Comments on: One Advantage of Having a Bookcase in Your Office

By: Joseph Grinton

Joseph Grinton — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 22:00:40 +0000

Thanks for your concern, Lily. Half my books went to be recycled but I was glad to discover some other books, which I can now see.

By: bloglily

bloglily — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:22:44 +0000

Hi Jess and welcome! I’m glad to hear you’re about to pick up TTL — such a lovely book.

Dear Joseph, Sometimes, we don’t NEED all those books, and sometimes they’re better off with other people. I hope your courage not only didn’t fail you, but allowed you to enjoy the freedom that comes with paring down.

My dear Baron, I’m glad about the good laugh. xo

Ms. HMH — Exactly. Here’s to nooks and crannies!

By: Jess

Jess — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 21:38:41 +0000

I’m coming a bit late to the conversation, but this entry is really lovely. I may have to go home and pick up my own copy of To the Lighthouse.

By: josephgrinton

josephgrinton — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 19:18:55 +0000

Help! Two men are coming tomorrow to relieve me of half my books, which I’m supposed to be packing away instead of reading your blog. It has taken me years to summon up the courage to do this. I pray that my nerve doesn’t fail me now!

By: Baron von Rochester

Baron von Rochester — Mon, 25 May 2009 23:28:55 +0000

When I read that your child had “chewed his way” through My Antonia, I initially thought: Well, what an enterprising young man; that is indeed a large intellectual bite to process.

Then I realized you meant, like, literally chewed.

Then I had a good laugh.

By: healingmagichands

healingmagichands — Fri, 22 May 2009 22:11:56 +0000

the other thing that is wonderful about bookcases, other than the books, is the little nooks and crannies in front of them or between them where you can stash things that otherwise might be gathering dust un-noticed. Instead, they are sitting (gathering dust, of course) right where you can enjoy them. In addition to all the books, my book cases have dragons, and wonderful stones picked up in various places in the world acting as bookends, and sundry other items to keep all those words grounded in and surrounded with reality.

By: bloglily

bloglily — Thu, 21 May 2009 00:05:28 +0000

Marie, I love the nerviness of that — the killing off of a son, a mother, a daughter all as the house goes to hell — it’s amazing she does it in these asides, and it actually works, probably because she is so confident that the natural world is the real power here, not death. Who knows if that’s why it works, but it does. (And yay for the utter richness of moving into a place with room for books.)

Speaking of richness, my dear shoreacres, it sounds like your life is full of it — and your 60 books must be beloved indeed to have made the final cut.

And your son, litlove, will be a navigator through the world’s greatest city. It’s in his system!

Emily, I did so like hearing about your move, and your new house — which is not such a new to you house any more, is it?! Your books are home now.

Oh Cam — Man. that is so hard. I didn’t know that happened to you. I’m so sorry. There are many things I’d be okay losing, but I’m not so sure how I’d feel about books.

Op, You absolutely HAVE TO set a story in the stacks at Doe.

Dear Ben, Whenever I read your comments I always think, really, why am I catholic? Whatever Ben is, that is the denomination for me — because there will always be something funny and profound coming out of the pastor’s study.

U-Dad, you’re right. we may well be that person. All the more reason to love the right now.

Dear Gail, I will! (The inner game of tennis — I hope that went to a deserving home. I like how our books chart our passions and our changes.)

By: mariegauthier

mariegauthier — Wed, 20 May 2009 15:06:02 +0000

It’s daunting how much of To the Lighthouse happens in the parentheticals.

For several years we had to store a large chunk of my books b/c of space issues. When we moved into this large apt. last summer, I got all my books back, and Oh! the utter richness of it. Hooray for you!

By: shoreacres

shoreacres — Wed, 20 May 2009 04:16:13 +0000

I’ve enjoyed roaming your site, and your mention of sensing a new phase of life resonated particularly.

The first decades of my life were filled with books, reading, academic study and degree-achieving. (I spent my own time in Berkeley.)

Then, things changed, as things do. I dispersed my libraries, sold the bookcases, waved good-bye to my profession, and began varnishing boats. For 20 years I traveled, sailed, worked, and traveled some more. I kept a few books which were dear to me, but essentially stopped reading.

A year ago, I began blogging, and six months ago, I bought a new book for the first time in years. I don’t need a bookshelf yet, as my sixty (just counted!) volumes fit quite nicely onto their shelf. But my own new phase has been entered, and those lawyer’s bookcases my mother has might be just the ticket somewhere down the road!

By: Litlove

Litlove — Tue, 19 May 2009 17:51:52 +0000

Your son is destined to be more literate than mine. He only chomped his way through my London A-Z! And that is a very beautiful passage. That is the advantage and disadvantage of bookcases – they showcase the hundreds of possibly lovely passages one could be being inspired by, as opposed to getting anything else done….

By: Emily Barton

Emily Barton — Tue, 19 May 2009 17:50:53 +0000

Oh, how wonderful! I (sort of) know this feeling, because I remember what it was like to unpack the very last box of books after moving (which did take us months to do). However, that is NOTHING compared to having them all packed away for a decade. Enjoy! (Oh, and you’ve almost made me want to read To the Lighthouse again, but really, I’ve read that one three times already, and there are so many other books on my shelves begging for attention…)

By: Cam

Cam — Tue, 19 May 2009 04:27:38 +0000

I so understand this feeling, but your description makes me mourn all of the books (about 1200) I was forced to destroy (feeling sharp pangs as I type that) following a flood. There is little that we had to pitch that I miss, except for the books. So many times over the last 7 years I’ve thought, “it’s in that book”, and then I catch heart as it sinks when I realize that I don’t have it any more. I think this only accellerated my acquisition of books, though I don’t think that I’ll ever catch up to the volume that I once had. Maybe that is just as well. The book that I am wistfully wanting to pull from the shelves right now is St. Exupery’s The Little Prince, in French.

By: openpalm

openpalm — Tue, 19 May 2009 02:37:39 +0000

come visit and walk through the stacks…1 million books whispering and signalling with shape and color and scent…

By: Ben Daniel

Ben Daniel — Mon, 18 May 2009 21:45:25 +0000

Bookcases are a definite argument against the Kindle. I love the fact that I am surrounded by books while I am at work. The sign on my office door says “Pastor’s Study,”and I just now realized that if you remove the apostrophe the sign becomes a job description. Or wishful thinking.

Viva la bookcase!

By: dadwhowrites

dadwhowrites — Mon, 18 May 2009 20:34:57 +0000

I haven’t read that novel for so long – quite devastating. I must confess to being a little haunted by how one of us may stand in that very place at some point in our lives. Our house is covered with bookcases, I’m afraid, and looking after books is the strictest lesson dudelet learned! (along with CDs). Randomly pulled down to start yesterday – Ivy Compton-Burnet, A House and its Head. It’s already devastating in quite a different way.