Angry Rant From an Irate Book Buyer

[erebus]

Now I know most people do not cherish their books as much as most of us do here. And I know some people just read them and move them on. But what I want to know is why oh why do people have to destroy a book whilst they are reading it. I felt the need to write this post after a hardback was delivered to me today and apart from having the most ridiculous spine lean I have ever seen in my life, It had been violated that brutally the books hard front cover had a huge split in it. What animal does this ? Its perfectly simple to read a book without breaking it apart, but some people seem to think they are going to miss words perhaps if they don't wrench the thing open. Is this the equivalent of the thing they do with paperbacks when they bend the front cover around the back and hold it in one hand ? Idiots.
What is the annoying thing is that these book rapists don't even know its destroyed. They put their auctions on ebay and say Very good condition. Take a pic of the front cover and say its perfect. I always ask how the spine is, has it got any lean etc. The reply nine times out of ten is Whats spine lean I know potentially its going to be an abused book with that reply. But some others say, No the book is in great readable conditon and clearly on arrival it isnt. Yes I know books are readable regardless of how damaged they are. But some folks cannot fathom that there are in fact people who not only cherish their books, but also collect too. And don't get me started on filthy black pages where it appears to be some coal miner has read the thing. Or people who type up First edition hardback, on ebay when its one of those BCA versions and they don't know the difference.
Please don't think I'm being arrogant. I fully understand some people do not know these things. And realise that to them its just a book...plain and simple... But when they don't describe things on auctions correctly. Or when they destroy books and try to say they are fine it really irritates me. I saw a copy of Swan Song in a charity shop recently. And it was virtually a tube. Now thats a big thick paperback, but to be battered in this way it took some force. Unbelievable.
Finally, does anybody know a good way of correcting spine lean on hardbacks ? I try to reshape them and put down a heavy weight on them hoping it will resurrect them, but alas its all pointless.
To me a abused book is a unhappy book. And along with animal cruelty its something I despise. Harsh words yep. But I'm seriously thinking of going Charles Bronson over this ( the film one not that mad guy in prison ) Anyway feel free to call me a freak or a nerd. I know I am, but if there's any kindred spirits out there who feel the same I would feel a certain degree of warmth knowing I'm not alone.

[Jojo Lapin X]

When I was young I handled paperbacks so carefully that they still look brand new. I have to admit I no longer do that; instead I happily break the spine in as many places as there are pages. Maybe it is because current paperback editions do not look very attractive in the first place. When I accidentally buy used books with broken spines, I am horribly annoyed, of course.

[Robert Adam Gilmour]

I think worse than this is music and video discs that look like they have been used as plates for food many years. That also damages the discs functioning.

I've been surprised how often I've seen writers and keen readers say they throw books across the room when they are angered by the contents. It made me a little horrified but it also was a little liberating because I sometimes felt trapped by my respect for content that comes in a factory made object (what I mean is that I would carefully and slowly absorb things that I would have rightly ignored or sped through if it were on a webpage; as if the books were getting respect they didn't deserve by virtue of being an object).

A lot of people like books that look a bit worn, as if it gives them an appearance of having lived/been used enough. My books don't get very worn except a book at college that I read over two or more years and it sat in my bag and got thoroughly scuffed.

Something that I believe is similar in the way people appall me is the way people litter. I'm a farm boy and it really infuriates me how people litter the very countryside they like to escape to. People come to countryside to dump their garbage even when there is a nearby disposal site. It seems these people can't stand having garbage and need rid of it at the first opportunity. I bet these people would complain if the fields were covered in the litter they dropped.
Also I hate chewing gum and the way it covers places. Part of the annoying thing about that is I don't imagine anyone LOVES chewing gum, it's like a dirty habit.

[ripper]

Most of the books I purchase from on-line sources are used paperbacks that are several decades old, so I am familiar with the creative way in which some sellers describe book condition. I have come to the conclusion that, despite what the description states, you can never tell how the book will be until you open up the package. I recently bought a paperback that was obviously badly water-damaged, yet the description said nothing of this. Another thing I don't like is when a book arrives and it has the seller's sticker on the back cover. Oh and also when books haven't been stored well and the glue is brittle, and no matter how carefully you read it, pages become loose.

