2008 at 1:26 am
In theory, if I had room to strew decorative books around, I might buy a prettier version of a book I want. But soley as decoration, without even considering reading it? Pfah.
Then again, I’m the sort who would probably find the books bought for decoration interesting either way…
March 14th, 2008 at 11:17 pm
I’m with you there, Oxanna! I find most books interesting, especially the older ones that many people use for decoration.