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3.34 AVERAGE
3.34 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
informative
slow-paced
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
“Possession is 9/10s of the law.” This true crime story tells us of John Gilkey, who made a lifetime of stealing rare books. Gilkey felt that there is no ownership of things—just possession. Gilkey believes that because he doesn’t have the funds to purchase a book then he is justified in acquiring the item by any means. He develops a complicated method of impersonating a legitimate book dealer and has someone else pick up the book. When the dealer learns that the check bounced or the credit card is reported stolen. Ken Sanders, a collector and rare book dealer begins to recognize a pattern and sets up just as elaborate system to nationally report thefts and eventually the system works and Gilkey is identified, arrested, tried and sentenced to a prison term.
We meet the author as she arranges a series of prison interviews. Her examination is a wonderful look into the world of rare book dealers and their customers. The story of Gilkey was interesting but not as a character. The journalist/author does a good job of managing the interviews but she inserts herself in too much of the book. I found the book as a slightly better than average example of the true crime genre but not as good as the best of narrative nonfiction. Recommend to readers of books-about-books, true crime, biography, history, mystery and memoir.
informative
reflective
slow-paced
informative
medium-paced
Usually, I'm not a huge fan of nonfiction, but this was fascinating, especially being a bit too close to a bibliomaniac myself. Haven't read a nonfiction work this interesting since "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larsen.
I love all things "book", so there was more then a fair chance that I was going to love a book about books and the people who collect them! This is the story of John Gilkey, a book klepto and Ken Sanders a rare book collector and bibliodick, that makes it his life story to capture Gilkey.
adventurous
medium-paced
It was a nice introduction to the world of rare book collecting and really interesting insight into how some could seemingly hold opposing values (supposedly loves books but only really sees them as status symbols/objects which allows him to justify stealing). It's sad that he only sees value through the eyes of others... if only he could really learn from the books he's stealing. Alas.
Anyway I would probably recommend this to others but I probably wouldn't read it again.
Anyway I would probably recommend this to others but I probably wouldn't read it again.
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Non fiction book about a man who is obsessed with stealing antique novels. Interesting topic but dragged at times.