Pristine or Worn?

[Sheepo]

A) A book is a beautiful piece of art and should be treated as such. I pride myself on treating my literature with respect and keeping it in pristine condition.

B) A book is a companion and should be kept in the best and worst of times. A good book's condition tells a story of its own and I don't shelter mine from the world it reflects.

 

[brad92]

Is this supposed to be a Hobson's choice of sorts?

I would go with both. I try to preserve the condition of all of my books, but I also see the wisdom in the second choice.

I'll just pick option A.

 

[kineaesth]

I like getting books pristine and new, but I also like old battered books that look like they've been properly read. My old copies of Harry Potter are covered in marmite and tea stains, which is wonderfully nostalgic. I open them up and remember reading them for the first time by the fire and dropping stuff all over them with my clumsy child-hands.

I read a copy of Galactic Pot Healer by Philip K. Dick that had completely fallen apart - all the glue had dissolved so it was just a stack of pages. That was an enjoyable read.

A bit of both, I guess.

 

[Vegeta897]

I keep my manga pristine.

By the way how can you not use the word 'pristine' when posting in this thread.

It's the perfect word for describing the condition of books.

 

[Acepilotf14]

Depends. I don't really care about spin-off novels, but full stuff from great writers I like to keep...

pristine

 

[lefty]

What happens happens though if something gets ripped I feel bad.

 

[Yorick]

I usually buy books used, and I kind of like when they're worn. It just adds something to it.

But ones I've bought new I keep in pristine condition.

With the exception of a few books that I loan out to like everyone.

 

[Darkside55]

It depends, really. I love seeing an old, worn book--to me, it's a sign that a book was loved enough that it was read over and over until the cover was bent, the spine had multiple creases, there might be tears or stains or even little bits of writing in the corners of the pages. In the case of really, really old books bought second hand, I love seeing the names of previous owners scribbled in them.

But I can also appreciate keeping some books in pristine condition, to preserve them. That's also a love for a book, when you don't want it to become damaged so you protect it.

I suppose it depends on the book.

 

[Sheepo]

I want to change the thread name to 'Pristine or Worn?', or something of that sort, but it's been too long since I made it.

Moderator assistance?

 

[dfc05]

I voted No because I have a few books I read for class where I have underlines and notes in the margins, which helped a lot. I generally try to keep my books in nice condition but that doesn't always work out -- I have a paperback copy of Jurassic Park where the cover is about to fall off, and plenty of paperbacks that accidentally got bent up in my backpack.

 

[Jintor]

Both at once?

Some books I have kept away never to be opened again (signed copies, generally) and other books are so worn and dog-eared that it's obviously I've read them a thousand times.

 

[Sliver]

I buy used pretty much all the time, and I got this really special copy of The Rules of Attraction. It came with quips and little writings on the previous readers opinion of the book.

I think it was used for some college class, but it was awesome to see what this person thought of it, and it was pretty damn funny most of the time too.

 

[Warped]

i try to keep them in great condition but i end up losing the slip covers very quickly. i can't stand reading with them on

 

[Ennui]

Pristine... let it slowly wear over time, I try to slow it down as much as possible. I do love all the old worn books I've bought used though. With my stuff I try to keep it as nice as possible although time still takes a toll.

 

[Eejit]

I don't mind too much about a bit of dogearedness but I take care not to leave books lying open, face down. That is bad for the spine and can cause books to literally fall to pieces.

 

[swan_song1973]

i mark that shit up like its nobodys business.

 

[Warbie]

My most loved books are battered and worn through being carried about in bags and travel. I try to keep hardbacks in good condition, but don't care about the rest.

 

[Ennui]

Yeah. When I say I keep mine in pristine condition I mean that for some books (expensive hardbacks usually) I am careful with them, and with the rest I just don't do stupid shit that's going to mess them up like put drinks down on them or read them with food all over my hands or leave them open with the spine up. They get a little messed up riding around in my pack and generally being used.

Although sometimes I lend books to people and they come back to me in awful condition compared to how they were first. I mean, reading it is fine, but seriously, how are you going to borrow a book from someone and keep it half-open in your bag for three weeks so that when it gets back it looks like it got run over by a truck? Also if I see someone reading one of my books by bending the cover back behind the back so they can read it with one hand I get pretty angry.

 

[Slug Advisor]

I generally keep my books in alright condition, but too battered to be called pristine. Except for some of the shoddier paperbacks.

 

[ríomhaire]

I don't mind about some wear (the last book I bought was a second-hand paperback with a good few cracks in the spine) but I don't want pages to be falling out either. I don't treat them like they're made of glass but I don't toss them about like they were nothing either. While condition doesn't bother me so much I do like to have matching sets. Due to my sister I have a certainly trilogy with the first two books being hardback british editions and the third an american paperback and it drives me mad when I see them. I want to get a matching third one but I can't even find these books in hardback anymore.