The book in the picture was excellent. It just under 1000 pages and if you do read it take notes as you go. It is full of abbreviations, code names and acronyms. It also follows a topic (eg the Cambridge Five) from start to finish and then jumps back in time to follow the next topic. The notes idea only occurred to me 40 pages from the end with a realisation that was sudden and maddening.
Would I have taken this photo if I was reading a terrible book?....maybe not. The fact is though I am unlikely to be reading a embarrassing book for a simple reason. I live in London. Living in London means tube travel. Tube travel means everyone seeing what you are reading. Is it vanity? or maybe insecurity? who knows....probably both. I love seeing what other people are reading and I have bought many books based on seeing them being read. .
Not that I haven't read embarrassing books whilst I have been here.I have read all the 24 Sharpe novels...in order (Sharpe's Tiger though to Sharpe's Devil).. including a Christmas special ( called,surprisingly, Sharpe's Christmas). I bought them all for around 10p each on Amazon and quite a few are propping up my wardrobes.
A friend of mine has a rule regarding particular editions of books. He refuses to read books that have been made into films and then have an edition with a cover that features the films actors or branding.
Only one of the Sharpe books had had a sleeve with Sean Bean on it...Sharpe's Eagle. The only way friend will find out will result him being killed by a falling wardrobe. He would not be happy.
Your friend isn't alone with his cover anxiety. When my book group chose Howard Jacobsen's 'The Finkler Question' just after it had won the Booker Prize, I chose to read it without the dust jacket, lest my fellow travellers condemn me for such an unoriginal choice. Also, dust jackets are annoying.
ReplyDeleteyes, what is it with dust jackets? is dust on books a major problem?
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