I’ve been recently reading GK Chesterton’s The Incredulity of Fr. Brown. Many of GKC’s works can be found on Project Gutenberg or downloaded for free or nearly free onto the Kindle. This time, however, I am reading an honest to goodness book. And, it is not just any book. This one is an old, slightly worn, seen better days, eighty-some year old piece of history, first edition book.
There is something about reading an old book that brings the experience to a whole new level. It’s much different from newly printed books, it has a different feeling. The pages are thick, heavy paper; so thick I often think I have turned more than one. The typeset is imperfect. It has a slightly musty scent, making you think this book must have been stored away some place. The creases and tears in the pages make me wonder who has held it before me.
Not only am I treated to good stories and great writing when I sit down with Fr. Brown, I’m a tiny part of history. I get to join the people who read this before me; and maybe even the ones that come after me. Even if it’s just for a moment, it is good.
I hear ya!
ReplyDeleteMy grandma and great aunt had some books when they were young, and now I have them. The old cover, tattered pages and musty smell are all too familiar to me. But I love them! So glad to read that you love it too!