The Red Book Came

I ordered C.G. Jung's "The Red Book" from Amazon maybe a month ago. I don't know if it was that long.

For some reason it's one where there's a delay in sending it out. At first they thought it'd be January, then mid December, then January again. Then I suddenly got an email saying it was shipped and would be here, estimated date Dec. 29.

I was thinking, Oh no, because I plan on being out of town on the 29th. Don't tell anyone.

Then I was walking by the hallway and there was a big box setting there today. I thought What is this? when it suddenly occurred to me: It already came! So it won't be setting in the snow on the 29th. That's a relief.

I opened it and it's huge, gigantic. I'm going to have a hard time reading a book that's so huge. But I looked at the first page of C.G.'s quotations from Bible verses, a nice page, in Latin. Then I turned back and read through the translation of that page in English. It pertains to the coming of the Savior. Very deep stuff.

I'm going to enjoy looking through this book, and maybe studying it closely. I hope so. It's a great looking book!

I Haven't Been Reading Like I Should

There for a while I was a voracious reader. I read a few books in my spare time, marching right along.

The big problem -- if that's what I want to call it -- is that I got a new computer. And the novelty hasn't worn off yet. So I'm spending lots of time on it, more time than I should.

I started a book a few weeks ago, and I got pretty far in it, but since I got the new computer, I've just been letting the book go. But one of these days, maybe very soon, I'll get back to it.

It's funny how something can sideline me. I'm so gung ho to do something, like reading, as I was there for a while. But then a new toy comes into my life, I'm suddenly gung ho for it. Still, I want to finish that book. There's virtue in getting something done that you started.

Another Stain To Go With My Old Book

The other day I wrote about an old book I have, "The Soul of Lilith," which is over 100 years old. The copy I have has a name and 1906 written inside the front cover. The book also has some very old stains, maybe coffee stains at the page edges.

Well, unfortunately, today it got a brand new stain. One of my cats puked on it. What are the odds out of all the books I own? I've worried about the cats doing something like this, and I even worried about this book in particular, something happening to it thanks to the cats. And today it happened.

I was in a different room and heard a cat retching. It seems like they do a lot of it. I went running because sometimes I can catch them in time and get a paper under them. But this time no such luck. I got there and it was already done.

I noticed that first, and second I noticed a spot on the book at the top front cover, spilling over on to the top page edges. Right where a major part of the century old coffee stain also is. I immediately wiped it off with something but it's still stained. Although not as bad as if I would've come home an hour later and discovered it.

It was also on a few other books but not as bad. Bad enough! So I wiped everything up.

I said the stains gave the book character. Now, unfortunately, it has a little more.

Moisture Stains Never Forget

I'm reading a hardback book that is over 100 years old.

It was once owned by Verna Stecher, who wrote her name inside on the front flyleaf with the date 1906. So, a shout out to Verna up in Heaven! I'm taking good care of your book! It's an enjoyable one. I'm wondering if you liked it. "The Soul of Lilith," by Marie Corelli.

It looks, though, like Verna must've had an accident with a cup of coffee or a puddle of something else. Because there's some moisture stains around most of the pages, the edges of the cover. There's also some of the loss of pliability that comes from the pages having been touched by moisture, some stiffening.

In 1906 I might've tossed the book, since it would've been wet and messy. But of course in 100+ years it has plenty of time to dry, unless it gets moldy and persists in its misery. This one doesn't have any mold -- dead or alive. And the smell is just the smell of an old book. I was hoping it'd smell like 100 year old coffee.

In 2009 I'm looking at the moisture stains and I don't really mind them. It gives it character. I'm thinking of a woman 100 years ago spilling coffee on her book, I'm reading the same book, Verna is dead and in Heaven, and it's all very charming.

The Masons

Here's an article -- this is from New Jersey -- on the Masons (Freemasons) hoping that Dan Brown's new book, "The Lost Symbol," will revive some interest in their organization.

I read the book and definitely think the Masons sound pretty cool, as far as their history goes and their various pursuits. I don't know a lot about them, except some members of my family have history (positive) with them.

I have a Masonic Bible, and it has some interesting bits. They're very interested in the temples and the various order of temple worship.

And of course I've heard various slams against the Masons over the years too. Which, who knows? It's probably a lot of hogwash on those people's part, since the Masons can do what they want. Get together, memorize a bunch of stuff, and share brotherhood bonding (there's a women's organization too, and a boy's, and a girl's.)

