Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Riverhead Books (2010), Edition: Reprint, 288 pages
Description
Unrepentant book thief John Charles Gilkey has stolen a fortune in rare books from around the county. Yet unlike most thieves, who steal for profit, Gilkey steals for the love of the books. Perhaps equally obsessive, though, is Ken Sanders, the self-appointed "bibliodick" driven to catch him. Sanders, a lifelong rare book collector and dealer turned amateur detective, will stop at nothing to catch the thief plaguing his trade.
User reviews
LibraryThing member whitreidtan
Any self-respecting book lover is going to take one look at this cover and pick the book up. I know when I opened my e-mail and saw what was being offered, I was immediately drawn to it. The good news is that the narrative non-fiction story between the pages was just as appealing as the cover.
With
Bartlett interviewed many people for this, gaining amazing access to the twisted, unrepentant Gilkey and the driven Sanders. The things that Gilkey admitted to her as far as how he pulled off his steals are boggling enough, but that he felt an entitlement to the books, despite the fact that they belonged to other people, and to this day shows no remorse for having stolen is completely astounding. Bartlett herself seems fascinated by this lack of a conscience in Gilkey but is afraid to push him too far by being judgmental and losing her subject. Sanders' singleminded motivation to catch Gilkey and to offer as much protection to the trade he loves as he can also captures her imagination. Her genuine interest in understanding these two men shines through the book as does her growing understanding of the love of these amazing books that drives people to extremes.
The book is conversational and accessible, not overwhelmed with technical jargon about first editions and rare books that would preclude a general audience. I would have loved to see some photographs of some of the books or perhaps even books unrelated to Gilkey's scams but still beautiful and valuable to give a better idea of the physical appeal of the things, especially since some collectors have no interest in the content of the books but only in the physical copy. The juggling between Gilkey interviews and accounts of Sanders' attempts to make it more difficult for biblio-thieves to function was balanced and interesting. I'm not certain Bartlett ever answers the question of the ultimate appeal of these books but she certainly tries to examine the varied answers. I think most serious readers, whether collectors or not, will find this an appealing and captivating read. I know I certainly did.
With
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an opening prologue where author Allison Hoover Bartlett is given a beautiful and clearly rare book whose origins she cannot trace despite being told that it was a never returned library book, the reader is immediately plunged into the murky waters of the old and rare book world. Highlighting both John Gilkey, the thief of the title, and Ken Sanders, the man who worked diligently to catch Gilkey and make him pay for the crimes that local police seemed so disinclined to take seriously, this is a fascinating and engrossing peek into what draws people to collect rare books and the lengths some people will go to in order to do so.Bartlett interviewed many people for this, gaining amazing access to the twisted, unrepentant Gilkey and the driven Sanders. The things that Gilkey admitted to her as far as how he pulled off his steals are boggling enough, but that he felt an entitlement to the books, despite the fact that they belonged to other people, and to this day shows no remorse for having stolen is completely astounding. Bartlett herself seems fascinated by this lack of a conscience in Gilkey but is afraid to push him too far by being judgmental and losing her subject. Sanders' singleminded motivation to catch Gilkey and to offer as much protection to the trade he loves as he can also captures her imagination. Her genuine interest in understanding these two men shines through the book as does her growing understanding of the love of these amazing books that drives people to extremes.
The book is conversational and accessible, not overwhelmed with technical jargon about first editions and rare books that would preclude a general audience. I would have loved to see some photographs of some of the books or perhaps even books unrelated to Gilkey's scams but still beautiful and valuable to give a better idea of the physical appeal of the things, especially since some collectors have no interest in the content of the books but only in the physical copy. The juggling between Gilkey interviews and accounts of Sanders' attempts to make it more difficult for biblio-thieves to function was balanced and interesting. I'm not certain Bartlett ever answers the question of the ultimate appeal of these books but she certainly tries to examine the varied answers. I think most serious readers, whether collectors or not, will find this an appealing and captivating read. I know I certainly did.
