The True Worth of a Book
October 9th, 2006 by Alan Chudnow
I’ve been collecting and reading science fiction, fantasy and horror literature ever since I was a kid. It is, looking back, the single most consistent interest I have and is one of the threads that runs throughout the pattern of my life. The first thing I ever posted on this site, and if truth be known, the inspiration for starting this online endeavor, was a piece entitled
Why Collect Science Fiction? In it I explored the question of why one becomes a collector of science fiction books.
I talked about books transcending the state of being merely a vehicle for passing on the author’s stories and thoughts and becoming an object with intrinsic beauty and value; that for a collector, rather than simply a reader, the volumes themselves take on added worth because of their look, feel, history, edition and condition. For many in the larger field of antiquarian books as well as the sub-genre of speculative fiction, it is these factors that determine value.
However I was recently reminded by a wonderful article by Matthew Cheney that the true core of the value of a book and the reason so many of us love the books we do is, as Cheney puts it:
“…for what they do to you, the joy they cause, the tales they tell, their eloquence and humor, their depth of insight, their usefulness and charm, the way they touch your imagination and bring your dreams to life. You adore them when they make you laugh, you cherish them when they surprise you and bring a sudden depth to what you see and feel.”
Before the beauty of gilt edges, marbled endpapers and gold stamped leather bindings; before edition, state, and condition, it is the moment of sharing the wonder, insight, dreams and revelations that the author lays before the reader that creates the fundamental underpinnings of the true worth of a book.
In that initial post I answered the question of why collect science fiction books by saying “collect them because you love them”. It is worth a moments pause amidst the rummaging through used book stores, the long online search sessions and the fulfillment of possession to remember why we love them.
