The man who loved books too much : the true story of a thief, a detective, and a world of literary obsession / by Allison Hoover Bartlett [Hardcover]

 

 

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Those of us whose lives revolve around the books that we read can be accused of suffering form bibliophilia. Taken to the extreme, the obsessive love of books and everything book-related can become a bibliomania. True bibliomaniacs appreciate books not only for their textual and intellectual content. For them, the physical embodiment of the book is of an equal, if not higher, importance. Most people can appreciate the high artisan value of a fine, hardbound, artfully printed and decorated book. But for bibliomaniacs the admiration for a book in its physical embodiment has an almost religious, sacramental, quality. This is especially the case for those who are involved in the high-art of rare book collecting. In 'The Man Who Loved Books Too Much,' Allison Bartlett explores the life and book obsession, often with criminal consequences, of John Gilkey, a notorious rare-book thief.

Bartlett is a skilled narrator with a keen journalistic eye for detail and an aptitude for getting the voice of many of her protagonists come clearly in her writing. This book has opened my eyes to the whole world of rare and antique book trading and collecting. It is full of valuable information that is not easy to find, especially not through public statements and advertising outlets. After reading it, I have a new appreciation for the whole art of book publishing and printing, and have gained insights into the criteria that are used for evaluating various editions of book. I may never come across a valuable find on a garage sale or in a Goodwill store, but if I ever do I'll know what to look for.

'The Man Who Loved Books Too Much' is also an interesting journey into the peculiarity of the rare books and artifacts crime scene. From the years of watching crime dramas and documentaries, I had thought that I have a decent grasp of the criminal justice system works, but after reading this book I realized that the real world is much more complicated and muddled than any TV show, no matter how 'realistic', will ever be able to elicit.

My single biggest issue with this book concerns the portrayal of John Gilkey. I fear that Bartlett has seriously misread or misrepresented the nature of Gilkey's flawed personality. Far from being a tragic bibliomaniacal hero with a major character defect, Gilkey comes across as someone who suffers from a very simply explainable psychological disorder. All the characteristics that Gilkey exhibits ' narcissism, sense of grievance, chronic inability to distinguish the right from wrong, failure to form realistic long term goals ' are very typical of someone with a psychopathic personality disorder. At no point did I get an impression that there is any serious intellectual depth to Gilkey's pursuit of rare and masterful books. He seems to be able to drop all the big words and smooth-talk his interlocutors into believing that there is substance behind what he is saying, but when you read his words you can't but feel that they are just a shell. This kind of charm and superficial confidence is another one of the psychopathic traits, and it seems that Bartlett has been taken by him. Gilkey is not obsessed with books as such, but rather with the intellectual and social prestige that possessing rare books bestows. Calling him 'the man who loved books too much' is like calling Hannibal Lecter 'the man who loved food too much.'

Overall, this is a very interesting story, but not quite what I had expected. I would recommend it to all book lovers out there, as well as to people who enjoy real life criminal drama.

You don't have to be a bibliophile to enjoy this book because it offers suspense, two of the most eccentric characters you're apt to find, humor, and an insider's look at a little known business.

In all probability when we think of major crime, heists, robberies, we think of banks being held up, proceless art works stolen or rare jewel collections purloined. As author Bartlett discovered there quite an illegal traffic in rare books, very pricey ones, say the first trade edition of The Tales of Peter Rabbit valued at $15,000 or a first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone going for $30,000.

As Bartlett began to look and learn about the world of books she became fascinated by two people. The first, John Charles Gilkey, is a very clever fellow who has stolen rare books across America. What is intriguing about Gilkey is not his wiliness as a thief but the fact that he stole not to make money but to have the books in his collection. One can easily say it was an obsession.

The second interesting man in Bartlett's sights was rare book dealer Ken Sanders who worked as the volunteer security chair of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America. Before long he found himself concentrating less on his business and more on finding Gilkey and bringing him to justice. The story of their cat-and-mouse game rivals going on a fast track with James Bond.

Evidently, we have little to fear from digital books as long as there are rabid collectors of what is in reality an ordinary object. It's been going on since Euripides (400 B.C.) who was an object of ridicule because of his desire for books. Some time later Cicero is quoted as saying he was "saving up all my little income" to be put toward his collection.

Bartlett has crafted an absorbing true story that takes many of us into a world of we never knew existed.

Enjoy!

- Gail Cooke

Any bibliophile is going to automatically be drawn to this title. My personal love for books is more than evident to anyone finding his/her way into my home. This isn't the story of a true book lover, though; it's the story of a criminal who steals valuable, collectible books in an attempt to improve his self-image and define himself as a cultured man of leisure. He doesn't love books in and of themselves - just the way a shelf of rare old titles on the shelf makes him feel. While his type of criminality may not be common, John Gilkey is nothing but a common criminal - a fact which the author sometimes seems to forget. I thought this book was supposed to be about the efforts of Salt Lake City book dealer/ book detective Ken Sanders to identify the man responsible for a growing number of book thefts on the West Coast, but Sanders ultimately gets short shrift in this book. Apart from stepping up and taking on the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA) security job no one before him would do and thus creating a network to communicate the specifics of stolen titles among rare book sellers, Sanders has a diminishing role in a story that becomes more and more about John Gilkey and the author's relationship with him. I suspect that Sanders' stern rebuke of some of her investigative tactics has something to do with this.

I will admit a bias against the manner in which author Allison Hoover Bartlett chose to tell this story. I really don't like to see an author make herself an important player in a story rather than just telling the story in an objective manner - I think it calls into question the author's true intentions and thus hurts the author's credibility. Bartlett doesn't just interview Gilkey; at one point, she actually accompanies the man into rare book stores he has robbed in the past - and when Gilkey reveals knowledge of potentially unsolved crimes, she looks for excuses not to report them. While she may not have done anything wrong legally, I clearly view Bartlett as an ethically-challenged writer.

I should point out that Gilkey obtained his books via bad checks and credit card fraud - nothing so exciting as sneaking a Kerouac first-edition into his pants and sidling out the front door with it (although there is reason to believe he has physically stolen books from libraries before). What sets him apart from other thieves is the fact that he does not steal books to profit monetarily from them (although he has tried to sell a stolen book here or there when he needs money for such things as bail). Acquiring rare books makes him feel important and cultured, and he clearly does not think he is doing anything wrong. What is wrong, according to Gilkey's warped mind, is the fact that he doesn't have the money to actually buy what he wants. Clearly, he will never stop what he is doing; he has already served time on several occasions, and every time he has gotten out of prison he has fallen back on his old criminal ways. Seemingly, a desperate need for attention is the only reason he would cooperate so fully with the author of this book.

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much is certainly an interesting read, and I particularly appreciate the insight it gave me into the business of rare and collectible book sales. Sadly, however - whether or not it was her intention - I cannot help but feel that Bartlett has glorified a two-bit con man in these pages.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Very enjoyable and easy to read, but left me wanting more
Just finished reading this, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

- It's a small book with quite large print, so physically very easy to read. Read more

Published 11 months ago by Gillian White

3.0 out of 5 stars Opportunity missed
Rather than taking the opportunity to provide substantial insight into the world of antiquarian book dealers, and the subculture of fraud, theft and obsession that constitutes its... Read more

Published 12 months ago by Robert A. Campbell

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved this book!
I loved this book! After reading a review of the novel in the National Post, I made a request of my local library to buy this novel. Three weeks later boom! Read more

Published on Dec 3 2009 by NorthVan Dave

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