As an avid consumer of (oldish) second hand books I rather like the sense of the parcel being passed from a fellow reader who shared my tastes. Nearly all such books have a carefully inscribed and dated owner’s signature-an almost extinct habit, alas…
You might like https://ukresponse.substack.com/p/reservoirs-of-meaning
Thank you! As someone who is slightly obsessed with Japanese culture, I enjoyed this very much.
'Though it sits on your shelf, a book with someone else’s name on its inside cover will never truly belong to you.'
What if I add my own name to it?
Then you are sharing it, I suppose.
As an avid consumer of (oldish) second hand books I rather like the sense of the parcel being passed from a fellow reader who shared my tastes. Nearly all such books have a carefully inscribed and dated owner’s signature-an almost extinct habit, alas…
Yes, there is something nice about it. An inscription gives the book a story, makes it more than just an object (if a book is ever just an object!).
This is a(nother) really excellent piece, characteristically elegant, thoughtful and illuminating. And the accompanying image is sublime.