Book Collecting

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National News wire - The Infinite Echo

There is an intrinsic quality to holding an old book in your hands. An unmistakable quality, of life, of knowledge and perhaps of understanding. I'm a book collector, and I seek satisfaction accordingly, one bound volume at a time.

I suppose I could forgo the unmitigated pedantic verbosity, but it is with an obsessive mind with which I seek these aged tomes. The madness is not mine alone, but is in fact, shared by many. So many are afflicted by this madness in fact, that for centuries, books have been collected, by the young and the aged, the intellectual, the clever, and the crooked. In simpler words, collecting books can be for anyone, even the insipid.

So where can one locate such literary jewels? I like to start by reminding everyone that your local library is a wonderful place to find a good book, providing you are willing to return it in a reasonable manner. Don't overlook your local library.



As for collecting antique books for the keeping, one can start nearly anywhere used books are sold. Yard sales, flea markets, and the like are usually productive sources. Most antique dealers carry at least a small supply of old books. In such cases, the books are generally in very good, if not excellent condition. Ditto for used book stores, but that seems somewhat obvious.

Personally, I favor the thrift stores, many in my area which have half price day every other Saturday. Over a period of six years, I have built up a rather impressive collection of antique and classic books in this manner. I have amassed everything imaginable, from Bronte to the Official Report of the Warren Commission (the official report on the assassination of US president John F. Kennedy.)

Of course, these days there is probably no greater source for information than the internet. Antique books are available in countless locations throughout the net, including eBay, Amazon and others. I have purchased many used and antique books over the internet, and have never been displeased by the product I received, however, I would recommend researching your purchase thoroughly before laying down the big bucks. Needless to say, but I will anyhow, some things are not always as advertised. Just use a little common sense and by all means, enjoy the process. Collecting old books may sound kind of geekish, and you know, perhaps it is. Still, it is a rewarding hobby that can bring more hours of entertainment and satisfaction than you'll ever find time for.



There are numerous buyers guides available to help you in your search. Some are pricey, but all are informative. Some buyers rely a great deal on these little gems. Others find pleasure in simply seeking out the gems on their own terms.

Of course, even book collecting is not without peril. I am reminded of an out of the way place just off the interstate in western Arizona. In most respects, I suppose it's much like any other used book store, book cases crawl upward toward the rafters, loaded down with ceaseless piles of books. Magazine racks stretch and yawn, with endless copies of Arizona Highways, and old copies of Life Magazine. But it isn't the building or the books that catches ones attention upon entering the establishment. It's the proprietor, and ancient astronaut of sorts. Perhaps a product of the sixties, or perhaps simply not interested in time, (or clothing) it seems, a fact that becomes apparent only after one has already entered the store, your eyes forever scarred by the sight of the weathered old timer, wearing nothing more than a very, very tiny strap of leather. It's a price I am personally unwilling to pay in my quest to find old books. You have been duly warned.

So with that off my chest, (so to speak) happy hunting, and hopefully you'll find time to read some of those great works you find. Collecting books is a hobby that will bring you a lifetime of knowledge and enjoyment. Now get out there and start looking.


Coming Soon!
More books reviews, including Candide- Voltaire, The Sun Also Rises- Ernest Hemingway, Of Mice and Men and Cannery Row- John Steinbeck.

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

Sound Foundation Entertainment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo - Impeachment Now! - Sound&Recording - Skate the Razor - Skate the Razor Blog - blogment

Book Review -John Steinbeck-Tortilla Flat

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National News wire - The Infinite Echo

John Steinbeck, the voice of American conscience, and a true literary genius. His work has grown increasingly important in these modern times, these devoid of his ceaseless grace and passion. His words hang like crystal chandeliers in a world inhabited by shadows. John Steinbeck is more than a novelist. He is our reflection.

Tortilla Flat represents Steinbeck’s first critical and popular success as a novelist. Comprised of seventeen ‘episodes, Tortilla Flat documents the events surrounding a group of ‘paisanos living on the fringes of society in the fishing community of Monterey, California nearly a century ago.

It is a story of Danny’s house, and Danny’s friends. It is a story of loss and redemption, and more loss. It is a tale of meaningless triumph, of alcoholism, of loneliness and of friendship. Steinbeck warns the reader of such impending peril, and delivers with great sadness. Such is the fabric of Tortilla Flat.

Ultimately, Tortilla Flat confronts the basic tenets of morality, steeped in a shadowy broth. Sometimes humorous, but always painful in it’s analysis, the story tumbles and slides down the slopes of humanity. Blood and wine are equally spilled, and the loss is communally shared.

The story ends as it begins, full circle, cryptic and proverbial. It is Danny’s house and these are Danny’s friends. Like the candle that burns in the evening, and by morning, was never there, Tortilla flat tells us of a world that existed once, but only within the bounds of it’s own jurisdiction. With Tortilla Flat, John Steinbeck does not create a world we wish to share, but instead shares a world with us created by others. A world created by Danny and his friends.

Born February 27th, 1902 John Steinbeck grew up in Salinas California, and much of his writing is centered around these peoples of the coast. Perhaps best known for his depression era masterpiece, Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck wrote several unforgettable novels, including Cannery Row, Of Mice and Men, East of Eden and The Pearl. Steinbeck passed away on December 20th, 1968, but his writing lives on.