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LibraryThing member msf59
John Gilkey has a major book obsession, something we can all relate to. The difference being, when one of us are ready for a book, we pluck it from our shelves, purchase one or head to the trusty library. Gilkey steals them and in large numbers. His preference is rare books, collectibles. He does
Bartlett interviewed Gilkey extensively for this book, mainly while he was in the “big house“, so the bulk of the story is through his words. The author also focuses on Ken Sanders, a self-appointed book cop, who is just as obsessed in catching these biblio-deviants, with Gilkey being his Moriarty. This is solid narrative non-fiction and I give it a hardy thumbs up.
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not sell these books for profit but treasures them. They make him feel important, respected. Bartlett interviewed Gilkey extensively for this book, mainly while he was in the “big house“, so the bulk of the story is through his words. The author also focuses on Ken Sanders, a self-appointed book cop, who is just as obsessed in catching these biblio-deviants, with Gilkey being his Moriarty. This is solid narrative non-fiction and I give it a hardy thumbs up.
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LibraryThing member rocketjk
As the owner of a used bookstore myself (although I'm far from an antiquarian expert), I thought I would find this book more interesting, but I ended up not being that impressed. I didn't mind Bartlett's putting herself into the narrative, making the book almost a memoir of her interviews and
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investigations, but I didn't share her sense of wonder at the motivations of the thief in the tale. The thief is a fellow who steals rare books because he wants them and considers himself entitled to them, and who has rationalized his behavior by developing an antagonism toward the rare book dealers and libraries he's stealing from. The fact that he happily tells his story over a long series of interviews with the author confirms the fact that he is simply a narcissistic schmuck. The story of the book dealer who becomes more or less obsessed with catching him is a bit more interesting, but not by all that much. As I said, Bartlett professes a sense of wonder at these goings on. She "can't fathom," the thief's motivation at first, she is "astonished" and sometimes "baffled" by what she learns, both about these goings on and about the enthusiasm for rare book collecting itself. I found some of what she wrote about interesting, but I didn't find any of it astonishing or difficult to fathom, so I was a bit put off by this constant wide-eyed wonder. And, as I said, I didn't find the thief all that fascinating. I just thought he was an asshole. This book started off as a magazine article, which was probably an interesting one. But to me this wasn't a particularly gripping book. Show Less
LibraryThing member cyderry
John Gilkey is a thief, but not a normal thief, he steals rare books from anywhere and anyone and anytime. This is the story of a man who criminally and repeatedly steals rare books, not to read but because he felt that they made him a more important person if they were in his possession. The
I had a very difficult time with this book for several reasons. First, at no point anywhere near the beginning is the reader given any idea of the tract that the story is headed - meaning I saw no plotline. I was about 75 pages into the book when I figured that no plot was the plot and just went with it.
Next, I wasn't sure whether the book was supposed to be about John Gilkey (the book thief) or Ken Sanders (who was a book security specialist) and worked to recover lost stolen books. I also did not like the way that the author/writer in the story kept trying to justify Gilkey's behavior or make it seem as if it was understadable considering his background.
Lastly, when I finally decided that Gilkey was the center figure, I came to that conclusion simply because the writer kept going on and on with him about how he stole this book and how he would steal that book. It got pretty boring toward the end. Informative to a degree but definitely not a keeper.
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narrative is by a writer who is researching a book about rare books and the criminals who market stolen tomes and reveals the rare book market in a strange light.I had a very difficult time with this book for several reasons. First, at no point anywhere near the beginning is the reader given any idea of the tract that the story is headed - meaning I saw no plotline. I was about 75 pages into the book when I figured that no plot was the plot and just went with it.
Next, I wasn't sure whether the book was supposed to be about John Gilkey (the book thief) or Ken Sanders (who was a book security specialist) and worked to recover lost stolen books. I also did not like the way that the author/writer in the story kept trying to justify Gilkey's behavior or make it seem as if it was understadable considering his background.
Lastly, when I finally decided that Gilkey was the center figure, I came to that conclusion simply because the writer kept going on and on with him about how he stole this book and how he would steal that book. It got pretty boring toward the end. Informative to a degree but definitely not a keeper.
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LibraryThing member krau0098
I thought this sounded like an awesome book. It discusses the world of Bibliomania in general and specifically two men are deep into the industry (one who steals rare books and the man whose mission it was to find him). I love books and love learning about them and was excited to learn more about
I listened to this on audio book, which I would not recommend, the lady who read the story kind of mumbled and didn't differentiate between characters at all.
