Aegis 2010
118
Book Review >>> Stephanie Freas
The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession Hoover Bartlett, Allison. New York: Riverhead Books, 2009. 274 pp.
In Allison Hoover Bartlett’s The Man Who Loved Books Too Much, readers follow the motivations, hopes, and failures of three central characters: John Gilkey, a famous book thief, Ken Sanders, owner of a bookstore and rare book collector, and the author, who strives to record their tales. Bartlett aims to gain a strong grasp on what it is that draws people to rare literature and collecting objects of high value. While the title indicates a story of a world of literary obsession, this nonfiction piece delves further into the life of John Gilkey, his history with stealing books and Ken Sanders’ work of attempting to capture Gilkey and other book thieves. As Bartlett says, “books…are more than just beautiful objects, and their physicality makes their contents seem more meaningful, somehow” (215). In an era where everything is digital, now even books are electronic with E-book readers such as the Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader, and the urge to collect books is one many clutch to. In her attempts to understand these two men as examples of the literary world of collecting, she believes that books are physical representations of our history. While some collect for the monetary value, others collect because books are “repositories for memories,” especially of childhood (Bartlett 20). Further, some men, like Gilkey, collect books not for a profit, but for the way the books make them look or feel; they represent an identity that some may not acquire otherwise. Despite her fascination with book collectors, the story inspiring Bartlett is Gilkey’s. She records her experiences with the man who attributes ownership of rare books and a wealth of knowledge to being someone of higher societal status. Sanders provides Bartlett with opposing information: those with great collections start out with little money, but only through time and work do they gain their desires. The tension between these two men who have never had personal contact with one another resonates through Bartlett’s own inner tension of collaborating an honest story that portrays the two lives of men, as well as her own, in ways to make readers aware of the effects that book collecting have on people (Bartlett 202). From here, we see men stealing books, men murdering others for a single copy, or people spending thousands of dollars to have the best collection to the point that it may be “an addiction, but finding those books is such a good feeling,” as collector Joseph Serrano admits (113). Bartlett’s research into the lives of those who love books beyond Gilkey and Sanders solidifies the text at hand; readers recognize that the market for rare books is far from rare. Bartlett’s style of presentation of the stories at hand is very personal; she often includes anecdotes that explain her own love for literature. Further, Bartlett segues into
