You think there's something materialistic about collecting…
““You think there's something materialistic about collecting books, but really collectors are the last romantics. We're the only ones who still love books as objects." "That's the question," said Jess. "How do you love them if you're always selling them?" "I don't sell everything," he said. "You haven't seen my own collection." "What do you have?" "First editions. Yeats, Dickinson- all three volumes; Eliot, Pound, Millay..." He had noticed the books she read in the store. "Plath. I also have Elizabeth Bishop." "I wish I could see them," Jess said. "You would have come to my house." "Are you inviting me?" She must have known this was a loaded question, but she asked without flirtatiousness or self-consciousness, as if to say, I only want to know as a point of information. Yes, he thought, I'm inviting you, but he did not say yes. He was her employer. She could act with a certain plucky independence, but he would always be the big bad wolf.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Collectors cherish books as objects, revealing a romantic longing for tangible culture.
In simple terms: Collecting books shows romantic love for objects.
Key Takeaway
Value the physicality of cherished items.
Themes
nostalgia
collecting
romance
Mood
reflective
nostalgic
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- bookstores
- personal collections
- gift giving
Key Concepts
Materialism
literature
identity
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do physical books hold emotional power?
- How does collecting shape personal identity?
A Different Perspective
Physical books may be less relevant in digital age.