Jun28

missing books.

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have you ever forgotten who you lent your book to?
 so excited about it you just had to share it
 remember saying you wanted it back
because you loved it so much
one day you notice
it’s still not back on your shelf
not sure who you lent it to
 ask the possible borrowers
 no one seems to remember it
couple of months pass
a person who you asked
appears with the book
asking you:
‘do you have any idea whose book this is?
i remember someone lent it to me.’
as a fan of both true crime and books  
 this is an interesting turn of events
one you’ve come to expect.
“never lend books, for no one ever returns them;
the only books i have in my library are books that other folks have lent me.”
-Anatole France, French author, La Vie Litteraire, 1888
—
source credits:
Missing From the Shelf, Michael Salkeld, Published by Geoffrey Bles, 1936, London
The Case of the Missing Books, Ian Sansom, Published by Harper Collins, 2005

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50 responses »

  3. I have been lucky, and nobody ever failed to return a book to me. However, I have lent out many films on DVD that have been ‘misplaced’ by the borrower. The pity is that some were rare, and are no longer available to buy.
    Best wishes, Pete.

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  13. This happened to me. I was positive I had lent it to my sister who denied it. Uh huh… about ten years later (I might or might not exaggerate) she hands it to me: “this yours?” smh

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  14. this is a super fun post – and loved the quote “the only books i have in my library are books that other folks have lent me” – and on a side note – years ago I loaned a dog training book to a newly graduated dentist (he was staying with his gf in our neighborhood and they had a new puppy) – well I must not have made it clear that the book was a loaner – cos I saw him about. year later – at a comuunity event and aksed how the pup was etc – and the book came up and I casually mentioned I wanted it back and he had no idea! He said he read it and passed it on. It reminded me about my communication with it from the start – and it was a cheap book so no big deal….
    but the point? do not lend out a book you are not prepared to never see again

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  15. funny that you posted this…yesterday, I was thinking of a book I read and lent several times, always getting it back, until I lent it to someone and I’ve never seen it again…. I am awful about books… I have stacks waiting to be read in the basement and on my bedside table. Sounds like you might be like that, too….

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  19. We once had a Secret Santa group at our school. I learned that my person was a John Grisham fan, who I also happen to be a fan of. I loaned her (made it very clear in the card) six of my novels, expectng to get them back when she finished reading them. During our Easter break, she and her husband moved away, taking my boks with her.

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