So many books ...

    Do you consider your book-lined home "dungeon or dreamland"? Could you ever put a book in the bin? Are books your slave or your master?

    These questions and others were raised in this morning's Radio 4 programme So many books, so little time. Mark Hodkinson's gently wry look at book collecting - whether you'd call it bibliophilia or bibliomania may depend on where you are on the 'few books or many' scale - encompassed chats with writer friends, a bookseller, and a bookcase-making carpenter. In conversation with a psychologist he explored the book-collector archetypes, discussed books as "carapace", and the gratification - both instant and deferred - that comes with their acquisition. "An investment in our future self" is a neat justification for book buying, and the associated optimism which necessarily accompanies the building of a large library probably no bad thing.

    Worth a listen.

Comments

[Dark Puss]

Neither dungeon nor dreamland for me. I do not think about books in terms of mastery or being enslaved and I now no longer buy books for deferred gratification, though that is primarily due to space limitations. I am certainly capable of putting a book in a bin and I need no justification for buying a book (and more than I do for buying sheet music or a photograph or a painting) other than an appreciation of what other things I might be doing with the money I will no longer have. When I get a chance I will listen to the programme you link to and see if my views change.

[Fran H-B]

This sounds a fascinating programme which I may have missed if you hadn't flagged it up, thank you. Downloaded and ready for me to listen on a journey to work next week. Books certainly are in abundance here but having always lived in book lined homes I cannot imagine anything different. How awful if I ever ran out of things to read!

[Joan Kyler]

I enjoyed listening to the programme. Thanks for the link.

[Mystica]

I used to live in book lined splendour. Not any more. I've moved to the Kindle. Hardly ever buy a book. There is much to read out there anyway so I dont get to it all but then.....

[BookBarmy]

Dear Cornflower ~~ Thank you so much for posting about this. I listened to it while (whilst) wrapping Christmas gifts to ship across country. I agree wholeheartedly with Jane Harris - lots of books in every nook, crook and cranny. Excellent program.

[Cornflower]

So glad you enjoyed it, and listening while wrapping presents sounds like an excellent combination!