From what I gathered Bartlett started researching this topic as a newspaper article and it grew into a book. You can definitely tell. This would have been find as a newspaper feature but as a book it left a lot to be desired. Bartlett mainly focuses on John Gilkey, a reknown rare book thief, and Ken Sanders, a Bibliodick set on catching book thieves.
The most positive part of this book is the look into the world of rare book dealing. Some of this information is very interesting. Unfortunately for me that was the most positive part of this book.
Bartlett switches between Gilkey's stories and Sanders' stories without much organization or reason. Then she intersperses sections on how she feels she fits into the world of bibliomania and what her thoughts on the whole issue are. She spends quite a bit of time sympathizing with Gilkey and not nearly enough time discussing the impacts of his book theft. Towards the end of the book there is one lady whose story she tells briefly, that gives you a bit of an idea of what kind of impact stealing a $5000 book has on a rare book store, but that's it.
I failed to find Gilkey as intriguing as the author did. Gilkey was a plain old stupid criminal, the only thing that sets him apart are his calm attitude and his complete lack of morality. Although I guess a lot of criminals lack morality. Gilkey wasn't even clever and most of the time seemed to be just plain old lucky. I was hoping for a tale of clever deception and what I got was a tale of a criminal with some luck who was up against an inefficient system of law that has bigger things to worry about than stolen books.
Sanders was a more interesting person and he really seemed to make some changes in the overall system that helped catch book thieves.
The conclusions that Bartlett draws are less than awe-inspiring. Basically people collect things because they want people to admire them. I was disappointed that the whole build up in this book leaves us with that basic message. I know this is a non-fiction book but the closure of it was also pretty...well...lame. At the end of the book not much had changed from the beginning. As the reader we know a smidge more about rare book collecting and some might learn more about collecting as a type of disability. Personally I didn't learn anything I didn't already know about people who are crazy about collecting things.
Overall, this short book seemed like a much longer read than books twice its length. There is some interesting information; but it is bogged down by constant switches in who is telling what story, a lack of empathy for the people being stolen from, and only minimal insight into why people do the things they do. Basically I thought it was boring and a waste of time. I almost stopped listening to it on more than one occasion but kept telling myself "really it's not that long, you should be able to get through this...". I will not be picking up any of Bartlett's future works.
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this industry. Overall I was not impressed with this book. The author jumps around between stories, different points of view, and her personal experiences kind of willy nilly. She also doesn't ever really give or get any intriguing insight into why people do these things; besides the conclusions that anyone could make with a couple minutes of thought.I listened to this on audio book, which I would not recommend, the lady who read the story kind of mumbled and didn't differentiate between characters at all.
From what I gathered Bartlett started researching this topic as a newspaper article and it grew into a book. You can definitely tell. This would have been find as a newspaper feature but as a book it left a lot to be desired. Bartlett mainly focuses on John Gilkey, a reknown rare book thief, and Ken Sanders, a Bibliodick set on catching book thieves.
The most positive part of this book is the look into the world of rare book dealing. Some of this information is very interesting. Unfortunately for me that was the most positive part of this book.
Bartlett switches between Gilkey's stories and Sanders' stories without much organization or reason. Then she intersperses sections on how she feels she fits into the world of bibliomania and what her thoughts on the whole issue are. She spends quite a bit of time sympathizing with Gilkey and not nearly enough time discussing the impacts of his book theft. Towards the end of the book there is one lady whose story she tells briefly, that gives you a bit of an idea of what kind of impact stealing a $5000 book has on a rare book store, but that's it.
I failed to find Gilkey as intriguing as the author did. Gilkey was a plain old stupid criminal, the only thing that sets him apart are his calm attitude and his complete lack of morality. Although I guess a lot of criminals lack morality. Gilkey wasn't even clever and most of the time seemed to be just plain old lucky. I was hoping for a tale of clever deception and what I got was a tale of a criminal with some luck who was up against an inefficient system of law that has bigger things to worry about than stolen books.
Sanders was a more interesting person and he really seemed to make some changes in the overall system that helped catch book thieves.
The conclusions that Bartlett draws are less than awe-inspiring. Basically people collect things because they want people to admire them. I was disappointed that the whole build up in this book leaves us with that basic message. I know this is a non-fiction book but the closure of it was also pretty...well...lame. At the end of the book not much had changed from the beginning. As the reader we know a smidge more about rare book collecting and some might learn more about collecting as a type of disability. Personally I didn't learn anything I didn't already know about people who are crazy about collecting things.
