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[FearfulJesuit]

I've heard there's a French translation of the Wake, if anyone's interested.

This however is crazy to me. Can you really call that a translation? I'd call that semi-translated with 800 pages of footnotes.

It's by Gallimard. The original Wake was 628 pages; this is 923 pages. So yah, probably.

Wish I'd had a copy of it in French class to be obnoxious.

"Mr. Squeezle, does this word mean "thuartpeatrick"? Is this "quark"? Does this mean wielderfight or pftjschute?"

[edit: fixed a "typo" in *pftsjschute, for some value of "typo"]

[kaijyuu]

Not too long ago (~9 months I think), I remember scouring my house for any fiction book other than a Bible, and coming up with absolutely nothing. I know of exactly 3 books here that are non-religious, and I found them when cleaning my room a few months ago, water damaged and quite dirty (first three books of Wheel of Time, if you're wondering).


This discussion of too many books is entirely alien to me. My ladyfriend also collects books, so it will be an interesting experience.

[RedKing]

I'm not in Finland anymore, I was kicked out for bullshit reasons. As my personal text signifies, I'm (about to be) in Brazil.

Now you have me wondering how on Earth one gets kicked out of Finland.

I'm envious, as a fellow bibliophile. I one had a chance at a book fair to purchase a hand-copied Qu'ran from somewhere in the Ottoman Empire. I can't read Arabic, but the workmanship was gorgeous. Sadly, insufficient funds. Had to settle for a few aging history books (one on the Arabian peninsula, another on the Manchurian frontier), both written about 1890.

I used to love/hate it when the university library would hold book sales to clear out their collections. I had several volumes of a ~1910 Russian encyclopedia, which actually came in handy when doing genealogical research, even if it meant painstaking translation work (back in the days when I still knew more than a smattering).

In a bygone age, I would have been one of those Victorian gents that squanders what remains of the family fortune on building a vast library.

[FearfulJesuit]

I'm not in Finland anymore, I was kicked out for bullshit reasons. As my personal text signifies, I'm (about to be) in Brazil.

Now you have me wondering how on Earth one gets kicked out of Finland.

The answer is: be a bibliophile intellectual whose only sport is cricket and get placed with a very rich, snobby family whose only method of family bonding is buying hundred-euro running shoes and doing orienteering. No books, no...interest in anything else at all. The people in the Finnish organization were psycho and had me kicked out because "I was too smart for the system." (bullshit, I met a Belgian at language camp who would have been kicked out were he in my situation).

I suspect part of the answer might also be "decide that an ironic and fun way to promote the American mythos abroad is to bring along an issue of a magazine entitled Combat Handguns." (I will not be bringing it along to Brazil).

[fqllve]

"Mr. Squeezle, does this word mean "thuartpeatrick"? Is this "quark"? Does this mean wielderfight or pftjschute?"

[edit: fixed a "typo" in *pftsjschute, for some value of "typo"]

That would be pretty amazing and also make you the worst person ever.

Although it reminds me that my Penguin copy of Ulysses claims to have fixed numerous typos in the manuscript and I can't help but wonder, "how?"

This discussion of too many books is entirely alien to me. My ladyfriend also collects books, so it will be an interesting experience.

Welcome to a wonderful world where there is no such thing as adequate table space.

[Flying Dice]

Why is a discussion of books here instead of the happy thread? D:

Crack is cheaper, but who cares, because books. It's a shame how so many modern books are ruined by being bound with crappy glue that falls apart after a decade.

[Loud Whispers]

"I was too smart for the system."

Wait what? Are you a British policeman or something?

[FearfulJesuit]

"I was too smart for the system."

Wait what? Are you a British policeman or something?

Nah, just an academic. Or a will-be academic. Son of an academic.

I'm not in Finland anymore, I was kicked out for bullshit reasons. As my personal text signifies, I'm (about to be) in Brazil.

Now you have me wondering how on Earth one gets kicked out of Finland.

I'm envious, as a fellow bibliophile. I one had a chance at a book fair to purchase a hand-copied Qu'ran from somewhere in the Ottoman Empire. I can't read Arabic, but the workmanship was gorgeous. Sadly, insufficient funds. Had to settle for a few aging history books (one on the Arabian peninsula, another on the Manchurian frontier), both written about 1890.

I used to love/hate it when the university library would hold book sales to clear out their collections. I had several volumes of a ~1910 Russian encyclopedia, which actually came in handy when doing genealogical research, even if it meant painstaking translation work (back in the days when I still knew more than a smattering).

In a bygone age, I would have been one of those Victorian gents that squanders what remains of the family fortune on building a vast library.

Old books are the best books. I'm really quite proud of my 1913 encyclopedia, because it's a lot of fun to see what's aged well and what hasn't. Aged fairly well: hard science, place names, etc. On the other hand, I recall coming across a passage noting that the "Negro's" mental inferiority is "no doubt very largely due to the fact that after puberty sexual matters take the first place in the negro's life and thoughts." I also learned lots about the symptoms of hysteria, and which races were more susceptible to it than others. (Beware if you are a woman of Teutonic stock! Those of Latin blood need not worry as much.)

[Sirus]

"I was too smart for the system."

Wait what? Are you a British policeman or something?

Nah, just an academic. Or a will-be academic. Son of an academic.

And so Finland kicked you out? O_o

[Nadaka]

I have a strong moral aversion to the destruction of information. As a result I have a large book collection myself, including "controversial" books that I keep for no other reason than to keep them from being destroyed.

[FearfulJesuit]

I have a strong moral aversion to the destruction of information. As a result I have a large book collection myself, including "controversial" books that I keep for no other reason than to keep them from being destroyed.

Whereas I just think it'd be a hoot to acquire a library of Victorian pornography. But this, too.

[Flying Dice]

It's a sad day when we have to save books from being destroyed by public libraries.

[FearfulJesuit]

Hey, that's an idea: introduce a constitutional amendment making the active destruction of books or archival materials illegal.

[misko27]

Well then you might as well shoot me now, Because despite my ability to varaciously read (perhaps because of it) I will often leave a book in tatters by then end of my reading if it ins't a hardcover or new. Sometimes even then.

[Sirus]

It's a sad day when we have to save books from being destroyed by public libraries.

Wait, when did this happen recently? I've heard of people threatening to destroy books borrowed from the public library, but never of libraries destroying the books themselves.

@ misko: That's fine IMHO, and mostly unavoidable if you read a lot. I've had to throw away a few of my favorite novels because I read them so much that the bindings came off