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The matter of the hardbound book

July 9, 2007 by Dave Knadler

I suppose it is not a sign of my good taste or reverence for books that so many I own are paperbacks. I have fairly strict criteria for buying hardbound volumes: If the book is a gift, if it is a work I expect to frequently reread, if it is a reference book, or if it is something I just can’t wait to get my hands on. (Also, if it is offered at steep discount from Sam’s Club or Costco, but I can be flexible on that point.)

Thus, I recently sent my brother, for his birthday, a hardbound copy of Ian Rankin’s new title, “The Naming of the Dead” even though I’d have been content to wait for the paperback myself. That’s not an entirely selfless act: While I have loved nearly all the Rebus novels, I’ve found the most recent entries to have taken on kind of a meandering quality. I’ll see what my brother Mike has to say before picking up a copy for myself.

A number of books in my eclectic collection of hardbounds I’m not particularly proud to display — there are quite a few Stephen King titles, for example, bought years ago when I really wanted a page-turner for a long trip or something. In my defense, all were steeply discounted.

More along these lines:

  • Small-town Minn., small-town Mont.Small-town Minn., small-town Mont.
  • Haven’t they suffered enough? Not reallyHaven’t they suffered enough? Not really
  • Sleuths are only as good as their sidekicksSleuths are only as good as their sidekicks
  • I feel stupid, and contagiousI feel stupid, and contagious
  • A cold night in JanuaryA cold night in January

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About Dave Knadler

Obscure writer. Lazy photographer. Bashful guitarist. Perhaps too fond of wine. Tireless nemesis of New York Times crosswords, Wordle, Semantle and all other puzzles du jour.

Comments

  1. Peter says

    July 10, 2007 at 7:08 pm

    You’ll find an interesting exchange on this very subject at the It’s a Crime! (or a mystery …) blog, http://itsacrime.typepad.com/its_a_crime_or_a_mystery/2007/06/after_the_hard_.html#more Big hardbacks, especially by A-list crime-fiction authors, remind of the monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey.

    ==============
    Detectives Beyond Borders
    “Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home”
    http://www.detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/

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