Tuesday, July 16, 2002
Books, glorious books - THE COMMENTARY
By Joseph Planta
VANCOUVER -- I’ve got most of my book collection strewn across the living room floor. In the middle of rearranging my book shelf, they’re lying around as I’ve come to the old box to type up what amounts to a love letter for books. I remember years ago when the computer was first integrating itself in the classroom. A decade ago there was talk that books would become obsolete, as information that was heretofore contained in books would find themselves on computer disks. Well, I don’t see encyclopedia salesmen peddling heavy annual editions anymore, as any old encyclopedia could be found on CD-ROM. However, there still are bookstores out there, and even with the proliferation of websites like Salon.com, Chapters and Indigo seem to flourish, not to mention Amazon.com which doesn’t feature online books, rather is a best-selling outlet to buy books.
In my own youth, I guess I have been fascinated with excess. It started with the late disk jockey Jack Cullen, whom I always admired for his wit and knowledge of the obscure, even the weird and unnecessary. Cullen’s own trivia vault is blamed for his line of work and the fact in his career he amassed large numbers of what he called ‘items’. Cullen had thousands of records, tapes, transcriptions and other stuff that fuelled and fed his knowledge in things musical and nostalgic. I revelled in the amount of stuff Cullen had, and I guess in my own life thus far, I’ve found it well worth my time to amass stuff that others wouldn’t because of one reason or another.
My own CD collection is rather healthy. I don’t own anything by Eminem or any of his compatriots, rather you’ll find a lot of Sinatra. With cassette tapes (remember them?), I think there are 3 or 4 drawers chock full of stuff I bought before there was a CD player at the house. Magazines, there are a lot. I’ve got a ton of Entertainment Weekly’s, TV Week’s and other useless stuff of the sort. I’ll probably never use them again, but I keep them, because with the expense and all it’s rather repulsive to throw them out. Ditto with my wrestling stuff, stuff of a previous childhood, which I haven’t touched in over a decade, and stuff I still keep.
Books on the other hand have always been a major hang up of mine. I’ll admit though, that my book buying has really took on a life of its own in the last, say 3 or 4 years. I’m a sucker for the remainder tables, where a former best-seller or much lauded tome when it first came out, can now be bought off at fire sale prices. Like a recent buy of mine, that a year ago you probably paid $39.00 for, was on those ‘bargain’ or ‘clearance’ shelves for something like $12.00 or even cheaper. Remainders, though heartbreaking (not to mention abhorred by writers who make their living at writing books) are a good way for the apprentice book buyer to build his collection.
My own book collection must go into the 400s by now. Friends who come over, are either impressed by the amassed library that sits in the living room, or merely disgusted by the display of literary excess. Now, I haven’t read all of them. Those that I have read, still remain in the collection, though one suggested giving them away or throwing them out once finished. That’s stupid. I haven’t read all of them, because some just don’t interest me at the time, even at the time of purchase. True, I buy books without the intention of reading it at that very instance. One buys a book, because it could be of use down the line. And one who writes columns in this space, is often grateful for the fact I have a book in my collection with a pronounced expertise in a particular subject. Certainly it saves donning a coat and heading to the library everytime you need a fact or a quote. To justify what one may call ‘waste’ in spending all that money on books, it’s clear to me that the costs have been recouped, not only for research I need to do for this column, but also for school when writing ulcer-inducing papers.
I don’t own any books of a particularly special value. I’ve got no first edition of anything worth any money. And I do have at least two books that I know are doubles. How one acquires two of the same book is amazing, though not impossible. I have some books that are signed by their authors. One of Rafe Mair’s books is signed to me, whilst I’ve got a John Ralston Saul book that he’s autographed. I used to collect autographs, and in one copy of the book chronicling the history of CKNW, I have it signed by former prime minister Kim Campbell. Mind you, book collectors inform me that books signed by the author often decrease the re-sell value of books. Then again, I’d probably never part with them anyways.
All in all, even though one may have a book collection in the thousands, that wouldn’t halt any urge or inclination to buy another book at the local bookstore. This is something non-book lovers cannot possibly understand. Having a healthy book collection is tantamount to having a healthy mind. Books are coming out often. Even though the CD-ROM is a source of information, the Internet has superseded that exponentially. But books are still written and books are still being plugged on television shows and in newspaper columns. Though the information age is with us, books remain a vital part in that mess. Thus bookaholics like myself, will still buy, collect and keep.
A lot can be deciphered about yourself from what kind of books you have. One may decipher from my collection, an inherent interest in matters political. They’d be right. For me, I think hoarding books is something of a luxury and a necessity. There is something special that goes on when you get a book in your possession for the first time. It’s hard to explain it but, as another confirmed bookaholic once wrote, and I wholeheartedly endorse, “God be praised, books.”
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