There's a second hand bookshop in a town nearby called Pickwick Books. It's my favourite sort as the gentleman that owns it has a fondness for classics and English authors. I found this copy of The Making of a Marchioness there last Fall.
The book was written in 1901, my copy doesn't have a date of publication but it must be quite close to that time.
There's a name inside the cover, Megan Evans, and it's written in fountain pen. I wonder if the lady herself has ticked off the titles of the books printed on the back page. Pencil was used so perhaps it's titles she hoped to read one day. Fountain pen would have been a firm commitment. There's more than one story to be had in a second hand book and I like being the keeper of that until it's someones else's turn.
I just love it when secondhand books have names, addresses, dedications, etc inside--especially really old ones and especially in fountain pen. No underlining or highlighting in the text though--bah! K x
ReplyDeletekristina, There was an address in Toronto written inside as well! I walked away from a stack of Barbara Pym books because they had loads of underlining, too sad not to mention distracting!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great name for a bookstore and the owner sounds like someone I would like to know. I love finding older books like this that have evidence of a previous life. I recently had to trash the most beautiful edition of a Dicken's collection that was published in 1948. It was so moldy it was starting to make my other books smell. It belonged to my husband's nana and she kept her marriage certificate in it. It made me so sad to get rid of it. I wish I could ask her if she enjoyed reading Dickens as much as I have.
ReplyDeleteBook Psmith, Welcome back! I hope that your move went as smoothly as possible. How sad that you had to let that very special book go but it had to be done. I've seen early editions of Dickens at second hand bookshops in Charing Cross Road, London. You never know, you just may be able to replace nana's copy.
ReplyDeleteWhat a find! It's fun to wonder where a book has been before it found its way to you. Too bad about all the underlining in the Pym books...
ReplyDeleteI like old books like these as well. Perhaps she was making her reading wishlist by marking the titles she wanted to buy!
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