Re: A book report...

Paul Bennett wrote: (with snips)
> I forgot to brag about my Christmas haul.  a 1958 first edition of _The
> Decipherment Of Linear B_ by John
> Chadwick. It's a slimish paperback,
_slimmish_ I suspect. _Slimish_ books are what I found in my damp
basement...
My presents to myself this year were: Collected Poems of James Merrill, and
a bilingual Residencia en la tierra (all 3 in one vol.) by Pablo Neruda.

> Inside, the pages are tanned, but not
> horrifically so, considering it's a nearly 50 year old book. It smells
> wonderful -- that really good "old book" smell that draws you into the
> book and makes you feel immersed in the words.  Original sale price: 95c.
Ho ho, I remember this from the first time 'round. It was a stunning report
at the time. I'm surprised a PB has held up so well.  Obviously it was
properly stored.

I have a lot of 50-yr old Spanish-lang. PBs from the Colección Austral
(Argentina), very cheap but well-produced editions-- nary a typo ever. They
tended to turn yellow and brittle after a mere 10 years. The bindings
usually gave out after one reading.

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