[valdemar]

'Book Rape' - the most perfect description of damage to books I've ever heard. As i have written on another post, it was drilled into me at a very early age by my parents, that ONE DOES NOT DAMAGE BOOKS INTENTIONALLY. As a result, I have books from my childhood that, although having been read many, many times, still look new - no dog ears, no colouring in, backs unbroken, etc. I work with a bloke who has OCD, and he physically cannot touch a damaged book. Now, I'm nowhere near as bad as that, but it really annoys me to see books that look like they've just played scrum-half for Wales. I did, recently, have a serious go at a girl in my local bookshop who was sitting in the shop looking through a book, with the front cover bent right back, so that she could read one page at a time. The gist of what I said to her was: "You've just bought that copy". One of the staff was nearby at the time, re-stocking a display, and must have said something along the same lines to the girl, who went ahead and bought the book.
A problem that I have also found, is that some books simply are not made as well as they were 30 or 40 years ago. I have had problems quite recently with pages falling out of a book that cost me thirty quid. Luckily, I know a book restorer who sorted it out for me, but again, I've got Ladybird books from the early 1960's, that are as good now as they were when my parents bought them to read to me in my cot.
It seems today everthing has a 'use by' date. Pah! progress.

[erebus]

A tip of the hat to you Sir for challenging that book bashing lout in the bookshop. A big thumbs up. I too have seen a lot of folks dossing in waterstones lately. Partly due to the fact that they have leather chairs in there now. Some teens just go in on lunch breaks, park their arse and violate a book. I witnessed this today whilst buying a book for the daughter.
Another thing I found quite an irony. Where I live we have had one of those discount book shops a while. I used to go in twice a week as I always found something worth picking up most times. But alas it has closed down two week back due to lack of custom, nobody wants to BUY books apparently. The whammy is just next door a huge ex department shop has opened full of peoples old books that they don't want. As opposed to them being thrown in a landfill or binned people send them there for other to take for free, THE PLACE IS HEAVING. I always have a quite mumble of distain when I see these now avid readers wanting books now that they are freebies. If only this passion for literature extended further and maybe then perhaps the book shop next door may have stayed open. I dunno Owt for Nowt as they say.

[valdemar]

I would like to know how those discount bookstores work - I have recently bought books from one in town, at a massive discount from the same book in Waterstones. The best one was last year, when my brother's partner asked me to pick up a copy of the Terry Richardson 'Lady Gaga' book from the discount store, basically because of it's size - a 'coffee table book', which, had you got four spare table legs, you would have been able to screw them into it and actually use it as a coffee table [an occasional table; sometimes it's a large book] that she didn't fancy carrying about town, and more importantly, despite it only being out a week or so, it's price. In Waterstones for thirty-five quid, and the identical volume, perfect, no dings or anything, from the discount store, for a wallet terrifying... six pounds. How do they do it? I wished they had sold out, by the way, as carting the bastard tome around town nearly crippled me.

An additional thought: why is it usually the opposite for Charity bookshops? Why are some of them so damn expensive - and not just on big, expensive tomes, either. Yes, I know that they are doing good work, but some of the larger charities who have dedicated book shops [yes, I do frequently use them] have average books for above average prices, hmm?

[erebus]

I totally agree with the overpriced charity shops comment. Recently Saw a Sepulchre hardback for £8.50. And Heart shaped box by Joe Hill for £12.50. People nowadays are loathe to buy books, and this isn't helping the charity being this extreme.

[ripper]

There used to be a couple of shops selling remainder books not too far from where I live. They would be maybe 5 or 6 years old but new and in perfect condition, and selling for usually less than £2. I have spent many a happy hour there and almost always came out with several books, but sadly they are long gone. Now, there are just a few charity shops. They sell paperbacks 3 for £1 and hardbacks about £1 each, but there isn't often much that I am interested in. Other than the charity shops, there are no bookshops around here, hence my reliance on on-line sources, where price and quality is so variable.

I have also noticed that several practically new books I have loaned from the library have had very weak bindings. One was so bad that I returned it after reading just a few pages as they were so loose, and I was concerned that the library might think I had damaged the book.