I say they sound cool ... but still, for me, it wouldn't be the thing to do.

The article says they started "demystifying" themselves in the '80s. That might be a mistake. I prefer things that are mystifying to things that are plainly ordinary.

Mayberry 101

I got a cool book at a thrift store today, which sometimes is a rare occasion but it's nice when it happens. "Mayberry 101," about the Andy Griffith Show, by Neal Brower. It says it's Vol. 1.

Just looking around, I see this book doesn't cost very much new, like in the $12 range. But 50 cents is also pretty good price. And this copy's barely been touched.

I'm sure I'll enjoy myself leafing through it. Maybe I'll read one a day.

It's not a rundown of every episode, but focuses on 79 episodes written by particular writers. It says it's a "projected three-volume series," and since the date of publication was 1998, probably the other two volumes are already written. Just guessing.

1998. And now it's 2009. And this book is new to me. What else am I missing?

UPDATE: I checked Amazon and I don't see any sign of two other volumes.

Exclusive Magical Secrets

I bought a weird book at a garage sale today, "Exclusive Magical Secrets" by Will Goldston.

It says on the copyright page that it was Copyright 1980 by Coles Publishing Co. of Canada. Maybe the copyright laws are different in Canada, but this book was obviously a reprint of something much older. The artwork and typography make it look at least 70 years old.

Since then I've looked it up and I believe it said it was published in 1912. So it's coming up on being 100 years old. The original book of course.

At ABEbooks.com they have some in the thousands of dollars range, like for an early edition. So if I'm going to have a copy, this looks like one to have.

I leafed through it and read about a few tricks. It has great little cartoon pictures, diagrams, schematics of magicians' equipment, the whole set up for particularly complex tricks. Page 422 and following as an example, shows a disappearing piano trick. There's a piano that must be a fake piano. Once the curtain comes over it, the person sitting at the piano folds up the piano and it becomes the platform, with the whole thing folded down to make nothing but a floor! Then it shows her, the lovely assistant, walking a plank out the back so she won't be there when the curtain's lifted.

Wow, what a trick that'd be! Complex as far as I'm concerned!

The book is just over 500 pages long and tons of tricks. I'm not going to be trying any of them, because the set up on the ones I looked at looks extensive to say the least.

The Bo Book

I was at a pet store last night and saw a display of books, obviously dashed off a computer press of some sort quite recently, about President Obama's dog Bo.

I glanced through one. They were $14.95 and published by a place called Mascot Books. Just going by the description in there of Mascot as a publisher, it looks like if you have an idea for a book, they'll work it up somehow, and if it's commercial enough they obviously can produce books and get them distributed pretty fast.

The book was probably 8" x 10", approximately, and maybe 40 pages, and told about Bo, his breed, his activities in the White House, as well as some filler on the activities of presidential pets from years gone by. It covered some recent stuff, so this was fresh. Like the Easter egg hunt and the Jonas Brothers performing for the Obama daughters.

They didn't actually say the Jonas Brothers, though, and I don't think it mentioned the daughters precisely, but there was a trio pictured who looked a lot like the Jonas Brothers and I didn't see Ringo at the drums.

I didn't really take the time to read it, just snippets. It was obviously just a way to cash in, that's the idea, and we're not talking about great literature here. But it was color throughout, with several pieces of artwork of Obama himself, and nicely done. Although they have a weird way of doing the artwork, where parts of the artwork is fuzzed out, out of focus, bringing into focus only part of the picture. I didn't care for that.

One of the most interesting pictures I saw, and remember, Bo was a gift to the Obamas by Teddy Kennedy, was Teddy Kennedy showing up with the dog. It's interesting that such a detail wasn't overlooked. Did Kennedy actually show up and give them the dog?

I'd like to have a Mascot book about my own dogs. I remember my Grandpa showing up and giving my family a dog. It'd bring back lots of great memories to see it in a homemade book. The weird thing about that is that Grandpa rescued this dog from a culvert where he was stuck. And that dog never forgave my Grandpa, because he thought he was attacking him or something. So anytime over the years when Grandpa came by, that dog acted like he wanted to kill him. And we're like, "This is the guy who saved your life, you stupid dog!" (That'd make an interesting two pages right there.)

