Books contain other stories besides the ones they tell, they contain stories from the past, from other people, their loves, their pain, happy families, sad families, grandmothers, Christmas... a thousand memories. Working in a second-hand bookstore means being constantly in touch with other people's memories and hearts through their books, it means meeting many strangers and their lives.
This is so moving, Mariana!! I’m tempted to make up background stories in my mind whenever I get a book with a note from the giver to its original receiver. It breaks my heart when such books are given away. But I also don’t know the story of why it ends up leaving the original home.
I alwayas thoguht and feel that way, specially with books with moms dedications. Like, why you send away a book your mom gives you? In one ocation, a woman sold us many of her mom´s books, saying she passed away and was too hard and sad for her to see those books at home. Is something really sad
Thank you for this comment! I had no idea about the book quarantine, now that I think about it, it makes a lot of sense, but in my country the public libraries are rather bad, I personally have never taken a book out of them (it's not like in other places, here they don't lend you books to take home easily). During the pandemic my life in general didn't change that much because I'm usually always locked in my room reading and studying, what did change was that for the first time I had to buy books online! I love going, touching and smelling books.
What you tell me about having taken out several books belonging to the same Society, how wonderful! It's special to realize that we coincide in some way with the same interests or collections of others, it's what happened to me with the Russian books of this man that I tell in the post.
In the end, books unite us all in super special and unique ways. I'm sorry that your mother is having this difficulty reading, I hope she manages to find a way to stay in touch, although differently or more slowly, with reading. And about the literature from soviet times, I have found out that many books were only translated to Spanish, never to English, which is great for me of course but really interesting. I own many books from the editorial Progreso, printed in Moscú, that was very interested in putting these books within everyone's reach, I am especially struck by the fact that they have been translated and brought into Spanish.
This is so moving, Mariana!! I’m tempted to make up background stories in my mind whenever I get a book with a note from the giver to its original receiver. It breaks my heart when such books are given away. But I also don’t know the story of why it ends up leaving the original home.
I alwayas thoguht and feel that way, specially with books with moms dedications. Like, why you send away a book your mom gives you? In one ocation, a woman sold us many of her mom´s books, saying she passed away and was too hard and sad for her to see those books at home. Is something really sad
That is so sad! It is interesting to think about how a physical object can carry so much emotionally/spiritually.
Beautiful article! I swear that good books have a life, a spirit.
I agree🥹🤎I tell you, I was able to feel connected with many of those books and the persons behind them 🥹
Thank you for this comment! I had no idea about the book quarantine, now that I think about it, it makes a lot of sense, but in my country the public libraries are rather bad, I personally have never taken a book out of them (it's not like in other places, here they don't lend you books to take home easily). During the pandemic my life in general didn't change that much because I'm usually always locked in my room reading and studying, what did change was that for the first time I had to buy books online! I love going, touching and smelling books.
What you tell me about having taken out several books belonging to the same Society, how wonderful! It's special to realize that we coincide in some way with the same interests or collections of others, it's what happened to me with the Russian books of this man that I tell in the post.
In the end, books unite us all in super special and unique ways. I'm sorry that your mother is having this difficulty reading, I hope she manages to find a way to stay in touch, although differently or more slowly, with reading. And about the literature from soviet times, I have found out that many books were only translated to Spanish, never to English, which is great for me of course but really interesting. I own many books from the editorial Progreso, printed in Moscú, that was very interested in putting these books within everyone's reach, I am especially struck by the fact that they have been translated and brought into Spanish.
That is an author I do not know yet, I'm going to see what can I find in Spanish :)