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What, if any, memorable or special book have you ever gotten as a present? Birthday or otherwise. What made it so notable? The person who gave it? The book itself? The “gift aura?![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_spPAQ2XhC9RDpOH6XzpiIB-rtIKi8fnqg1WCwv28EWsvKjSHPgA4rH4BfZc9vkDpguS0jroyYOG9t7dKazNDWHDrX-tcoq_bUM_Cji4MYNavb0-67cXSim5ylJ-3U=s0-d)
Four immediately flew to mind. For my graduation from college, one of my housemates (still a close friend) gave me a second-hand, two volume set of
Jane Eyre and
Wuthering Heights. They are a large format, hardcover 1943 edition, illustrated, with the text in two columns on the page, pictured above. Lovely books, very substantial, curl-up-by-the-fire editions. One of my other housemates gave me my Riverside complete Shakespeare, which I still treasure. The third was
Sheila's gift to me of Chris van Allsberg's
The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. I loooove this book. It is in a large, children's book format and consists of black and white drawings which are of identifiable things - people, objects, a ship, etc... - but their content is provocatively ambiguous. On the facing page is a single sentence, adding mystery rather than clarity. They are wonderful to read before going to sleep - great dream fodder - but my main use of them has been for various structured improvisation exercises with my acting students over the years. I have traveled everywhere with this book. It's dust jacket is now, well, dust, and the binding is all torn up. A well-loved favorite. Finally, one of the first presents The Ragazzo gave me was a soft-cover copy of Arturo Perez-Reverte's
The Flander's Panel, which I think I had already owned but hadn't read. So now, of course, I have two copies. His early mysteries are great fun.
6 comments:
I also have the Riverside Complete Edition of Shakespeare. It's way too huge to manage, so when I've wanted to read any Shakespeare, I reach for a paperback! However, it's nice as a reference. Happy Booking Through Thursday. I'm giving away a couple of books. Check my sidebar if you're interested.
I had to buy the Riverside Shakespeare for one of my classes, and of course, I still own it to this day!
I started Jane Eyre which has been sitting on my shelf gathering dust since 11th grade. I'm amazed how I have got through AP English and college without reading it.
I think I have that edition of Jane Eyre. The pictures look very familiar. Guess I have to re-visit that box of books in the basement.
Matt should really read it. It's terrific.
That Harris Burdick gift was the best one I have ever given!
I once told a friend about how much I loved Christopher Morley's The Haunted Bookshop. I had once owned a copy and was foolish enough to loan it to someone . . . well, you know the sad end to that story.
My friend searched through several stores that dealt in used books in order to find a good copy of it for me.
She presented it to me for Christmas in 1981. My friend died a few years later but the book -- and her inscription inside the front cover have never been far from my side since.
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