Yesterday morning I went to "The Book Sale", which occurs 2 times a year in our small town. It starts with a phenomenal selection of 250,000 books of all categories. They slowly disappear over 3 successive weekends while the prices drop each day. On the last day, one can walk away with a shopping bag full of books for a buck.
Yesterday was the "10-Cents-a-Book-Day" and guess what I found in the children's section. Six wonderful old school books from the 1800s at 10 cents a piece. Math books, school readers by grade level, poems and stories, cloth bound, ink stained, faded and brittle. And, ah, so beautiful.
Yesterday was the "10-Cents-a-Book-Day" and guess what I found in the children's section. Six wonderful old school books from the 1800s at 10 cents a piece. Math books, school readers by grade level, poems and stories, cloth bound, ink stained, faded and brittle. And, ah, so beautiful.
This is one of my favorites, a small fabric bound math book from 1887.
Look how the protective cover is held together.
A word study book with wonderful illustrations.
But our most prized find of the day was Salinger's "Franny and Zooey". It's a first edition and in great shape. I remember how important this book was to me while I was a teenager. The portrayed family lived in NYC and represented the exact opposite of my own life in small town Germany. I was fascinated.
Pandora's Box next to a German Santa Claus
But our most prized find of the day was Salinger's "Franny and Zooey". It's a first edition and in great shape. I remember how important this book was to me while I was a teenager. The portrayed family lived in NYC and represented the exact opposite of my own life in small town Germany. I was fascinated.
It's always interesting to re-read a book after many years. When I do, there are often many details revealed that were missed during the first reading. It seems that once the story is known, attention is more focused to catch the nuances, not the gestalt. But furthermore, with a broader experience in life, these re-read classics take on new meanings with deeper insight and understanding.
Even though I'm not quite sure if it's entirely true, I do believe Isadora Duncan had a valuable point when she stated:
"What one has not experienced, one will never understand in print."
Even though I'm not quite sure if it's entirely true, I do believe Isadora Duncan had a valuable point when she stated:
"What one has not experienced, one will never understand in print."
lovely!!!!
ReplyDeletethe library in my city do the same thing once a year, i have to go next days:-)
What gorgeous finds! I love second-hand books - one seems to get so much more than just the story/content - a whole history that belongs to the physical book itself. Franny & Zooey was one of my favourite books - I still have a battered paperback copy. When I discovered Salinger it was like heaven; I read everything he wrote; what a pity that he published so few stories.
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing collection of books you have found...I especially love the book with the fabric cover...it even has a name and date! Amazing find, lucky you.
ReplyDeleteWow - what a lucky find!
ReplyDeleteObrigado, seu trabalho é lindo e delicado
ReplyDelete