Anyway, it was a great idea for the book, whoever came up with it. I wonder how many will be sold. As for myself, I wouldn't buy one. But there has to be lots of people who would.

The Lead Disk

I finished off that book I said I was reading last night. Usually I'm thinking of a million other things I could be doing besides reading, but when it gets good I can read faster. And I hate myself for letting my eyes jump ahead to see a name or resolution to a paragraph before I'm actually there.

I keep thinking of that theory (maybe proven by now) that your eye takes in the whole page at a glance and that you have read it and it's in mind even before you actually have. I don't think the theory is true in my case.

Anyway, the book was a good one, with a very happy ending. It was called "The Lead Disk." The biggest letdown in the book for me was there wasn't that much of a point to the lead disks. It could have been a green marble, a pink clothespin, anything that people wouldn't think of a gang using for entrance to their super special hiding place, Hidden Valley. As far as I'm concerned the lead disk shouldn't have been in the title, since it didn't really figure in the story that much.

OK, there's this super special hiding place, Hidden Valley, where the bad guys hang out. But there's barely any access to it. Only the bad guys know it exists. (This, I guess, was before airplanes, except it was published in 1934.) Only the bad guys and one good guy, the Indian Lone Walker. Then Tom Haley sees it and plays a dangerous game getting out of there without getting caught. As it is, it sounds like he's shot. Some of the writing was less than clear here.

The good news is I have a notch on my belt for actually finishing a book. Huh? Huh?

A Fictional Dog No One Else Mentions

It seems to me that there ought to be a mention of every fictional dog and cat. We have Lassie, Rin Tin Tin, Morris the Cat.

I've been reading a book, "The Lead Disk," by LeRoy W. Snell, from 1934, published by Cupples & Leon Co. It's an adventure story for boys about a guy who goes to be a Canadian mounted police officer, and follows the travails he has in the wild. And there's lot of travails. You'd almost think being in the Canadian wilderness back then would be a lonely place. But not in the book.

There's an Indian character in the book who has a dog who's like a cross between a wolf and a dog, a very fearsome (but loyal and good -- good to the right people) animal.

And here is his name -- the only mention on the internet insofar as I've been able to locate it -- are you ready? -- It's Me-tah-nic. Pretty good, huh? And his Indian master's name is Lone Walker. The hero's name in the book is Tom Haley.

My One Book

The one book I bought at the book sale the other day, I'm actually reading from.

It is "The Complete Poems of Sir Walter Scott," and like I said somewhere, I started reading "The Lady of the Lake." I made it through the first canto (out of 6). Then this morning, guess what, I finished the second. So this is great progress.

I'm glad I read the synopsis at Wikipedia, because I might have gotten a little lost in some of the obscurity of what's going on. For instance, I wouldn't have guessed that James Fitz-James (I think his name is) is the king (incognito) that everyone's very ambivalent about. And some are opposing.

And calling people by names like "The Douglas" and "The Graeme" doesn't come natural to me, but I'm starting to get it.

My Book Sale Day

Ho ho ho! I'm really changing. At least for a while I am. It really happened.

I've been trying to downsize, but it's hard. I got rid of a few boxes of stuff, books mostly. I've always been voracious on accumulating them, and everything else for that matter.

There's an annual book sale near where I live. And guess what, I didn't go when it opens, when the good stuff is there, when the people are clamoring at the door, grabbing and scarfing everything up. I normally like being there early, of course, but I don't like to see people just piling them wholesale into boxes and throwing coats over them. I've had to do it a time or two myself, regrettably.

This year I skipped it. Just let it pass. I knew it was coming. I knew the time was at hand. I felt a slight tug but resisted it. And that was that.

Then today, after everything was picked over by collectors and eBay resellers and all the rest, I went by. It was peaceful and calm. Even in a situation like this, I would normally get a box and fill it, maybe two or three boxes. But today I resisted that as well. I went through and bought ... only one book!

One book. That's never happened before.

Elmer Gantry

I saw a guy sitting in his vehicle reading an old copy of Elmer Gantry, the Dell cover with Burt Lancaster.

You don't see that everyday. This book in particular, and especially an old copy of it.

It made me think of the Kindle, whether 45 years you'll walk by and see someone still using a functional Kindle. I doubt it.

This happened in the Goodwill parking lot, so perhaps he just got done buying the book. They have some nice vintage books once in a while.