General Chat

Having looked at a site about people who have died this year, I thought I would might like to read one of Robert Hardy's books.

As well as an actor, he was one of the world's leading authorities on the longbow and published a couple of books about it so I had a look on Amazon and asked OH if he would mind me buying another book (as if that mattered!).

No, of course not. But there is one tiny obstacle.

The cheapest one I can find is £47 and the most expensive is over £1300.

It will be the day when I spend that on a book but he would have let me. Sucker!

Birthday Present!!

Not at that price.

I did the same the other week.
The book I wanted was going to be £75 and no way was I paying that.

Maybe we should never have learned to read.

May be time to rummage in charity shops :-D

The price of books online is strange.
I have 'Jake's Progress', by Jake Thackray. I was looking to sell it.
There are two copies currently on sale on ebay for £36 each!
I realise it's because it's no longer published, but it still seems excessive.

Is there not a cheaper version to download from Amazon to your Kindle ?

Prices are relative, up to a point! in the early 60's, I bought a guitar for 39 guineas. about £41,
on a good week with some overtime I could earn maybe £20 so it cost about two weeks wages..
a similar second hand guitar today on Ebay is going for around £799....


(although my daughter has it, still have mine)

Bob

Ask your local library. If they haven’t got it in stock they should order it in for you. You don’t get to keep it but at least you can read it for free :-D

I will probably do that eventually, Vera.


They kind of hide behind the shelves if I go in. It is always for some bloody thing nobody has ever heard of.

A book is far more than its contents which is why prices vary so much. At the extremes there are such items as Shakespeare First Folio, a Tyndale bible and a handwritten miniature Harry Potter book. Some old books acquire personalities and properties of their own.

I have a first edition "Collected Ghost Stories" by M R James. The subject matter is mainly grisly death. The bookplate refers to Rugby School library but I inherited it from my father who was tortured there. It is for sure worth a lot more than the £6 of the current paperback..

Then while at uni. I went to a book signing party and ended up drunk with this:
https://goo.gl/5K2Xzf now one of my dearest possessions.

1960s original James Bond paperbacks have risen sharply in price with good clean copies fetching over £ 20. A paperback 1st ed of "Jack's Return Home" (Get Carter) can fetch over £ 100.

I have a complete collection of Arthur Ransome's "Swallows & Amazons" with covers. It is amazing what collectors will pay. Mint is right out of my reach let alone mint and signed.

So don't be surprised at prices.

Local libraries are under no obligation to purchase books they do not hold. All they have to do is to make a request through the central lending system. The wait can be long.

Terry Pratchett "Disc World" hardbacks are putting on the £ounds quite quickly. Grab them while you can.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/84_Charing_Cross_Road_(film)

enjoy

Sharron, my 'driver' has the same problems with librarians as you! :-D

He hasn't got the internet, but somehow hears of obscure books - probably from other books - and asks his local (small) library to get them for him.
They usually manage to find another library that has a copy, and request a loan - but it can take up to 6 weeks!! :-S

I have never had to wait very long.

I think it was the British Library I had one from and their overdue fines are astronomical. It was very lucky I knew exactly where the paperwork was because my local library were chasing me a week before it was due back.

There is a copy at Chichester Public Library (your nearest?) and also one at Bognor Regis. Both are currently available to borrow.

Thank you.

I had not looked, just getting over the price of a copy first.

It is a shame it is so expensive because it is the sort of book I think I would probably keep going back to rather than read it straight through.