Preserving My Books

There may be some of you out there who do this, but I’m guessing not too many. I recently acquired this 1988 edition of James M. Cain’s The Postman Always Rings Twice and Double Jeopardy. But it’s too nice to read and I really want to read it. It’s got gold edging on the pages. It’s got gold around the front and back covers and it’s got the mock up of newspapers on each side. It appears that the binding hasn’t been cracked.  What’s a reader to do?

I went to my trusty public library and got out this copy, which includes a third novel, Mildred Pierce. Since it’s from the library, you know it’s been read…it looks well read. And I’m reading this copy, so as to preserve my original copy.

I’ll go so far as to say I’ve purchased a book in shrink wrap and haven’t opened it. It was the catalog to Ralph Lauren’s collection of antique cars at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. I saw the collection at the museum. I skimmed through the catalog while in the gift shop and bought a pristine one which I haven’t opened (in about 10 years, give or take a few).

I know…weird.  What can I tell you? I plan to do that same thing with my 1899 edition of Thoreau’s Cape Cod. It’s in beautiful condition, so why spoil it? Since I plan to read it on Cape Cod, it’s likely that sand will get on the pages. Why mess up my copy?

So that’s my quirk. What’s yours?

Ed

P.S. So far, The Postman Always Rings Twice is quite good. Guess I’ll have to see the movie…the original, not any remakes. Enjoy