[Jack]

Hi guys, I would really appreciate some feedback on this issue. I went ahead and posted it in "General Discussion" since the subject is not isolated to any one genre of reading. Basically, I've got a beef, and I need help. My beef is with mass market paperbacks.

I've always been obsessed with the "when to bend" question while reading an MMPB. Maybe you don't know to what I am referring, but bear with me: how deep do I have to be in an MMPB before I can bend the book, whether that be slightly, just creating a crease in the binding and giving me more visual surface area to take in the text, or fully, so that the cover of the book touches the back of the book, making it so that the book can be held in one hand? I know that if I bend the book too early, pages will fall out. But the past few MMPB's I've read have had pages fall out no matter when or how violently I bent the book. Beginning of the book, middle of the book, end of the book, it doesn't matter: the pages will fall out.

But looking at my shelf, I see several older MMPB's that are bent to hell and back and are still 100% intact! I'm thinking mostly of my MMPB's of Martin's aSoIaF, namely Game and Clash, or for that matter my Jordans and Goodkinds. Each of those books have about 5 or 6 serious "creases" in the binding, each places where I bent the book backwards in order to make my reading easier.

But in these newer MMPB's, it doesn't matter how long I wait to do the bend. These past few I've waited till damn near in the middle of the book, and as soon as I start to do the bend (note, I'm not even able to pull the cover all the way to the back cover) the pages just start peeling away like it's not a book that is intended to last a lifetime, but a notebook with scored lines.

To add insult to injury, a book I recently read was bound so tightly that I had to bend the book back a bit (not cover to cover) just to read the words close to the binding, and pages began to fall out.

Questions:

1) Has the quality of MMPB's declined over the past decade?
2) How do you hold an MMPB while you read it; or, what is your preferred reading / MMPB handling technique?
3) Am I a touch crazy?

What it's all boiling down to is that if I want to buy a copy of a book that lasts, I better go ahead and buy an HC.

Oh and by the way, the above applies to many cheap TP's I've stumbled across as well.

[Erfael]

That you should even think of doing this "bend" thing you speak of should see you banished to the lower pits of hell. My MMPs, I've lost no pages, I have no creases on the back. They're usually never opened more than about 60-90 degrees. There's no need for more than that. I can hold them in one hand (middle three fingers cradling the spine, pinky holding one side, thumb other on the front of the pages). That a book should ever be bent front cover meeting back cover makes me cringe and get sick to my stomach.


And I think I know what book you're talking about that was bound tightly....and for that one, I just have a good light source on hand that let's me see down into the crack...even that book hasn't had to be open more than 90 degrees at any point.

The answers to 1 and 3 though are: "Yes, quite a lot."

[ArthurFrayn]

I never deliberately visibly bend the spine of any PB
-I generally read with one hand (in the "Erfael position" ;)) until the weight of the book enables it to lie flat on the surface of it's own accord if it's large enough to do that. If it's not that large, why would I need to?Only old large pbs have split on me,in the fashion you describe, when you can visually see the oxidized glue in the spine crumbling away.I might repair these with wood glue, unless a new edition of the book is as common and as cheap as dirt.

And of course (not that you said that you did this), I never leave a huge paperback open on it's belly. :eek:

[Jack]

Thus, I have had an epiphany today.

Since I began reading, I have bent my MMPBs and creased the binding. In fact, I still have a copy of Dragon Wing (Weis & Hickman) that I read in 4th grade, complete with lots of little creases in the binding. And for all this time, I have been reading them incorrectly.

The time for reading growth has come. Here, before ye denizens of sffworld, I solemnly swear that I shall never again crease or bend a MMPB. The bindings will remain intact, my bookshelf will slowly become more attractive, and, God willing, pages will no longer fall out of my books.

All ye hail the new dawn!

[Eventine]

If it's any consolation, I think the quality of US mmpb's tend to be not as good as those on UK releases. I've noticed that whenever I have a US release the binding doesn't seem as strong, the pages seem thinner and the ink tends to rub off on my fingers.
Or maybe I'm just being racist.