Overall, this short book seemed like a much longer read than books twice its length. There is some interesting information; but it is bogged down by constant switches in who is telling what story, a lack of empathy for the people being stolen from, and only minimal insight into why people do the things they do. Basically I thought it was boring and a waste of time. I almost stopped listening to it on more than one occasion but kept telling myself "really it's not that long, you should be able to get through this...". I will not be picking up any of Bartlett's future works.
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LibraryThing member karieh
Throughout “The Man Who Loved Books”, author Allison Hoover Bartlett kept dipping her toe into the word of rare book collecting. Seemingly to try and relate to those whose all consuming passion it is, but in parts, it’s as if she is trying to get addicted herself. A book lover and a reader,
“If you have a bookcase,” added Gilkey, “the more you put on them, the more it builds up, the more it’s worth, the better it looks…With books, it looks beautiful, you can read it if you want, and it’s part of the ambiance of a house, isn’t it?”
(Is it a bad sign if I completely agree with the thoughts of a book thief?) But it’s more than the looks of a book collection, Bartlett finds. With Gilkey, it’s a childhood steeped in collecting (and a total lack of morals when it comes to stealing), and a desire to create an image of himself as successful and well-read…create an image, not actually do the work to get become those things.
“That people would admire Gilkey because of his book collection seemed to be at the crux of his desire. It wasn’t merely a love of books that compelled him, but also what owning them would say about him.”
“Gilkey had a wish that he could not afford to grant himself, thus those who kept him from doing so, dealers, were to blame. What must it be like, I wondered, to view the world in such a way, to feel entitled to all one desired and to be able to justify to oneself any means of obtaining it?”
This book was interesting not only because of the insight I gained into the thoughts of a criminal, but because of the look into the legitimate book world that Bartlett gives. There are many who share Gilkey’s passion, but not his lack of conscience.
“Having spent a few days among collectors and dealers at the New York Antiquarian Book Fair, I sensed that many of them were also building identities through their collections, acquiring books as talismans of taste, knowledge, and affluence.”
There is humor in this as well. “For many book collectors, comic books are the gateway drug to the hard stuff. The need to find issue #5 of the Hulk morphs into a lust for hardbound copies of The Call of the Wild.”
One of the best aspects of the book was when Bartlett visits and interviews the small book dealers who, very unfortunately, were victims of Gilkey. Their passion for books and the time, care and hours they put into their businesses comes blazing off the page. These, for me, are the heroes of the book. The author paints such a vivid picture of these people and of their shops that I felt like I could actually hear the bell chiming above the door as I entered.
I love books. The look, the smell, the feel of them. I collect those I read and those that have been part of my life since childhood. But for me, the value of my books is in the words, and in the memories I have of my feelings as I read them. I can’t imagine owning a book that I wouldn’t dare read for fear of decreasing its value. So it’s fascinating for me to get a chance to learn about those who do just that.
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she tries on the mania, but it doesn’t fit. For that, though, we have the subject of the book, John Charles Gilkey, book thief.“If you have a bookcase,” added Gilkey, “the more you put on them, the more it builds up, the more it’s worth, the better it looks…With books, it looks beautiful, you can read it if you want, and it’s part of the ambiance of a house, isn’t it?”
(Is it a bad sign if I completely agree with the thoughts of a book thief?) But it’s more than the looks of a book collection, Bartlett finds. With Gilkey, it’s a childhood steeped in collecting (and a total lack of morals when it comes to stealing), and a desire to create an image of himself as successful and well-read…create an image, not actually do the work to get become those things.
“That people would admire Gilkey because of his book collection seemed to be at the crux of his desire. It wasn’t merely a love of books that compelled him, but also what owning them would say about him.”
“Gilkey had a wish that he could not afford to grant himself, thus those who kept him from doing so, dealers, were to blame. What must it be like, I wondered, to view the world in such a way, to feel entitled to all one desired and to be able to justify to oneself any means of obtaining it?”
This book was interesting not only because of the insight I gained into the thoughts of a criminal, but because of the look into the legitimate book world that Bartlett gives. There are many who share Gilkey’s passion, but not his lack of conscience.
