BiblioQueria 12

I had a great long Thanksgiving weekend, except that I came home with a nasty head cold, and I also came home to some more annoying problems with Typepad. Hopefully this mess will be resolved soon. For the moment it takes forever to sign on and add posts. But enough griping about that.

At the end of our Thanksgiving visit in Burlington, my brother very kindly drove us back to Toronto, armed with all of his packing boxes which he had used when he just recently moved into his fabulous new house. All those boxes will come in mighty handy as we start packing away all of our books for the big move in January.

So I have started to try and weed out my collection, which of course is taking longer than expected, because it's not so easy for me to part with books. During this weeding process, I encountered what I like to call the double-booking condundrum. I have extra copies of books. Now I suppose that situation is not that interesting, but what I enjoy is trying to figure out why I have extra copies of books.

This is what I have discovered so far:

I have two copies of Bruno Bettleheim's The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales. Why? I can recall purchasing one copy years ago at McMaster University Bookstore, because I thought the subject was fascinating. And then a few years later someone else gave me a copy (can't remember who) as a gift, and I certainly wasn't going to tell that person that I already had a copy.

I have two copies of Martha Cooley's The Archivist. Why? Well, it is one of my most favourite novels, but is that reason enough to own two copies of the same book? Ah ha! You see, it's not exactly the same book! Both copies have two different cover designs, and when I first bought the book, I bought the edition with the glasses and catolguing card on the cover. Not a bad cover, certainly good enough to get my attention. Then another day I was in a used bookstore and I saw the other edition with all the delightful old books piled one on top of another, and I just had to have it!

Finally, I have two copies of Kevin Smokler's Bookmark Now: Writing in Unreaderly Times. I haven't even read the book yet, and I have two copies. How did I do that? It was one of those bibliomania moments, when I forgot that I had already purchased a copy of the book, then went and bought another copy, just a month or so later!! Twit. I'm willing to bet that as I continue to go through my piles of books that I will find a few more double-booked conundrums like this.

UPDATE:
I found another double-book conundrum! It's a book about the life of Johann Gutenberg. Why did I purchase two copies? Because the bookcovers and the titles were totally different! How was I to know? Ok, so it was written by the same author, but sheesh, how sneaky is that? One is entitled Gutenberg: How One Man Remade the World with Words and the other is The Gutenberg Revolution: The story of a genius and an invention that changed the world, both written by John Man. Well, really, Mr. Man, wasn't one title good enough? Of course if I had had some sense, I would have checked the guts of the book, but hey, what's so bad about having extra copies of the life of the great Gutenberg, anyway? I'm sure he would have been pleased.

And so my question to you is...

Have you ever double-booked? Did you do it knowingly like me with The Archivist, or have you actually bought extra copies of books you already had, but had completely forgotten about?

Comments

[eliane]

I have quite a few "little golden books" in English and Dutch. Does that count as double? The differences are interesting, the Dutch copies have a much better print quality, often I can see details in the illustrations that are lost in the American version. Sometimes the Dutch version even has more illustrations.

[Isabella]

We have several copies of 1984. Neither of us could find our old copies, but we were to reread it for a book club, so each of us knowingly bought additional copies, cuz it wouldn't've been easy to share one book anyway. Of course, our old ones have since turned up.

I have received as gifts copies of books I already own. I generally have no qualms about saying so (depending who the gifter is) and returning or swapping the book. Some gifts are nicer and worth keeping (like the autographed hardcover edition of Possession over my ratty paperback), but then I give away my old copies.

There are some books I have in different languages — as curiosities in translation. I don't think that counts. Similarly, different illustrations in children's books create a completely different reading experience — it's not the same book.

[Scully]

I am knowingly double-booked all the time.

As in the case of Diana Gabaldon's new book A Breath of Snow and Ashes, I'll have a second copy because I usually get the opportunity to meet her and have a book signed.

Other times, it's been a gift, though most people know not to buy me books now. Just give me gift cards to the bookstore. It's easier that way.

Though, when I was collecting Dorothy Dunnet's books (both series), I keept buying one of the books over and over again because I would forget the list of books at home and forget what I needed and what I didn't need. And because there are 14 million different cover illustrations for her books.

BTW - I have the copy of The Archivist with the books piled up on it. And I bought the book about Nancy Drew because of you highlighted on your blog but also because the cover is wonderful.

[iliana]

I love your illustration for this post. And, yes, I'm guilty of having double copies of books. Completely unintentional. Just forgot I already had the book.

[Kate S.]

I too am a double-booker.

Sometimes it's unintentional, as when I was in the thick of writing my doctoral dissertation. I may have been labouring under the delusion that the thing would write itself if I just collected together enough relevant books. I bought the same book more than once then and, in some instances, I still haven't read either copy several years after I graduated.

Other times I've intentionally bought a copy of a book I knew I already had when the first copy was stored in a relative's basement thousands of miles away and I wasn't sure when I'd ever see it again.

And sometimes, it's an obsessional thing. For example, I have at least three copies of each instalment of Maud Hart Lovelace's Betsy-Tacy series. I have a set of the original, now out-of-print, hardcover editions with the wonderful Vera Neville illustrations that I've cobbled from ebay and abebooks. I have the softcover set from 1994 which market the series glorious return to print. And, finally, I have acquired a complete set of the most recent editions from 2000 because I feel it's my duty to help keep the books in print so that the girls of today have an opportunity to read these fabulous books.

[Anne]

Patricia, I have double-booked a number of times. Just last week I discovered on my shelves two copies (one hardcover, one PB) of "The Wine-Dark Sea" -- number 16 in O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series.

I have also taken the same book out of the library more than once. This leads me to believe my memory is fuller of holes than Swiss cheese. 8-/ Last spring I had read several chapters (can't recall which novel) before I realized I'd already read it, indeed had checked the same volume out of the same library the year before and had even written a mini-review on the form this library provides its patrons inside each book! OY. ;-)

- Anne

[Karie]

I must admit that my collection is getting out of hand. I have two copies of Malcolm Lowry's "Under the Volcano", two (lovely) hardback editions of TS Eliot's "Murder in the Cathedral" and several copies of various Dickens novels. That's just from the top of my head.

[tim white]

Hi, just wanted to leave a comment. I like biblioqueria. I enjoyed your sad poem cartoon. It was my best find tonight since I didn't find the one I was looking for. I am addicted to making and collecting art. I was looking for a cartoon memoir written by a person who was raised in a serpent handling church. I own more books than I will ever be able to read. I sometimes buy a 1st. ed. copy, another to read and others to replace these when they fall apart, copies to loan and some to give as gifts. I have multiple copies of favorite poetry books...all "four quartets", Larry Levis, James Tate, Rimbaud, I love "the book of nightmares" so much-kinnell! James Wright, "The Lice"-Merwin, I really enjoy "heart of darkness","Moby Dick", "Clarel A Poem and Pilgrimage..." Joyce Carol Oates, Flannery O'Connor, and some classic books on Christian Spirituality: Bruchko, Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret", "Spiritual Leadership" Sanders, "Organic Disciplemaking" McCallum and Lowery.done. Thanks for hearing me. Check out my Myspace, I am " royalpriest " and you can read some of my poems from a few years ago. I am working on some cre. non fiction now. have a great day, tim...