[Adam87]

The only time I have had creases in the spine is when I bend the book cover to back (fully). I only did that with my first three, and ever since every other book is in great condition.

2)I hold my books about half open (180 degrees) and I switch between holding with one hand, or with two. Whichever is comfortable:)

[FicusFan]

Bend ? What do you mean bend. You don't bend books. My books look unread and brand new even after I have read them. The bindings are completely smooth, no creases. I read in many positions, usually reclining, and sometimes one-handed, sometimes with both hands. My pages don't fall out.

I haven't really noticed a decline in quality. Some books seem to have thinner paper, but that is almost always a really dense book with lots of pages. They are still bound the same. What I notice is when they are reprintng and earlier oop book the publishers often use ugly font and format that is hard on the eyes. It almost looks when you open the book, like they took 40 year old pages and just put a new cover on them.

[Hobbit]

Thank you, Jack and all for making me laugh.

You know we have talked about this before here.

(Though not 'the Erfael position' - that's another one that made me laugh!) :D

I'm still not sure whether to feel solidarity in that there are clearly others who are as protective of their books as me, joy at making another 'see the light' or concerned that there are a lot of us out there like this!

I have PB's going back 40 years; Like Arthur, I have copies of books from the 1960's where the glue just comes away.... however, though their edges may have browned slightly, their spines and edges are unsullied. And I still read them and treat them carefully.

And Yes, I know that it's the contents that should matter.

But I am one of those who has conversations like:

'But they're only books!"

"Yes, but they're my books!"

And in the long run, when my books have followed me from house to house and through all of life's changes, they're there. I still keep finding books that are now out of print - more and more, sadly.

Well done, Jack - you clearly are on the way to joining the elite... bookaholics are us! :D

Mark / Hobbit

[Janos]

I've always been obsessed with the "when to bend" question while reading an MMPB.
NEVER! Never ever, ever :D


That you should even think of doing this "bend" thing you speak of should see you banished to the lower pits of hell. My MMPs, I've lost no pages, I have no creases on the back. They're usually never opened more than about 60-90 degrees. There's no need for more than that. I can hold them in one hand (middle three fingers cradling the spine, pinky holding one side, thumb other on the front of the pages). That a book should ever be bent front cover meeting back cover makes me cringe and get sick to my stomach.

I had to get my truck fixed yesterday. While I was waiting in the waiting area, another lady came in and brought out a brand new paperback. The first thing she did was fold the cover over so the front of it was touching the back. She wasn't even done with the introduction! :eek:

I cringed! And I don't mean that I just felt bad, I mean my shoulders almost spasmed and my back hunkered down while I was unconciously clenching my hands. And it wasn't even my book! I had to forcibly tear my gaze away so I wouldn't stare! (And also so I could relax my muscles before I had a cramp)


'But they're only books!"

"Yes, but they're my books!"
Hey, how did you know exactly what I've said on many separate occasions? :eek:

:D

Now I only lend books to friends of mine who know how to handle them. If I ever lend them to other people, I make sure that they don't lay them down with the spine up and the book open, they have to use a bookmark, and they DON'T fold the book.

[ArthurFrayn]

Yes I don't really lend people books either. I'd be more inclined to buy and give a friend a copy than to lend my copy to them.Unless it's something I could replace in 4 seconds.
As you say Hobbit, they're my books!! :D
And most other people really beat the crap out of them. Or never return them. They just don't understand. :rolleyes: Apparently for a great portion of the population, books that they're reading must also function as drink coaster, fly swatter and toilet paper.

On another note
- my big "keeping pbs in good shape" hint is:

-when you take them out of the house, always keep them in a plastic bag (like a bookstore bag or a CD or DVD store bag) regardless of what else you have them in , like a backpack or suitcase, or a jacket pocket.
This seriously cuts down on a lot of major wear and tear. :D

Actually I've developed an even further piece of lunacy-
very often I want a specific pb edition with specific cover art. If I like the cover that much, I've taken to scanning the cover in my computer, and then storing the book in a comic or magazine polybag. I've been doing this a lot lately.:eek: