why used books are better

after writing this i also realized...well someone has to read it first to make it become used... hmmmm

i have never liked the pompous smell 

of a newly purchased book. 

in the scribbled notes in the margins

of a 1907 collectible novel 

i can finally understand why:

when you read a used book

you're not just reading the story

that the author printed into words, 

you are inadvertently indulging the narratives

of every fingertip that has leafed through

these pages before you and soaked

their subconscious in the same 

alternate universe. every crease

stain and blur is an anthology etched

between the lines of the printed text. 

why read a pristine book with one story

pretentious in its singularity

when you can read thousands

without ever conceiving it. 

Reviews

[kublakhan27]

If there are elements of pomposity to newly-made books, I suppose it because they're cheaply-made...the old books you speak of last forever if they're taken care of...the books of recent generations are made flimsier, the binding never seems as strong, and the pages are brittler, even hardcover books...it's kind of like records, which I also collect fervently...old vinyl is thick, and you'd need a jackhammer to put a scratch in it...but as you get into the 70s and 80s, they get mass-produced, the vinyl is thinner, and you can't do so much as breath on one without worrying about warping...I'm totally in touch with what you're saying here...those old books just have an air about them...they're like works of art in and of themselves...today's printed work just doesn't have that same feel...I love how you've summed it all up here my friend.

[Dana Alsamsam]

oh my god i so agree with you about the vinyl! the ones that i've been handed down from my dad are far more sturdy than the few newer editions that i've bought in recent years. thank you so much for your connection and glowing review!

[kublakhan27]

You've most welcome :) I think you mentioned once that you had records but I never thought to ask you for sure...a lot of the remastered stuff coming out now is back on thicker vinyl, but like the old books, they just have a certain appeal that reissues don't ;)

[Dana Alsamsam]

yes i do, i wish my collection was more extensive but it can become an expensive hobby...haha!

[kublakhan27]

Oh you don't have to tell me haha This summer was the first time in two years I got to any record stores (the closest ones are six hours away) and I doled out $250 on new stuff...I'm paying the price (pardon the pun haha) now but it was worth every penny...if you're really curious, my profile has some pics of some of my stuff ;)

[Dana Alsamsam]

oh i'll be sure to check them out! wow that's far...i live in chicago so the closest one to me is like five minutes haha i guess i am very lucky.

[kublakhan27]

Haha yeah I'm from a small town so there isn't much of anything around :P

[Anand Sehgal]

Used books are really useful. you spoke my mind ! I see good work here !
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[Astro]

That's why I steal library books. Just kidding. I think you may have a point, that if you look at it in an E.S.P. sort of way, perhaps something of a past ownership is locked into a used book, their enjoyment or perhaps feelings outside of the book itself that got leeched into the books essence that new readers pick up on psychic-ly speaking. Then again, I like the price difference so who am I to look a gift used book in the mouth.
;)

[Dana Alsamsam]

hahaha yes the price difference is most definitely a lovely thing... thanks for your thoughts my dear.

[Astro]

Always my pleasure

[Saumya]

i really loved this and enjoyed reading this.....
i completely agree with you, even i do the same and also advice them that if you really want to read a bok, read the used one....because ironically it does not have that fresh printed pages smell, but yes, it has a major part of the reader prior's heart love and hardwork stored in it in the form of every scribbbles and folds....:)

a very true and beautiful thought well expressed:)
well done dear:)

best wishes,
saumya

[Dana Alsamsam]

thank you so much for your kind thoughts. best wishes to you as well.

[Saumya]

you are welcmd:)

[Lizzi]

I absolutely loved this. Such a simple concept and you really portrayed the reasoning behind the beauty of used books. I order all of mine used on Amazon and I read like a fiend so I thought this was simply neat. :)

[Dana Alsamsam]

amazon is my crack! especially for books :) thanks for your kind words.

[rubie]

A fascinating piece with a fascinating point of view. Of course, every book, no matter how "used", was once pristine. And every person to have turned its pages becomes part of its history, adding another "layer" as you put it so well. All of the people who have read this book become connected in a sense, with the story the book tells as the anchor.

A beautiful and profound write!

[Dana Alsamsam]

you hit it right on the head my dear! thank you so much, your kind words mean a lot

[annabellee]

Such an original and creative piece. I never thought about it that way, but you presented an interesting point of view here. I really enjoyed reading it and of course it's like always very well written :)

[Dana Alsamsam]

thank you so much!

[annabellee]

you're most welcome :)

[Girl Friday (Sarah W.)]

This is really quite a brilliant idea, Dana. I have to agree with you on the concept, as well; I tend to enjoy used books, and I keep my own books--reading and re-reading them.

I love the idea of people imprinting themselves upon the things that they interact with, and books are a great way to think about this. I have often looked at many things in my "little world" and wondered who has touched them before me. I think about the lives of those people, and as you put it so aptly, the lives of the imprints left behind become a silent part of the story when it comes to books.

I love when I pick up a used book and find the little treasure of notes in the margin. I have an older copy of Grimms' Tales, and there are the best notes in the margins--I have dreamed over that handwriting, wondering...

Fantastic.

[Dana Alsamsam]

you hit it right on the head my dear! and as jacob said below, we do the same thing here with poetry. every read and interpretation makes a poem used and more layered. ah i love grimms tales with all my heart... lucky! and thank you :)

[Tomahawk Joe]

This is an interesting piece that presents a unique perspective

[jacob erin-cilberto]

now this is a used poem...so many reads, so many interpretations...and it is worth much more than in its original state...when we first drive a poem or a book off the lot, it immediately loses its value..but used...it retains that value so well...

nicely done, dana...

jacob

[Dana Alsamsam]

oooh what great insight! thank you jacob!