“Having spent a few days among collectors and dealers at the New York Antiquarian Book Fair, I sensed that many of them were also building identities through their collections, acquiring books as talismans of taste, knowledge, and affluence.”
There is humor in this as well. “For many book collectors, comic books are the gateway drug to the hard stuff. The need to find issue #5 of the Hulk morphs into a lust for hardbound copies of The Call of the Wild.”
One of the best aspects of the book was when Bartlett visits and interviews the small book dealers who, very unfortunately, were victims of Gilkey. Their passion for books and the time, care and hours they put into their businesses comes blazing off the page. These, for me, are the heroes of the book. The author paints such a vivid picture of these people and of their shops that I felt like I could actually hear the bell chiming above the door as I entered.
I love books. The look, the smell, the feel of them. I collect those I read and those that have been part of my life since childhood. But for me, the value of my books is in the words, and in the memories I have of my feelings as I read them. I can’t imagine owning a book that I wouldn’t dare read for fear of decreasing its value. So it’s fascinating for me to get a chance to learn about those who do just that.
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LibraryThing member kmulvihill
I was impressed with the research of this book and I learned a lot about credit card theft. Unfortunately, the pleasure of learning about the world of obsession with books could not balance out the displeasure of learning about a man who had gotten away with stealing from so many people. While the
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author made an attempt to show the impact that Gilkey's stealing had on his victims, that attempt was not adequate. The book was incomplete. I would have recommended this book if it had shown a little more about the lives and the obsessions of the extraordinary people who don't steal books -- collectors and independent booksellers. When we did read that some of Gilkey's stolen books were returned, it was written almost in passing. There was no build up. While we expect straightforward writing from a work of non-fiction, and while I appreciate the rigor of the research provided by this author, I would also expect some attention to the timing of events. Events can unfold or be downloaded, depending on the author's style. Show Less
LibraryThing member rjhscott2009
The Oxford English Dictionary defines bibliomania as “a rage for collecting and possessing books.” This description could certainly apply to John Gilkey, a man who amassed an impressive collection of rare books over a four year period. Passionate book collectors are not uncommon, but what made
In the world of antiquarian booksellers, theft was not always publicized, and it could take months or even years before dealers were notified to be on the lookout for certain titles by which time thieves had already sold the stolen books and moved on. When Ken Sanders, a bookseller in Utah, took over as the security chair of the Antiquarian Booksellers Assocation of America, he started looking for a better way to notify members of stolen titles, and he encouraged book dealers to let him know when something had been taken from them.
As more and more dealers started reporting thefts to him, Sanders noticed a pattern to many of those in California. A man would call a dealer, purchase a book by credit card, and pick it up soon after. It wouldn’t be until a month later when the cardholders saw their bills that anyone would realize a theft had occurred. It was infuriating to Sanders, and he was determined to catch the man who was defrauding so many of his fellow book dealers.
Originally written as an article for San Francisco Magazine, “The Man Who Loved Books Too Much” is a fascinating look into the obsessive world of book collecting. It is a compelling read that follows both sides of the story, Gilkey in his quest for more books, and Sanders in his pursuit of Gilkey. Bartlett tells the story of these men and how their lives intertwined with skill, and although she becomes a little more entangled in the story than she intended, she remains an excellent storyteller. This book should be an entertaining read for anyone who has ever felt the yearning of a collector’s need to possess.
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Gilkey unusual was his method of obtaining his books. He stole over $100,000 of rare books from dealers in California using stolen credit cards, and in his mind, he did nothing wrong. He did not steal the books for profit, but simply because he longed to own them. It didn’t seem fair to Gilkey that he could not afford the high price tag of the books he wanted when others could. In the world of antiquarian booksellers, theft was not always publicized, and it could take months or even years before dealers were notified to be on the lookout for certain titles by which time thieves had already sold the stolen books and moved on. When Ken Sanders, a bookseller in Utah, took over as the security chair of the Antiquarian Booksellers Assocation of America, he started looking for a better way to notify members of stolen titles, and he encouraged book dealers to let him know when something had been taken from them.
