Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Judging books by their covers
I took a book home to read last night, the Ancilla to Classical Reading by Moses Hadas (Columbia University Press 1954), because opening it at random produced this gem from Seneca, from his On Tranquility, on the rise in popularity of the home library:
"There was no 'good taste' or 'solicitude' about it, but only learned luxury - nay not even 'learned,' since they had collected the books not for the sake of learning but to make a show, just as many who lack even a child's knowledge of letters use books, not as the tools of learning, but as decorations for the dining-room. Therefore let just as many books be acquired as are enough, but none for mere show. 'It is more respectable,' you say, 'to squander money on these than on Corinthian bronzes and on pictures.' But excess in anything becomes a fault. What excuse have you to offer for a man who seeks to have bookcases of citrus-wood and ivory, who collects the works of unknown or discredited authors and sits yawning in the midst of so many thousand books, who gets most of his pleasure from the outsides of volumes and their titles? Consequently it is in the houses of the laziest men that you will see a full collection of orations and history with the boxes piled right up to the ceiling; for by now among cold baths and hot baths a library also is equipped as a necessary ornament of a great house. I would readily pardon these men if they were led astray by their excessive zeal for learning. But as it is, these collections of the works of sacred genius with all the portraits that adorn them are bought for show and a decoration of their walls."
I'd like bookcases of citrus-wood. Mmmmm. I think the whole paragraph hinges on that wonderful word "enough" in the second sentence. This is our escape-hatch, fellow bibliophiles. Who's to say what's enough? One bookcase? A room full of books? An apartment full of books, say, and a bookshop to boot?
Ancilla, incidentally, is Latin for handmaid. The book's preface opens with: "A whimsical title is probably ominous for a book innocent of whimsy." I'm looking forward to reading more.
"There was no 'good taste' or 'solicitude' about it, but only learned luxury - nay not even 'learned,' since they had collected the books not for the sake of learning but to make a show, just as many who lack even a child's knowledge of letters use books, not as the tools of learning, but as decorations for the dining-room. Therefore let just as many books be acquired as are enough, but none for mere show. 'It is more respectable,' you say, 'to squander money on these than on Corinthian bronzes and on pictures.' But excess in anything becomes a fault. What excuse have you to offer for a man who seeks to have bookcases of citrus-wood and ivory, who collects the works of unknown or discredited authors and sits yawning in the midst of so many thousand books, who gets most of his pleasure from the outsides of volumes and their titles? Consequently it is in the houses of the laziest men that you will see a full collection of orations and history with the boxes piled right up to the ceiling; for by now among cold baths and hot baths a library also is equipped as a necessary ornament of a great house. I would readily pardon these men if they were led astray by their excessive zeal for learning. But as it is, these collections of the works of sacred genius with all the portraits that adorn them are bought for show and a decoration of their walls."
I'd like bookcases of citrus-wood. Mmmmm. I think the whole paragraph hinges on that wonderful word "enough" in the second sentence. This is our escape-hatch, fellow bibliophiles. Who's to say what's enough? One bookcase? A room full of books? An apartment full of books, say, and a bookshop to boot?
Ancilla, incidentally, is Latin for handmaid. The book's preface opens with: "A whimsical title is probably ominous for a book innocent of whimsy." I'm looking forward to reading more.
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A few years ago we added to our house and I was able to get a study of my own, complete with two large empty bookcases. Of course, they're now full, helped by getting many books out of storage and acquisition of many more. I'm now at the stage where I need to move a book out (donate to library, store back in the attic, give to a friend...) to make room for each new one.
At first this depressed me, until I found that it was possible to find books that I'd read but hadn't particularly enjoyed and so I didn't get the shot of joy in looking at their covers that I received from others. I figured eventually I'd own only books that gave me that shot.
Of course, soon I'll run out of candidates and have to come up with Plan C.
At first this depressed me, until I found that it was possible to find books that I'd read but hadn't particularly enjoyed and so I didn't get the shot of joy in looking at their covers that I received from others. I figured eventually I'd own only books that gave me that shot.
Of course, soon I'll run out of candidates and have to come up with Plan C.
# posted by 
: 9:24 PM
: 9:24 PM
Dan - I moved two years ago, and before moving I culled my books ruthlessly - *ruthlessly* I tell you - (if my husband is reading this he's laughing right about now), and still had over 100 cartons to sack up and down the stairs of various apartment buildings in Bangor. I look around my book room sometimes and I can't see a single book I'd be willing to bring down to the shop to sell. Oh, it's bad...
Well, I don't know about your husband, but I'm laughing! It's not for the faint-hearted, is it?
# posted by : 1:50 PM
: 1:50 PM
When you have to move books, a lot of books, you find out how many friends you really have. NONE. Well, a few, but I hesitate to ask for help with something so bad. Also, something that so clearly shows my compulsive side. On this occasion, though, my younger sister really came through for me, and I still owe her one. She's getting ready to pull up acres of carpet in her house (ugh), and it's almost payback time!
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