Monday, March 26, 2007

Books As A Delight

A quote from the book by the same title, first published in 1921, written by William A. Quayle.

Books as a delight! Things that woo you and lure you. If anybody can get a book in his hand that does not appertain to his business, that is worth while. The love of a book because it is a book, and the holding of a book in the hand to warm the hand instead of putting the hand to the fire; a going around where books beautiful are, just the loving a book, not because it is of any use or because it has any bearing on our business, nor because we should be informed by it, nor reformed by it, nor deformed by it, but because it touches our life, and so we might be other than we are.

2 comments:

Beth said...

So is it of value to merely own the book and keep it in a box? I love the books I see on my shelf or hold in my hand and that is often of value whether I read it as often as I wish, but I do wish I could empty those boxes . . .

Kim in Training said...

Books must see the light of day sometimes. They must be held in the hand, and your eyes must rest upon them, at least occasionally. I just got a box of beautifully bound, very old classic books. They had been kept in a box and at some point, not only did the box get wet, and thus the books, but mice got in and chewed on the books, destroying their value. Sad.