“Now it is over”, remarks Pilon, friend of Danny’s and fellow resident of Tortilla Flat. “Now the great times are done. Thy friends will mourn, but nothing will come of their mourning.” Perhaps Pilon was correct all along.

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

Sound Foundation Entertainment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo - Impeachment Now! - Sound&Recording - Skate the Razor - Skate the Razor Blog - blogment

William Faulkner, American Literary Icon

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National News wire - The Infinite Echo

William Faulkner is without question, one of the most unique and influential American literary voices of the last century. His works have influenced many of the giants, including literary legends John Steinbeck and Ernest Hemingway. Still, no-one would be taken aback more by all the fuss than William Faulkner himself, who wrote to live, and lived to write.


Underwood Universal Portable typewriter,
similar to those used by William Faulkner.

Faulkner, Born William Cuthbert Falkner, September 25th, 1897, cranked out literally hundreds of short stories, novels and novellas during the 1920s and 30s. He was a tireless writer, wearing out countless Underwood Universal Portable typewriters, which he purchased second hand. Still, he remained virtually unknown until 1949, when he was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature. Although his real last name was spelled without the u', a misprint (typo) by his first publisher led him to adopt the new spelling. Faulkner wasn't one for formality. For William Faulkner, it was all about the characters and the story line. Let the critics say what they may.

Just as John Steinbeck wrote of the west during the depression era, Faulkner preferred to write about his home of Mississippi, whose people and culture he understood all too well. His tales of the south's soft underbelly, the hapless pursuits of the poor and the poorly educated, are piqued together through pride and prejudice. They leave behind haunting and perhaps painful shadows with which the reader must cope. Faulkner stands tall alongside other monumental writers of the south, including Tennessee Williams, Flannery O'Connor, and Mark Twain. Faulkner's legacy is one for the ages.

Faulkner is perhaps best known for his novel, Sanctuary, a classic tale of betrayal and tragedy, steeped in a surly broth. Violence seems not so much tolerated in this story, as accepted, almost as a form of currency. And human life, or any form thereof, is rendered incidental, as is exemplified by the child behind the stove. Some things cannot be explained, so much as indemnified. These were dark days for the south. Dark days, indeed!

"Better for her if she were dead tonight, Horace thought, walking on. For me too. He thought of her, Popeye, the woman, the child, Goodwin, all put into a single chamber, bare, lethal, immediate and profound: a single blotting instant between the indignation and the surprise."

William Faulkner died July, 6th, 1962 at age 64. He was buried in Byhalia Mississippi. His works are too numerous to list here. See Wikipedia for a more complete listing of his works.

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

Sound Foundation Entertainment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo - Impeachment Now! - Sound&Recording - Skate the Razor - Skate the Razor Blog - blogment

Book Review - John Steinbeck - Tortilla Flat

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National News wire - The Infinite Echo

John Steinbeck, the voice of American conscience, and a true literary genius. His work has grown increasingly important in these modern times, these devoid of his ceaseless grace and passion. His words hang like crystal chandeliers in a world inhabited by shadows. John Steinbeck is more than a novelist. He is our reflection.

Tortilla Flat represents Steinbeck’s first critical and popular success as a novelist. Comprised of seventeen ‘episodes, Tortilla Flat documents the events surrounding a group of ‘paisanos living on the fringes of society in the fishing community of Monterey, California nearly a century ago.

It is a story of Danny’s house, and Danny’s friends. It is a story of loss and redemption, and more loss. It is a tale of meaningless triumph, of alcoholism, of loneliness and of friendship. Steinbeck warns the reader of such impending peril, and delivers with great sadness. Such is the fabric of Tortilla Flat.

Ultimately, Tortilla Flat confronts the basic tenets of morality, steeped in a shadowy broth. Sometimes humorous, but always painful in it’s analysis, the story tumbles and slides down the slopes of humanity. Blood and wine are equally spilled, and the loss is communally shared.

The story ends as it begins, full circle, cryptic and proverbial. It is Danny’s house and these are Danny’s friends. Like the candle that burns in the evening, and by morning, was never there, Tortilla flat tells us of a world that existed once, but only within the bounds of it’s own jurisdiction. With Tortilla Flat, John Steinbeck does not create a world we wish to share, but instead shares a world with us created by others. A world created by Danny and his friends.

Born February 27th, 1902 John Steinbeck grew up in Salinas California, and much of his writing is centered around these peoples of the coast. Perhaps best known for his depression era masterpiece, Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck wrote several unforgettable novels, including Cannery Row, Of Mice and Men, East of Eden and The Pearl. Steinbeck passed away on December 20th, 1968, but his writing lives on.

“Now it is over”, remarks Pilon, friend of Danny’s and fellow resident of Tortilla Flat. “Now the great times are done. Thy friends will mourn, but nothing will come of their mourning.” Perhaps Pilon was correct all along.

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

Sound Foundation Entertainment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo - Impeachment Now! - Sound&Recording - Skate the Razor - Skate the Razor Blog - blogment