November 6th, 2007

Furthur Bibliomania

More surprising insights as I continue to observe my books in their new, alphabetical habitat! I have never had too too much interest in books as objects, though I like to have them around me and to *read* them of course, but their actual bookness, when strewn around on the shelves at random, was not that interesting to me. Now, however, when I see Fieldings Helen and Henry together at last, I realize that in fact they both did usher in very new (and different) eras for the comic novel.

Also, I did alphabetize my nonfiction as well, separately (controversial choice?) and put my religious texts in there too (controversial choice?) Generally I was going by author, or editor if a collection of essays, but I tried alphebtizing the Bible (can’t think of an appropriate link, you’re on your own)by title. But B put it so far away from the Torah, under T, that I switched it to “author” and put them together under G for God, which put them neatly between John Gardner’s Art of Fiction and Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones which, while we’re blaspheming, could make a nice stern Old Testament God vs. warm and fuzzy New Testament God juxtoposition. And for still more sacrilege, I could point out that I realize the deity himself did not author these texts, but he did dictate or at least instigate them, according to some sources, and so I think they ought be alphabetized under his name, much as I would do if I ever owned an as-told-to celebrity biography, which of course I never would.

I have been able, thus far, to make less of the contrast between Christopher Pike and Harold Pinter but I’m sure I’ll come up with something.

I know you’re not my ideal
RR