I love reading old books and not just because it makes me feel good to have read another “classic”, but because they are windows into our past. I love learning about how a day went one hundred years ago. Or that in the 50s moms would have homemade baked goods waiting for their children at the end of the school day, and you didn’t wear underwear under your pj’s because you’d get too hot.
I love learning about how they would eat, address each other, or get themselves to work. What was important, what morals and values did the author feel were important to show. Men in romance stories didn’t have rippling abs, they had money, manners, and status. Woman didn’t have big boobs and the abilities to deep throat; they had grace, modesty, and charm that could make a man forget himself *swoons*. Not that I don’t enjoy smut, because abs and deep throating are great things, but sometimes it’s fun to go back and read about a time when even the raciest book would be rated PG by today’s standards.
I also miss the innocence of children that is found in older books. I just finished reading Tom Sawyer. In one passage he and two other boys are down by the river. They run around naked and swim and wrestle, and it’s fine, because they are children. The general population would never have thought of it as sexual at all, because they are children and they didn’t equate children with sex. Yes, there were monsters back then as they are now, but the general population, the healthy people, wouldn’t have thought anything of it.
Old books tend to have a slow cadence to them that modern books don’t have. It’s not bad that new books don’t have it, I don’t think my book has it, but I enjoy reading something with a good rhythm to it.
One other thing I love about older books is the words. Whenever I switch from a book written fifty or more years ago to today I’m saddened by the words we’ve lost and how simple our words are today. Some of the words I miss that I’m going to try and sneak into my work include: vexed, ponder, spectacles, diligence, crossly, gaily, queer, and my favorite – presently.
I found this video via another writer- it’s amazing. Let’s celebrate old books!
Do you read older books? What do you love about them, other then the old book smell? BTW someone needs to make old book smell air freshener for those of us with Kindles and no room for new books.
I like how we both scoured the same site to get the picture of books, since your first picture is my icon-thing 🙂
Also, I totally agree with you on the old books thing. Love them!
Very fun! Old book are an addiction for sure
I like the sound and feel of dated words, which is one of the reasons I write historicals. As an example, I think addlepated has much more flavor to it than plain crazy. 🙂
Addlepated is such a great word- off to use it ASAP
Gosh. With the exception of ‘gaily’, even I knew the meaning of that has changed, I am so old that I did not realise the words you mentioned; vexed, ponder, spectacles, diligence, crossly, gaily, queer, and presently, are no longer commonly used. One of the hazards of being seventy I suppose.
Or reading really great books all the time 🙂 Thanks Jenifer
We, as a society, have confused popular books with well-written ones. I desperately hope to regain some of the lost lyricism. I due expect a change will be toddling along presently.
I agree- popular doesn’t necessarily mean great, but hopefully with all of the opportunities for author to publish it will 🙂 Toddle away Bill
I love my NOOK but there is nothing like the smell and feel of books, especially old books. If we are in NYC visiting Michael’s family, I love to go to Strand which has miles and miles of books. I can get lost there.
Sounds like a fabulous place to go- adding it to my list. Thanks Elaine!
It is. One time I got to go upstairs with my father in law. He collects antique chemistry books. I thought I had died and gone to heaven.. They had to drag me out of a corner where I was looking at antique medical texts.
I know exactly what you mean about the words we used to see in old books. They have a certain “sense” or “feeling” to them that you don’t find nowadays. I used to read a lot of old books and classics and such but don’t do that any longer.
I have seen so many rules about how we’re supposed to write, such as we should just simply use “said” when writing dialogue because the reader doesn’t care about that sort of thing. I disagree. When you see “vexed” instead of “said” there IS a difference in its connotation.
Patti
Yes, when I read older books I see all kinds of “rules” that are broken esp. ly words
Thanks Patti
I love this post. It’s so true that even books today are rushed and racy. Nobody likes to take their time anymore. And the luscious words that are no longer used. Thanks for taking us back in time a bit! 🙂
Thanks Julie We need more luscious words- maybe we can start sneaking them back in 🙂
I also love a lot of the language of older books. The descriptions of architecture and nature are fascinating at times as well.
Yes you get some great descriptions and view into life from older books. Thank you Julie!!!
Ooh, I love old books, especially those with yellowed, antique-smelling pages and scribblings from a past reader. Fun post, Alica!
Thanks- my daughter loves the smell and feel of old ever since she was a toddler.