The second-hand bookstalls in Gariahat are bittersweet because it always hurts to come across a book you like, someone else didn't think much of giving it away. There are some authors that keep reappearing, though, I located no less than twelve copies of War and Peace. There were a lot of orphaned Dickenses also in addition to the usual thirty-buck pulp. I wanted to buy a bunch of Tarzanses but I was looking for a volume on Milton's poetry instead so I desisted, then I saw a couple of Penguins that I'd read a long time back, tiny pocket classics that came in boxed sets, Kipling's Baa Baa Black Sheep and Herriot's Yorkshire Tales, but I have the Herriot so I kept hoping Gigi would turn up. Nothing happened. No Milton, no Tarzan, nothing. I ended up buying a copy of The Little Prince because it's been a really long time since I owned one, I lost the first copy I had and the second never came back to me after Sonali or Puja or someone else borrowed it. It's Second Unluckiest right after The Catcher in the Rye.
This copy has a dedication inside in blue and green ink that reads,
To
My one 'n' only
Dada
With lots of
Love 'n' hugs -
Koko
Tokai
Puchku
Bujbuj
February 4th 2k2.
Right, so, my point is, at least I lose them. Some people just seem to have strange priorities and yes, this is supposed to be a layered sentence.
9 comments:
One day I will go book-hunting with you, ok?
And yes, the last sentence hits me in all its layers.
Whenever I go through old books, I feel a strange pang when I see the dedications. How can anyone give away precious things like these?
:(
It was Sonali. Now it's with Sil. Actually now it's with Nandini. Does it hurt to see your beloved copy in someone else's possession? Huh? Does it?...Of course it does(satisfied smile of a sadist)
anushka, yes, bookshopping must.
tuna: maybe they die and someone else gives them away, i dunno.
pom: Sonali categorically denied it. I'll murder her.
but bully for nandini.
And it doesn't hurt one bit, I'll get it back.
@Pom: Correction. My copy my sister gifted me. 20 bucks on college street. second hand. no dedications. pink's I bought. for her birthday. beautiful dedication if she remembers. :) and fyi. it probably was with Sonali.
I bought a William from Gariahat once that had only a name and a date written in blue ink on the flyleaf. A year later I met the name. He was very happy to be given the book back. =)
Re: Sil, why does Sonali keep whacking copies of The Little Prince? And why does Noor always misinform?
Yep, very sentimental dedication.
Re: Spin, Ok, that story pips mine.
Shobi sentimental.
I am probably heartless, but I'm just too overjoyed by the cheap prices to pay much heed to anything else. But this Little Prince story is heartwrenching. I have some old Huxleys, pre-independence, almost. From Subarnarekha. God of all purono boi-er dokans, followed by 8b Kaku.
Subarnarekha where?
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