Stories hidden in the Seconds
10 years ago
This Friday morning,
as I sat with my morning tea bracing myself for all the grim news that fills
the newspapers these days, I discovered a hidden jewel in the Times of India. The
excellent morning read came from none other than Jug Suraiya, who wrote about
Kathmandu and the famed second hand bookstores there. He says that the
advantage and value of second hand books is more, primarily because apart from
the story written by the author, you often come across stories buried by the
previous owner, knowingly or unknowingly. Little scribbles here and there,
footnotes, words and phrases underlines, and bookmarks forgotten.
as I sat with my morning tea bracing myself for all the grim news that fills
the newspapers these days, I discovered a hidden jewel in the Times of India. The
excellent morning read came from none other than Jug Suraiya, who wrote about
Kathmandu and the famed second hand bookstores there. He says that the
advantage and value of second hand books is more, primarily because apart from
the story written by the author, you often come across stories buried by the
previous owner, knowingly or unknowingly. Little scribbles here and there,
footnotes, words and phrases underlines, and bookmarks forgotten.
Mr.Suraiya’s column
put an instant smile especially because just a week back we discovered a
similar gem. A colleague brought a Jane Austen book from Blossoms (the very
famous second hand book store on Church Street, Bangalore) and found a really
old Gems wrapping in it. Now this was a packing which was in circulation when I
was in school, so it must be easily 10-12 years old. This really was somebody’s
special memory. Maybe a reward from a parent or a gift of love from a sweetheart,
preserved with a lot of care over many years till it went out with the book.
That wrapper made us smile and wonder about the ‘other’ stories between the
pages, other than what Jane Austen wrote.
put an instant smile especially because just a week back we discovered a
similar gem. A colleague brought a Jane Austen book from Blossoms (the very
famous second hand book store on Church Street, Bangalore) and found a really
old Gems wrapping in it. Now this was a packing which was in circulation when I
was in school, so it must be easily 10-12 years old. This really was somebody’s
special memory. Maybe a reward from a parent or a gift of love from a sweetheart,
preserved with a lot of care over many years till it went out with the book.
That wrapper made us smile and wonder about the ‘other’ stories between the
pages, other than what Jane Austen wrote.
The concluding para
of the article is the most remarkable:-
of the article is the most remarkable:-
“So the next
time you sell one of your old books imagine that I might be the next owner of
it. Or that I was an earlier owner of an old book that you’ve just bought. The
book will connect you and me, and we might never know it. That’s the best
secret of the secret history of old books.”
time you sell one of your old books imagine that I might be the next owner of
it. Or that I was an earlier owner of an old book that you’ve just bought. The
book will connect you and me, and we might never know it. That’s the best
secret of the secret history of old books.”
Read the whole
article here…
article here…
http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/jugglebandhi/second-hand-books-are-more-interesting-than-new-ones-because-of-their-secret-history/
Have you even found a hidden story in a second hand book ? If not, look closely the next time.
Photo Credits : https://www.flickr.com/photos/signalstation/8290610151
A fact which many of the book readers doesn't realize or notice.. I use to write something on the sides of pages in the book which i own. But I have never thought of that It ll be in the hands of others sometime later and what they would feel on reading those secret hints..:)
Hi Priya,
They don't call Books as treasure troves for nothing 🙂