Books Tell You Why. All About Collecting Rare Books (114)

The Trials of Oscar Wilde

By Brian Hoey. Feb 18, 2016. 9:00 AM.

“There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all.” —Oscar Wilde

At the outset, the proceedings that led to Oscar Wilde’s imprisonment for sodomy read much like his plays. Four days after the successful London premier of Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest (1895), arguably the absolute pinnacle of 19th century comedic farce, John Douglas, the 9th Marquess of Queensberry (creator of a set of eponymous, wildly circulated boxing rules), left a calling card at Wilde’s club. It read: “For Oscar Wilde, posing as somdomite" [sic].

Welcome, Mr. Bond: Five Facts About Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale

By Nick Ostdick. Feb 17, 2016. 9:00 AM.

Topics: Literature, James Bond

It’s February 1952 and aspiring novelist Ian Fleming sits at a desk in his Jamaican, beachfront bungalow with a head full of ideas for a spy novel about gambling, espionage, and international intrigue. The writing comes easy, a little in the morning and a little in the evening, and in less than a month Fleming completes a draft of a novel that would launch a multimedia empire audiences worldwide have adored for more than 50 years.

Top Ten Collectible Presidential Books

By Abigail Wheetley. Feb 16, 2016. 9:00 AM.

Topics: American History, History

Presidents define our eras, lead our lawmakers, and create moments in history that will live for generations. To own a small piece of that legacy—something written about, written by, or signed by one of these iconic figures—is to own a piece of history. This is a list of the top ten presidential collectibles, chosen for their provenance, condition, but most importantly, for the history they represent.

More Than Just Cheesesteaks: Five Famous Philadelphia Writers

By Nick Ostdick. Feb 15, 2016. 9:00 AM.

Topics: Literature, Literary travel

Philadelphia is one of those great American cities that suffers from a watered-down public perception of its identity. The City of Brotherly Love. The Epicenter of the American Revolution. The cheesesteak. These are things with which Philadelphia is most closely associated.

While certainly true enough associations, Philadelphia has and has always had a grand literary tradition – a vibrant, diverse landscape of writers, poets, playwrights, and literati who made great strides in innovating language, form, style, aesthetics, and narrative.

20 of the Most Romantic Quotes in All of Literature

By Adrienne Rivera. Feb 14, 2016. 9:00 AM.

Topics: Literature, Rare Book Gift Ideas

Valentine's Day has a long and storied history. It was originally a celebration of the martyrdom of Saint Valentine, a Christian priest of Rome. St. Valentine was imprisoned and beheaded for marrying soldiers despite being forbidden to do so and for preaching his faith which was against Roman law.

February 14 did not become associated with romance until the Middle Ages. And sometime in the 18th century, it became customary to give flowers, candies, and cards. While today Valentine's Day is symbolized by hearts, cupids, and a score of other glittery commercialized items, at it's core, Valentine's Day is all about love. The following are 20 of the most romantic quotes in literature to help you get into the heart of the holiday.

Scheuchzer and the History of the Biblical Encyclopedia

By Kristin Masters. Feb 13, 2016. 9:00 AM.

Topics: Rare Books, Book Collecting

"How is it possible to understand the whole universe? All the books that are made treat only some of the imaginable topics. What could we read that would treat absolutely everything?"

So wrote François de Grenaille, author of Theatre de l'universe, published in 1643. Scholars had expressed similar consternation for a full century. With the advent of the printing press, the sheer volume of books reached what many scholars considered crisis levels—they were simply unable to keep up with so much new information.

A Brief Guide to the Works of Judy Blume

By Adrienne Rivera. Feb 12, 2016. 9:00 AM.

Topics: Children's Books, Awarded Books

Judy Blume has an influence all her own. Throughout her career, she has written books for children, young adults, and adult readers. Blume is known for her frank depictions of issues facing children and teenagers. As a result, in the 1980s an organized effort was made to ban her books from libraries and schools. Inspired by the objections against so many of her books, Blume became an advocate for intellectual freedom and serves on the board for the National Coalition Against Censorship.

Because of her dedication to the real issues facing young people, Blume is beloved by readers of all ages. Perhaps the most telling of her impact on children's and young adult literature is the fact that each year she receives thousands of letters from young readers detailing their own life experiences and sharing with her how her books have helped them through. Whether you're new to Judy Blume's work or looking to collect some old favorites, don't miss these titles.

The Many Homes of Ernest Hemingway

By Audrey Golden. Feb 11, 2016. 9:00 AM.

Topics: Legendary Authors, Literature, Nobel Prize Winners

What would it look like to take a trek across the country (and outside the country, too) to visit all of the homes and favorite haunts of Ernest Hemingway? The novelist and short-story writer made his homes in seemingly disparate parts of the United States and the Caribbean, not to mention the years he spent living abroad as an expatriate in Paris, France. We’re intrigued by the varied climates that captured the writer’s interest, particularly in relation to his relatively domestic beginnings in Oak Park, Illinois. So, if you were going to take a tour through Hemingway’s life, what homes would need to make your list?

Collecting Nobel Laureates: Mommsen, Eucken, & Heyse

By Leah Dobrinska. Feb 10, 2016. 9:00 AM.

Topics: Literature, Nobel Prize Winners

Collecting the works of Nobel Prize in Literature winners is a great way to focus one’s collection. Nobel laureates are the best-of-the-best, so a collection full of their works is one way to guarantee exceptional titles. Today, we’d like to focus on information about the work of three German-language Nobel Prize in Literature winners from the early part of the twentieth century: Theodor Mommsen, Rudolf Christoph Eucken, and Paul Johann Ludwig von Heyse. For more about our previous Nobel laureate spotlights, see the end of the post.

Libraries and Special Collections: Visiting Libraries in Austria

By Leah Dobrinska. Feb 9, 2016. 9:00 AM.

Topics: Libraries & Special Collections, Literary travel

Libraries provide an extraordinary window into the world. Indeed, for collectors and book enthusiasts, few pleasures equal a visit to a well-curated library. When planning a trip, it only makes sense to include famous (or not so famous) libraries on your itinerary.

Recently, a friend of Books Tell You Why and an avid book collector did just that. While traveling to Austria, he visited the libraries of five Austrian monasteries and was kind enough to detail his experiences for us to share. Whether you plan to visit Austria or simply enjoy great libraries, we are confident you will find his notes of interest.