Newspaper clippings · 1996Estimated date
Storehouses of gifts given
A columnist uses inscriptions found in books at Hermosa’s library sale to reflect on earlier readers and gift-givers.
Part of this item is hard to read or covered in the scan. A clearer copy is being sought.
Text
Transcribed from the scans and checked against them by Claude. Typed text comes first; handwritten notes follow it. [illegible] marks words that cannot be read and [?] an uncertain reading.
Storehouses of gifts given
Browsing through used books for sale at the Hermosa Beach library, it occurred to me that not only are used books economical — where else can you buy 10 paperbacks for about $1? — many of them contain unsolvable mysteries in the inscriptions that some people write in books.
Inscriptions on the books indicate it was once a gift, something someone saw a value in that they felt should be shared. Like love letters or less-revealing correspondences on display, the inscription is a further clue as to the reason for the giving.
It may seem sad because what was once a gift with a great deal of careful thought is now up for grabs for 10 cents in the storage room of a parking garage or an old school building.
I look at it another way.
The gift takes on more lives as it gets passed on to new readers. It will live on in a sense, with a dash of mystery about who the giver and the recipient were. When I've bought a book that has an inscription I always find myself turning back again and again to it during my reading of the novel.
When I read such things I try to imagine the exact moment the person wrote it and wonder if it was 40 years ago or just three months ago. Why did the gift wind up here? Do they remember giving the book and how they felt about it and the recipient?
In the last few years, several of the books I picked up in various places were clearly once gifts to someone else.
Here are some clues for your consideration.
● "Justine" by Lawrence Durrell. Paperback version.
Found at Hermosa Friends of the Library sale.
Inscription: To Elna from one of her Elderly admirers. Interesting since the novel is about a woman (Justine) who draws a man's attention away from his dearly loved girlfriend.
● "The New Yorker Book of Cat Cartoons." Hardcover.
Hermosa Friends of the Library sale.
Michelle, this seems to meet your discerning literary predilection and your great love of felines! Love, Jule (who you have called a cat!) Punctuated by a "smiley face."
● "Walden and Other Writings" by Henry David Thoreau. Paper.
Found in a heap of garage at the end of a Hermosa Beach driveway.
Brian — masterful writing for a creative mind. Love, Denise.
● "Light in August" by William Faulkner. Paper.
Show the original machine reading
Source scan page 8
Storehouses of gifts given Browsing through used books for sale at the Hermosa Beach library, it occurred to me that not only are used books eco- nomical ? where else can you buy 10 pa- perbacks for about $1? ? many of them contain unsolvable mysteries in the in- scriptions that some people write in books. Inscriptions on the books indicate it was once a gift, something someone saw a value in that they felt should be shared Like love letters or less-revealing corre- spondences on display, the inscription is a further clue as to the reason for the giving. It may seem sad because what was once a gift with a great deal of careful thought is now up for grabs for 10 cents in the storage room of a parking garage or an old school building. I look at it another way. The gift takes on more lives as it gets passed on to new readers. It will live on in a sense, with a dash of mystery about who the giver and the recipient were. When I've bought a book that has an inscription I always find myself turning back again and again to it during my reading of the novel. When I read such things I try to imag- ine the exact moment the person wrote it and wonder if it was 40 years ago or just three months ago. Why did the gift wind up here? Do they remember giving the book and how they felt about it and the re- cipient? In the last few years, several of the books I picked up in various places were clearly once gifts to someone else. Here are some clues for your considera- tion. ? "Justine" by Lawrence Durrell. Pa- perback version. Found at Hermosa Friends of the Li- brary sale. Inscription: To Elna from one of her Elderly admirers. Interesting since the novel is about a woman (Justine) who draws a man's attention away from his dearly loved girlfriend. ? "The New Yorker Book of Cat Car- toons." Hardcover. Hermosa Friends of the Library sale. Michelle, this seems to meet your dis- cerning literary predilection and your great love of felines! Love, Jule (who you have called a cat!) Punctuated by a "smi- ley face." ? "Walden and Other Writings" by Henry David Thoreau. Paper. Found in a heap of garage at the end of a Hermosa Beach driveway. Brian ? masterful writing for a cre- ative mind. Love, Denise. ? "Light in August" by. William Faulkner. Paper.