Books Quote by Allison Hoover Bartlett
““There was a pair of books, one by Hemingway, another by Thomas Wolfe. Each had written a long inscription to the other. A knowledgeable dealer had to inform the unfortunate owner who had just paid a pretty penny for them that the inscriptions were not authentic, and that the value was not what he had hoped. Later, another dealer discovered that they were spectacular forgeries: Wolfe had written Hemingway’s inscription, and Hemingway, Wolfe’s.””
About This Quote
A dealer revealed that two books, supposedly bearing genuine inscriptions from Hemingway and Wolfe, were actually forged, swapping the authors' signatures, thus exposing the deception and the loss of value for the buyer.
In simple terms: Deceptive authenticity in literary collectibles.
Key Takeaway
Forgery can undermine perceived value.
Themes
authenticity
literary history
forgery
value perception
trust
market deception
Mood
irritated
cautious
inquisitive
Type
anecdote
cautionary tale
literary trivia
When to use this quote
- buying rare books
- auction house appraisal
- collecting author memorabilia
- selling literary artifacts
- evaluating provenance
Key Concepts
inscriptions
literary reputation
collector market
authenticity verification
Practical Applications
- authenticating rare book collections
- educating collectors on forgery detection
Questions to Reflect On
- How does perceived authenticity affect market price?
- What safeguards can prevent such forgeries?
![“[Death is] to lose the earth you know, for greater knowing; to lose the life you have, for greater life; to leave the friends you loved, for greater loving; to find a land more kind than home, more large than earth.” —THOMAS WOLFE, YOU CAN’T GO HOME AGAIN” quote by Wiley Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7a3/wiley-cash-58766_death_death-is-to-lose-the-earth-you-know-for_589563.jpg)
