Thursday Thoughts...

But really, should we even care if the books weren’t read? They’re talismanic, remember. They exist principally as super-filters, as evokers of an implicit world. It’s like ambient music: you may not even notice it’s playing, but it gives you thoughts you wouldn’t have if commercial pop were playing in the background. The books evoke desire, a desire for a better, more intelligent world. They can do that when read, but also when left unread on the shelf, because they are beautiful objects.

Mrs Tsk*

I came across this quote on tumblr, and went off later to see who had posted it and if I could actually reference it. It appears the blog owner Mrs Tsk* authored it, and it made interesting reading in a way to see it fully in its context.  I am quite happy tho to consider it as a stand-alone comment as well!

I often wished as a student that somehow all the knowledge that was contained in those books - all the anatomy and neurology and biomechanics could somehow be transferred from the books into my head by osmosis. If somehow just by having the books around I could absorb their contents. Sadly it was not to be.

The quote got me thinking about the roles books play as objects; not simply for their content.  What do physical books on shelves say to us? How do they affect our mood? How do we feel when we are in a room filled with books? What does the smell of old books make us think about?

I don't know why, but I was surprised to realise all the associations I make with books and having them around and about folk who have books and those who do not, on all sorts of levels and in all sorts of ways. Like Mrs Tsk* suggests, I feel as if they can play their role simply by being; without me needing to actually absorb their contents. Sometimes their titles suggest a quest for further knowledge or investigation which makes me happy to know that people are thinking BIG things; sometimes their worn and torn covers and dog-eared pages tell me that people have be-friended them and that they have been worthy of multiple readings and have been great companions. Some books just look gorgeous and fill me with desire to see, make and do gorgeous things!

A colourful booky-nook at our place - with a painting by Lynn Cran at the top; a painting by Jo Murray atop the bookcase and a piece of pierced porcelain by Kim Schoenberger on the 'top shelf'. And our ever-growing rainbow stack of books of course...