My Love Affiar with Books

“Every book, every volume you see here, has a soul. The soul of the person who wrote it and of those who read it and lived and dreamed with it. Every time a book changes hands, every time someone runs his eyes down its pages, its spirit grows and strengthens.”
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

I've been thinking about books recently (you're shocked, I know). Not particular books, as in their content (I mean I have for studies, but that's besides the point), but on the physical book itself.

It struck me today as I was sitting in a coffee shop, pouring over a text (nothing exciting, really, just a secondary text for my dissertation) and I was struck with a profound thought. I love books. Okay, I know you laughed out loud at that one. Of course I love books, why else would I be doing a MA in English Literature? Who spends their days (and a lot of nights) reading, and hates books? But what I mean is that I literally love books. The paper, the binding, the covers, everything about them. I watched a film recently that had man handling an ancient book and he wasn't wearing protective gloves - it physically hurt me to watch it! And I knew it wasn't real. That's how deep this goes for me.


But there is nothing, for example, like the smell of books; almost as good as chocolate chip cookies baking on a cold winter's day. Have you every walked into a library or bookshop, closed your eyes, and just taken a deep breath? I have, it's amazing. It's one of the reasons I'm not a fan of coffee shops in bookstores and libraries, it taints the smell. The two places even smell different from each other. Libraries smell like old books; deep, rich, and woody, like walking into a forest in autumn. I love old books because they often fall open to the passages that I love most, the ones that I go back to again and again. Bookstores smell like new books; so sharp and crisp that they make my nose tingle. Have you ever listened as you open a new book for the first time? They crackle and rustle with an intensity that isn't found as a book ages. There's something so exciting about cracking open a new book. You never know what you're going to find, it's fresh and thrilling as your fingers touch each page for the first time. And with each turn of the page you leave a little bit of yourself there. You become a part of every book you read, just as a it becomes part of you.

Getting a eReader was one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life. I felt like I was betraying a friend, or cheating on a lover, when I walked out of Barnes and Noble with an electronic device instead of a book. Usually when I go to a bookstore I wander aimlessly through the aisles, stopping and reading the back (and sometimes the first few pages) of books the grab my interest. When I bought my Nook I went in and out without stepping anywhere near the real books (Barnes & Noble kindly have the Nooks in the front of the store by the magazines, cards, and gifts as if they feel the shame that goes along with selling the atrocity that is an eReader) and I felt slightly disgusted with myself for the rest of the day. I know it's extreme, but it's true.

I admit, I like my Nook. I've saved a bucket-load on class readings because a lot of them are available for free electronically. It's very convenient when I'm highlighting passages and looking for keywords. I've used my Nook for taking notes and organizing my schedule. When I was trapped on the floor of my entry for two days with debilitating back spasms last August, I watched a dozen films on the thing and read a book or two. Living in another country, it's been great to be able to buy books knowing I don't have to leave them here because I don't have the space or weight allowance for them.

Yet, in the end, as I sat at the coffee shop, turning the slightly yellowing pages of a real book, I knew in my heart that I will always love the physical book more than the electronic one. I will always feel at home wandering through the rows of a bookshop or library. I will never feel the thrill of excitement I get when reading the description online that I get when reading the back of a book I'm holding in my hands. And more than anything, nothing can replace that jolt of anticipation when you pull a book, new or old, off shelves lined with dozens (even hundreds) of different stories - no matter if it is your first, or fiftieth time reading it.

I have a love affair with books that will last the test of time. You should try, it's one of the most glorious things you'll experience on earth.