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Post by cmthecla on Jun 2, 2011 19:29:13 GMT -5
(I saw Nora mention musty, old books in the thread on buying books. It reminded me of how much I love the smell and feel of old books, and I felt like this needed it's own thread.)
I really like holding (and often smelling) books from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and I recently bought a book just because it still has someone's handwriting in it from 1884.
When it comes down to the way a book smells, feels, or looks, what are your favorite years (or decades) of publication? Why?
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Post by Silva on Jun 2, 2011 19:34:55 GMT -5
Well, it doesn't matter to me. As long as it's book... I love it! Maybe I'm a bad English major for that, but it's the truth.
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Post by nickusp on Jun 2, 2011 19:35:01 GMT -5
Even more specific than publication time, my favorite books as far as feel/smell/look go are books that have survived fires. I have a leather bound collection of Keats' work from 1889 that survived a fire on what became my own Alma Mater. Absolutely love it.
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Post by tastyink on Jun 2, 2011 19:35:28 GMT -5
I don't have any books that are especially old, but I do love the smell of used bookstores  |
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Post by onlyaworkingtitle on Jun 2, 2011 20:50:40 GMT -5
The older, the better. I'm not a fan of paperbacks from the 60s-80s, because the type of paper they used for the pages literally turns orange with age (and we've discussed elsewhere my dislike of that word/color) and doesn't even smell as wonderful as a nicely-aged hardcover from the 50s or earlier.
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Post by Silva on Jun 2, 2011 20:52:39 GMT -5
True, older books are better, and hardcovers are even better...
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Katherine
Armadillo Pup
From the moment you begin breathing you start dying too.
Posts: 44
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Post by Katherine on Jun 2, 2011 22:18:25 GMT -5
I know it's not particularly old, but I have a copy of The Shining by Stephen King out from my school library and the way it's put together is absolutely amazing. I love turning the pages, they're so nice  |
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andy
Young Armadillo
Posts: 80
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Post by andy on Jun 3, 2011 0:23:01 GMT -5
I don't see the fascination of old books, the papers turn sandy and grey, my fingers get dirty when I read because the ink falls flakes off, they often smell disgustingly (especially if their owner was a smoker) and the binding falls apart. I have a couple of books from the mid 1800s, but I only keep them because they belonged to my grandfather. If I want to read them, I'll go get a new edition.
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alyoshka
Young Armadillo
Vous etes un chanteur des pommes.
Posts: 94
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Post by alyoshka on Jun 3, 2011 2:28:36 GMT -5
I just like the smell of old books or library books. I don't know why. To be honest though, when I buy books, I prefer not to buy mass market paper backs. They don't look pretty in my bookcase and i'm practically blind, so it's hard for me to see the print in them. ):
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Post by leonwingstein on Jun 3, 2011 10:37:34 GMT -5
I like both new and used books. I like old books because of their smell and their history, I like the way that the pages are slightly discolored and soft. I like the bends in the spine. As for new books, I like their crispness, their freshness. I can make their history for myself.
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Dobby
Young Armadillo
Posts: 80
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Post by Dobby on Jun 3, 2011 17:48:00 GMT -5
I like both new and used books. I like old books because of their smell and their history, I like the way that the pages are slightly discolored and soft. I like the bends in the spine. As for new books, I like their crispness, their freshness. I can make their history for myself. Exactly how I feel. |
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alyoshka
Young Armadillo
Vous etes un chanteur des pommes.
Posts: 94
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Post by alyoshka on Jun 3, 2011 20:09:49 GMT -5
 I got this at a used book store when I visited Hawaii. This message is what truly convinced me to read this wonderful book. This is another reason why I like old books. I sometimes find messages like these. I also love looking at the notes and highlights in it. |
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Post by onlyaworkingtitle on Jun 3, 2011 21:55:42 GMT -5
I got this at a used book store when I visited Hawaii. This message is what truly convinced me to read this wonderful book. This is another reason why I like old books. I sometimes find messages like these. I also love looking at the notes and highlights in it. That really is a beautiful message, but then you think about the fact that it's in a used book store, and have to wonder how it got there. |
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Post by Marina on Jun 3, 2011 23:14:15 GMT -5
A book is on my chest right now and I'm smelling it as I'm typing. I love smelling books. It's one of the first things I do when I pick one up.
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oaki
Armadillo Pup
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Post by oaki on Jun 12, 2011 14:28:44 GMT -5
I usually like to smell books when I buy them. I don't particulary buy many old books because fortunately my parents have gathered a nice big library for me to read, and I still have a lot to read from it until I may buy old books I don't have. Althought I always buy new ones.
But mostly, I like to weigh books in my hand before, and after I read them. When I'm done, they weigh a little more, like I have all that information that's in them in me, and I can feel the weigh of the information and its importance in my hands.
sorry for overusing "weigh".
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