Notes on Buying Books

Author: Fan Yongbian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: I love running to bookstores, not libraries. To get a book in a library is too troublesome—first, you have to check the card catalog, then fill out a borrowing slip, and wait for the librarian to find the book. In a bookstore, the books on the shelves are laid out for all to see, and you can browse freely. If you find one you like and have money in your pocket, you just buy it. Another joy of running to bookstores is making friends with the bookstore owners and staff. Even when I was a primary school student, I made friends with a staff member at a bookstore in Zhenjiang. More than fifty years later, he still remembers me and brought his family to Beijing to visit this little friend of his. I wrote an article titled "Becoming Friends Through Books" about this story, which is now also included in this book. Due to this hobby, I am also interested in reading articles by others about visiting bookstores and buying books. Now, I have compiled them into "Random Notes on Buying Books" to share with fellow enthusiasts.
Book Introduction: This book features stories of buying books told by over sixty people who have a "book addiction." Some are collectors who have made significant finds in terms of editions and printings; others are driven by interest and have amassed great wealth in certain categories; some simply follow their whims, believing that if they like a book, it is a good book. There are also those who are short on money, who spend their days reading in bookshops and stalls, unwilling to leave. Book lovers and book dealers rely on each other, often engaging in a game of wits. However, the "sellers" leave a deeper impression on book lovers—not just their own modest "victories," but also many shrewd yet warm-hearted bookstore owners and staff, whom they call friends and even teachers. Many writers and scholars have formed an inseparable bond with books thanks to the kindness of stall owners or bookstore owners. Book lovers are almost always "poor," yet their wealth is astonishing: they are often erudite and have extensive collections, yet they often live in debt and struggle financially. As a result, secondhand bookstores become their paradise. After much searching, finding a book they have long desired at a reasonable price in a secondhand bookstore brings immense joy.
I love running to bookstores, not libraries. To get a book in a library is too troublesome—first, you have to check the card catalog, then fill out a borrowing slip, and wait for the librarian to find the book. In a bookstore, the books on the shelves are laid out for all to see, and you can browse freely. If you find one you like and have money in your pocket, you just buy it. Another joy of running to bookstores is making friends with the bookstore owners and staff. Even when I was a primary school student, I made friends with a staff member at a bookstore in Zhenjiang. More than fifty years later, he still remembers me and brought his family to Beijing to visit this little friend of his. I wrote an article titled "Becoming Friends Through Books" about this story, which is now also included in this book. Due to this hobby, I am also interested in reading articles by others about visiting bookstores and buying books. Now, I have compiled them into "Random Notes on Buying Books" to share with fellow enthusiasts.
Book Introduction: This book features stories of buying books told by over sixty people who have a "book addiction." Some are collectors who have made significant finds in terms of editions and printings; others are driven by interest and have amassed great wealth in certain categories; some simply follow their whims, believing that if they like a book, it is a good book. There are also those who are short on money, who spend their days reading in bookshops and stalls, unwilling to leave. Book lovers and book dealers rely on each other, often engaging in a game of wits. However, the "sellers" leave a deeper impression on book lovers—not just their own modest "victories," but also many shrewd yet warm-hearted bookstore owners and staff, whom they call friends and even teachers. Many writers and scholars have formed an inseparable bond with books thanks to the kindness of stall owners or bookstore owners. Book lovers are almost always "poor," yet their wealth is astonishing: they are often erudite and have extensive collections, yet they often live in debt and struggle financially. As a result, secondhand bookstores become their paradise. After much searching, finding a book they have long desired at a reasonable price in a secondhand bookstore brings immense joy.