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Is that really true? I do love the smell of old books but I never would proclaim that out loud to a bookstore owner. I do actually purchase used books though wh
by sushid 4y ago
Is that really true? I do love the smell of old books but I never would proclaim that out loud to a bookstore owner. I do actually purchase used books though when I visit stores. In fact went to a Bookoff and bought a book last week.
- vba616 4y agoSaying "I love the smell of old books" is not compatible with my basic assumptions about a reader, like that they have been around a lot of old books. Ordinary mold/mildew is not a good smell, triggers allergies, and nobody in their right mind "loves" it. Books get stored in places that get high humidity or flooded, and the results are horrible and toxic. If you order random used books off the internet these days there's a good chance they have a trace of mold smell. On the other hand, non ordinary book odors vary widely, may be from decay, or the binding glue, (the glue decaying?) or who knows what, so how could you generically love them all even if you have arbitrarily peculiar preferences? I admit that the above is mostly not based on memories of bookstores, but of a household full of books.
- sushid 4y agoTo clarify, I was asking if people who say "I love the smell of old books" really are window shoppers or if they actually do buy book in the parent commenter's experience. I personal "enjoy" it in the sense that I associate it with used bookstores. I wouldn't want a candle scent of it in my room by any means.