The Amenities of Book-Collecting and Kindred Affections

There is a madness peculiar to book collectors, and A. Edward Newton makes no apology for succumbing to it. Written with the warmth of a man who has spent a lifetime in the company of folios and first editions, this collection of essays is less a guide to acquiring books than a meditation on why we cannot stop ourselves from acquiring them. Newton recounts a pivotal moment: a conversation with a friend that sends him wandering into the antiquarian bookshops of London, where he finds himself in conversation with centuries of readers and collectors who came before. He writes about the particular delights of first editions, the significance of provenance, the satisfaction of finding a treasure overlooked by others, and the way a book can connect you to literary history in the most intimate way. Yet what elevates these essays beyond mere hobbyist enthusiasm is Newton's underlying conviction that book collecting is not hoarding but love. It is a way of keeping company with the dead, of preserving beauty in tangible form, of surrounding oneself with objects that have souls. For anyone who has felt the pull of the shelf, the itch of the hunt, the quiet pleasure of a well-made book, these pages feel like coming home.