“Books are like people. Some look deceptively attractive from a distance, some deceptively unappealing; some are easy company, some demand hard work that isn’t guaranteed to pay off. Some become friends and stay friends for life. Some change in our absence – or perhaps its we who change in theirs – and we meet up again only to find that we don’t get along any more”.
Mark Haddon
I'm not one who likes anthropomorphisising much - and I probably shouldn't get too much into trying to consider books like people either; but given that Mark Haddon does just that, perhaps there is a word for it.
His descriptions are spot on and I can recall books that meet nearly all of his personality types and descriptions. A couple that spring to mind:
Deceptively Attractive - Less
Deceptively Unappealing - The Rules of Backyard Cricket
Easy Company - An Uncommon Reader
Hard work with no guarantee - A Little Life (but it delivered)
Friends for Life - Pollyanna and Anne of Green Gables
Changed in our absence - World Enough and Time
I certainly find books companionable and good companions, so perhaps I really am into personifying or humanising them. Food for further thought!
Mark Haddon
I'm not one who likes anthropomorphisising much - and I probably shouldn't get too much into trying to consider books like people either; but given that Mark Haddon does just that, perhaps there is a word for it.
His descriptions are spot on and I can recall books that meet nearly all of his personality types and descriptions. A couple that spring to mind:
Deceptively Attractive - Less
Deceptively Unappealing - The Rules of Backyard Cricket
Easy Company - An Uncommon Reader
Hard work with no guarantee - A Little Life (but it delivered)
Friends for Life - Pollyanna and Anne of Green Gables
Changed in our absence - World Enough and Time
I certainly find books companionable and good companions, so perhaps I really am into personifying or humanising them. Food for further thought!
people write books and read them, bind them and dream them, perhaps they are one of the most anthropomorphic ideas in the world!
ReplyDeleteYou might be right Mo! There is so much humanity in the making and writing of a book there should be no reason why they aren't people-like I guess! Go well.
Deletehmmm ... an intriguing notion that is, perhaps, good to keep in mind when faced with weeding one's book collection
ReplyDeleteThey could be guiding principles perhaps Liz? And I imagine we could add other personal traits to the list too! Go well.
DeleteI am reading Less right now and struggling not to throw it across the room -- it's well written but it somehow makes me feel bad. I'd add the category: make us work and worth it. I'd put the Irish author John Banville in that category. I read with dictionary at hand. One of my friends for life? A Crystal Cave, by Mary Stewart, from her Arthurian trilogy. One of the few books I've read four times.
ReplyDeleteSoooo happy to hear your thoughts on Less! Everyone I knew thought 'why bother'??? Prize winning and all. Oh yes, John Banville makes you read slower and an excellent addition to the categories! I looked to my shelf for my friend for life and found those two which have bene with me for 45 years...go well.
DeleteOver recent years I have(after many sleepless night and agonising!) given away many, many books. Painful? Well, knowing that some went to "keepers" and some to worthy causes, no, not as painful as you might think.And I have a "boomerang system" with a friend in Canberra. Sometimes we gift each other books, but those we wish to keep are called "boomerangs." And we see our books, and their characters and authors as people.
ReplyDeleteI like your boomerang idea Dinah - its important to hang on to the ones that are special. I am definitely better at shedding than I used to be - we have circles of friends and family with whom we share books, and permission is always granted for them to be passed along further; and we have great Friends of the Library book sales to donate to too. Books should circulate, except the special ones! Go well.
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