We dedicated readers talk books, relive books, luxuriate in books with a deep satisfaction. Reading is a compulsion with us: We have to read, need to read, cannot stop reading. If nothing else is available, we read the information on cereal boxes. That doesn’t mean that we don’t apply exacting standards to what we read seriously. The author, Robert Ruark, wrote that truly fine writing reads like cream. Other bookies will surely understand that. We bookies have instant connectivities with each other and share a special universe.
By the books they read, shall ye know them! Some examples: Rita, a reader of my column, sent e-mails about her impressions of Harper Lee’s books and other books. I’ve never met her, but she’s not a total stranger.
The only times that I encountered Kay were at the monthly meetings of the Irvington Coterie, a women’s luncheon group. She moved to Florida, and I haven’t seen her for a few years. Other than those monthly chats around the dining table, occasional e-mails or pretty, hand-drawn cards she sends for a special occasion, I cannot say that I know her well, but books unite us.
Kay wrote, “If I don’t have 4 books on my nightstand I get anxious.” I understand that perfectly. Books are a sort of security blanket. During the third century B.C. a great library was established in Alexandria, Egypt. It had thousands of books engraved on papyrus and bought at places such as the Athens Book Fair. It was home to international scholars who, for example, edited The Iliad. They must have wept when Julius Caesar accidently had it burned down. An inscription above the library’s stacks said, “The place of the cure of the soul.” Amen to that!
Dan wrote, Right now, I have a stack of new books that I just HAVE to read. So, what am I reading…Maugham’s The Razor’s Edge for the “umptiumth” time. Lately it seems that I read one old favorite for every three new books. These books are indeed old friends, and it is always good to visit with them.
“Oh dear,” I replied. “Now I’ll have to read The Razor’s Edge again, and I know it by heart!” (Daughter Vicki: Take note: The Razor’s Edge is a wonderful book. I’ll bet you can get it for virtually nothing on your Kindle.) Someone asked me, “Why do you read some books more than once?” “Well, you listen to your favorite music over and over, don’t you? Certain books make music in my mind.”
Saying that it’s wonderful, Kay recommended The Boys in the Boat. I’ve ordered it for my Kindle. Speaking of my Kindle, I’ve had a terrible disaster. First of all, I absolutely hate this new, “improved” Kindle that I bought when my old one’s power latch broke. It’s controlled by touch, and does maddening things such as losing your place or changing the type size if you inadvertently touch it in the wrong place. And it isn’t that I’m old! One of my grandsons hates his as does a friend’s daughter. I’m sure that Bill is weary of my unladylike rants about it.
Night before last, I left it on my lavatory counter. Evidently, I didn’t turn off the faucet tightly enough. In the morning I discovered that water had dripped onto the Kindle which somehow had fallen into the basin. (I wonder if perhaps Pusscatkin played a role in this.) I dried it off, but it wouldn’t turn on. Eek! What to do, what to do? I intended to use quotes from a novel stored in it as the basis for this essay.
To compensate for this debacle, I’ve used some material from an essay that I wrote many years ago about the bookie talks that Granny and had when I was a girl. Perhaps it’s a good thing that the Kindle went belly-up, as it’s too easy to buy books from Amazon with one click and have them delivered within seconds. wclarke@comcast.net