Books, books, books – I adore them: touching them, smelling them, buying them, and reading them. Invariably, when a close friend or family member has a newborn child, one of the first gifts I will offer is a book. I feel strongly that it is so important to encourage any child to get used to the feel of a book in their hands, as young as possible. You can’t put a price on the gift of being able to read.
But I digress. I find it difficult to part with books. Unfortunately, I am married to an even more avid reader and hoarder than myself.
Our move to France
With just 12 months or so until we move to France, I am feeling a little overwhelmed today with how much “stuff” we have accumulated over 36 years together. I have a taste for modern Irish fiction, cookery books, and anything feline-related.
In July, I disposed of my 1970s Holland and Madden secondary maths textbooks. I had the complete collection, including obligatory brown paper or wallpaper protective covering – was that an Irish thing? Yet I have kept my secondary school copies of Shakespeare’s Coriolanus and The Merchant of Venice. My university Geology, Physics, and Mathematics books also went – it was such a wrench of the heart. I was happy that I could sell/donate many of my Science, Physics, and Mathematics textbooks from my 28-year teaching career to Ziffit. The driver who collected my boxed-up books told me that many of the books will go to schools in Africa.
I have packed the books that I have read, love and want to keep into 8 large robust supermarket bags:
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In August, we dismantled 4 vintage 1990s Billy bookcases; loaded up our modest Dacia Sandero with ourselves, the cat, minimal clothes (we could launder whilst in France) and the dismantled bookcases and took the ferry to France. The bookcases were then put back together again and are awaiting our beloved books.
The eight bags containing my books will be moved in the next month. But what about what’s left?
Empathy for librarians
I feel for the library staff, including one of my childhood school friends, Eileen, who had to empty all the books from the Old Library at Trinity College Dublin last year, in advance of conservation work. Can you tell from my photograph that there are no books on most of the shelves?
It is such a beautiful library – I revisited in July with my husband, his sister and her husband. That evocative, musty smell of past lives lived … but I digress again.
The Book of Kells
Cookery Books
I have restricted myself to my cookery books and books of fiction, which I hope to read this Autumn/Winter now that I have “retired”.
Goodness, some of them were bought 10 years ago. I’m looking at you Independent People by Halldór Kiljan Laxness. Such is the fast, hectic pace of modern, working life. I am so looking forward to doing the things that bring pleasure in my life, now that I have the luxury of time. I realise that there is a potential contradiction in what I say there – as I transition into a further life stage.
…and now, the real challenge
But the real challenge is my husband’s collection of travel and WW2 Holocaust books.
Mr C does not like change and if let, will collect all manner of things (eg restaurant napkins, train tickets). Successful removal and replacement of old socks and underwear requires military-like strategic planning and skulduggery on my part. Apologies Mr C.
So at lunchtime today, I find myself taking photos of books and writing, rather than contacting the builder, the plasterer, and the painter, to complete the necessary decorating work before putting our 1890s Victorian terraced home on the market next Spring/Summer.
…and what about our records and CDs
And what about our 1980s dominant vinyl record and CD collection? And our large Sony combination record player, 5 CD player, cassette player, and huge, powerful speakers? There is so much to do. I feel overwhelmed. But I need to crack on and “get my arse in gear”.
Do you have book collections, and have these ever caused you to feel overwhelmed? Please share in the comments.
Image credits: All images are photographs by the author unless otherwise noted.
Introducing Contributor, Caroline McCormick-Clarke
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What a challenge to deal with -- you are right to think about it one year out before your move.
We also have many books, but I do go through mine from time to time and have avoided collecting too many. My husband, though, has hundreds and hundreds, and many are big format books: art, photography, and BDs. They are starting to just pile up on the floor of his secondary work office.
So in a word, yes, I do feel overwhelmed by our accumulated stuff. I hope it will be liberating for you to clear things out when you make the move, although it could be painful as well.
Oh Caroline. I held back from commenting as I’ve been through the pain too many times. I adore books and they’ve been a very important part of my life. They’re an extension of me but twice in my life I’ve donated ~3k books and each time it felt like donating a limb ;)
Fab article.
Merci
Judy