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Monday, October 23, 2006

personal libraries

Jay Parini finds Other People's Books provide insight into their personalities: "What interests me about other people's books is the nature of their collection. A personal library is an X-ray of the owner's soul. It offers keys to a particular temperament, an intellectual disposition, a way of being in the world. Even how the books are arranged on the shelves deserves notice, even reflection. There is probably no such thing as complete chaos in such arrangements."

Received an email from Amazon a while ago, and my most recent order has been shipped. The order before that, the one from September 24, has not been shipped.

Oh, well, I'll get The Thirteenth Tale sooner than I'd hoped.
"From ghosties and ghoulies and long-legged beasties and things that go bump in the night, Good Lord Deliver Us."
Old Scottish Prayer

2 comments:

  1. Now where's the fun in being delivered from things that go bump in the night? ;)

    I think I agree wiht Parini. That was a great article. I have to admit part of the reason for adding my recent built-in bookshelf was to start creating my own reading haven. We have books everywhere in our home but one of my desires is to have at least one room that has a truly library-like feel to it. A place that is a complete homage to reading.

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  2. Carl - I've just always liked that saying...it's fun. There is an even older version from the time of the Danish invasions: "From the fury of the Norsemen, Good Lord Deliver Us."

    I love the idea of an "homage to reading" - a library is a sanctuary of sorts.

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