The Special Collections

Today, for class, I went down to Special Collections. I love that place. It's heaven on earth. I love having an excuse to go down there with all those old books. I guess its the antiquarian in me. But, really, aren't all humanities/English people just closet antiquarians in some way?



But I got to see and handle first editions of Ivanhoe, Waverly, and Emma. Cool, huh? Each had their own thing that touched the geek within. With Ivanhoe, it was owned by a friend of Sir Walter Scott's, so I like to imagine that it was a gift. Scott might have touched it. Yeah, I know.



With Waverly, it exuded the strongest old book smell as soon as I opened it. I don't know what it is about the smell of books, and especially old ones, that I find so....something. I can't explain. If someone were to bottle that smell, I'd buy it. And love it. But that book smelled GREAT.



Seeing a first edition Emma was nice because Emma was the first book I read of Jane Austen's. It was probably the first book I had read of that time period. I loved that book (and still do--I've worn out at least 2 paperback copies). In a way, Emma was the foot in the door of British Romanticism.

So, now my hands have that dusty feeling from touching old books. It's delightful.