Library pr0n
Tom Roper points out a series of photographs of beautiful libraries. I did mean to at least pick a favourite, but it is too hard: they are all so breathtaking in different ways, such as the ceiling of the Abbey Library St. Gallen, Switzerland, or the sheer height of some of them, such as the Real Gabinete Portugues De Leitura Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. However, in terms of what I want in my country house, I would like something like the Theology Room at St. Deiniol's library, North Wales (not unlike the Great Hall of Matfen Hall, where I got married) with a spiral staircase like the one at the Handelingenkamer Tweede Kamer Der Staten-Generaal Den Haag. One day.
Finally, I must apologise to Tom Roper for stealing the title of his post.
A.D. V KAL. OCT. MMVII
Permanent link | Comments (1) | Comments RSS (subscribe)
Men's books
I recently went on an innocent trip to a Sandy charity shop the other week with my three year old son. After I had idly scanned the bookshelves for a short while, the mildly scary lady serving behind the counter asked if I was looking for men's books
.
"Er...not really", I replied, "I'm not really sure what you mean by men's books anyway. Ha ha..."
"I've got a load out the back I can show you" she said. I think it was at this point I got worried. Only the presence of the aformentioned toddler reassured me that she might not be wishing to expose me to her special stash of second-hand charity shop mank.
Obediently, my son and I ventured into the back to be confronted with the predictable box of Michael Crichton and Tom Clancy clones*. "Men's books I call them". Some relief, I can tell you.
I always thought the back of the charity shop would be filled with untold delights that are kept back from the common herd. Unfortunately, I now know that I merely have to wait for the box of men's books
to clear before anything good appears. Sue Ryder is much better anyway.
* Not that I mind such things, being a keen Frederick Forsyth fan myself when he's not being pants. I've also just read She by H. Ryder Haggard (bought from a charity shop) which is hardly pitched at the female market**.
** And is not, in my opinion, as good as Allan Quartermain, which is also better than King Solomon's Mines***.
*** Which, I would agree with Mr Haggard himself, is much better than Treasure Island.
A.D. VI KAL. OCT. MMVI
Permanent link | Comments (0) | Comments RSS (subscribe)
Tom