When I was a teenager, I had the habit of cutting out quotes and jokes from books and magazines to add to photo albums of my friends. Had my mom known what I was doing, she would have stopped me when I cut her books apart, but she didn't know. I found a book called "Boners" - meaning jokes and funny sayings - and it had some lines that were perfect for what I was doing. I happily scanned the book, cutting out various jokes, words and lines to apply to my albums. Yesterday, I found that book on my shelves, as I was searching for my copy of "Catcher in the Rye" to re-read. I didn't find that, but I did find two other books by Salinger, which I will happily read again as soon as I finish my current novel.
At the moment I found "Boners" again, I could have slapped myself silly. It was illustrated by Dr. Seuss himself!! And of course, in my teenage silliness, I cut through several of his illustrations. This book, published in 1931, might have been worth something had I not mutilated it. At the very least, I would have enjoyed re-reading it, which is nearly impossible now. The subtitle is: " Being a Collection of Schoolboy Wisdom, or Knowledge as It Is Sometimes Written, Complied from Classrooms and Examination Papers by Alexander Abingdon, and Illustrated by Dr. Seuss." If you ever see anyone cutting into the pages of a hardback book again, slap them for me, please! Here are two pages that remain intact, no thanks to me. :-/
See edit below!!Thanks to Granny Annie for this site recommendation - further information on the book!
19 comments:
Oh geeeeeez!!!! My mother would have attempted to kill me and my daddy -- another bibliophile -- would have finished the job. Then again if I had done that I would have had to have lost it -- I love re-reading too much.
Maybe you can find another copy at Half.com
AMAZING, Judy....! Waaay back in the late '60's I did something similar--not to the books themselves but to the Dust Jackets, which I later learned was a stupid thing to do because it reduced the value of the bookm considerably, if you ever wanted to sell them.....I am so sorry I ever did that, too!
Great illustrations, Judy.
While working on a project I learned that Dr. Seuss did much more than the books we are all familiar with. I assume you are keeping your cutting and pasting activities to the computer these days.
The things we do when we are young and focused only on the moment! Dr Seuss is one of my favorite writers. And I will probably reread Salinger when I can get a copy(s) at the library after all the hoopla dies down.
If there was a book I really loved that I wanted to cut up, I bought a second copy. I did that with a book by the artist David Oxtoby.
Have you quit slapping yourself up side your head yet? Ouch, what a treasure that was.
Guess you had no pictures that needed sausage or porcupine quotes
Wow Judy...you invented cut and paste. too funny ;-)
OMG! I was horrified when I read that you cut up books! I'm really picky about my books and don't even like bending the spine when I read them! I take dust jackets off so they won't get dmaaged when I read a hardback book too! My parents taught me to respect and revere books from a very young age. They found me cutting out a picture of a book when I was around 3 years old and were furious with me. I remmeber to this day being very confused and upset as I was trying to save the animal from being caught by the zoo keepers. You see, he was very upset in the picture and I wnated to make it better the only way I knew how! They explained to me though that books are important and should be looked after nad it has always stayed with me!
Ahhhhhhhhh.......if I was your mother I would have totally lost it on you!
Maybe one day you will find another copy of this book to replace the one you cut up.
Looks like it would indeed have been worth some money
http://rarelibrary.com/book/KID-B/157/OMNIBUS+BONERS,+THE.html
Ouch.
If only you'd known, eh?
You could look at it is having added to the value of the book for any one else who may have an intact copy by adding to its rarity.
I never cut up books but I did mark in them. What was wrong with me?!! Anyway, here is a blog entry I was directed to a couple of weeks ago:
http://curiouspages.blogspot.com/2010/01/boners-more-boners-still-more-boners.html
I'm afraid I too believe books are sacrosant. I hate it when people turn down a corner instead of using a book mark and someone - who shall be nameless - has been known to mark things in pencil - in my books!!!!!!
When I was little, I took every book in the bookcase and wrote in my little kid scrawl "This is Robin's book." Interesting what we do with books when we're young.
I was thinking about re-reading Catcher in the Rye again too. Nice to be reminded.
The title alone is funny! Could he get away with it today?
I take the dust jackets off and store them away when I read a hard back book and I won't even turn the corners down. I won't crack the spine on a paperback either, so unless mine have been hand me downs or read very often, they look new. :-)
Now if there had just been scanners and printers or even copy machines back then... well, no cutting! My mom would have banished me had I cut up books.
I still have the three little Bible Story books they read to me... hmmm.... let's just say... a long, long, long time ago.
I like the nonsense of the verbiage on the page - Solomon had 300 wives and 700 porcupines. :)
I think someone attributed that quote about Solomon and his porcupines to "Kids Say the Darndest Things". So it was the beloved De. Seuss who thought it up, huh. I should have known.
It's a hoot, no matter who said it first.
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