As more and more dealers started reporting thefts to him, Sanders noticed a pattern to many of those in California. A man would call a dealer, purchase a book by credit card, and pick it up soon after. It wouldn’t be until a month later when the cardholders saw their bills that anyone would realize a theft had occurred. It was infuriating to Sanders, and he was determined to catch the man who was defrauding so many of his fellow book dealers.
Originally written as an article for San Francisco Magazine, “The Man Who Loved Books Too Much” is a fascinating look into the obsessive world of book collecting. It is a compelling read that follows both sides of the story, Gilkey in his quest for more books, and Sanders in his pursuit of Gilkey. Bartlett tells the story of these men and how their lives intertwined with skill, and although she becomes a little more entangled in the story than she intended, she remains an excellent storyteller. This book should be an entertaining read for anyone who has ever felt the yearning of a collector’s need to possess.
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LibraryThing member eenerd
A great read exploring the history and current state of bibliomania and the book selling industry, specifically rare and fine books, and the people who steal them. Particularly the case of a man who managed to steal thousands and thousands of dollars worth of books from all over the U.S. until a
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feisty and smart book dealer from Salt Lake City became the Security Chair for the ABAA. Fascinating cast of "characters"...I mean, you have to keep telling yourself that yes, these are real people! You just cannot make this stuff up. Awesome read for anyone who likes books, has any interest in antiquities. Show Less
LibraryThing member cbl_tn
The title of this book aptly describes its focus. Journalist Allison Hoover Bartlett writes, first of all, about rare book thief John Gilkey -- his life's ambition to amass a collection of rare books, his illegal methods of acquiring the books he covets, and his self-justification for his crimes.
Before I read this book, I would have described myself as a book lover. Now I realize that, although I like books, I love reading, not the books themselves. I prefer to own books that I can pack in a suitcase, carry in a tote bag, and stack on a nightstand. I don't have enough shelf space for all the books I want to read, and I don't want to give up any of my limited space for books that are meant only for looking at, not for reading. Thus, it's hard for me to imagine why Gilkey is willing to repeatedly risk incarceration by stealing books that he doesn't read. Gilkey makes more sense to me as a career criminal rather than as a collector. I have the impression that, even if he didn't have a passion for rare books, he would still be a habitual criminal. He seems, in my untrained opinion, to have a pathological personality.
I learned several things from this book. Firstly, stolen books are difficult to identify, making it difficult to catch and prosecute book thieves. Secondly, the penalty for such crimes doesn't appear to be in any way rehabilitative. Thirdly, if I'm ever in the market for a rare book, I'll look for a seller who is an ABAA member. Fourthly, any business whose employees have access to customer credit cards would do well to run background checks on those employees. Finally, security procedures may discourage theft, but they will not prevent theft, so when I hear of such crimes, I should remind myself not to blame the victim for a lack of vigilance. I highly recommend the book to readers of true crime stories, detective novels, psychological suspense mysteries, and book lovers of all kinds.
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Secondly, Bartlett writes of rare book dealer Ken Sanders, who, in his role as chair of security for the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA), collected and disseminated information about Gilkey's thefts and his modus operandi. His diligent pursuit of Gilkey eventually led to Gilkey's arrest and the recovery of some, but by no means all, of the items Gilkey had stolen. Finally, Bartlett contextualizes her narrative with stories of other book collectors who turned to crime to satisfy their lust for books.Before I read this book, I would have described myself as a book lover. Now I realize that, although I like books, I love reading, not the books themselves. I prefer to own books that I can pack in a suitcase, carry in a tote bag, and stack on a nightstand. I don't have enough shelf space for all the books I want to read, and I don't want to give up any of my limited space for books that are meant only for looking at, not for reading. Thus, it's hard for me to imagine why Gilkey is willing to repeatedly risk incarceration by stealing books that he doesn't read. Gilkey makes more sense to me as a career criminal rather than as a collector. I have the impression that, even if he didn't have a passion for rare books, he would still be a habitual criminal. He seems, in my untrained opinion, to have a pathological personality.
I learned several things from this book. Firstly, stolen books are difficult to identify, making it difficult to catch and prosecute book thieves. Secondly, the penalty for such crimes doesn't appear to be in any way rehabilitative. Thirdly, if I'm ever in the market for a rare book, I'll look for a seller who is an ABAA member. Fourthly, any business whose employees have access to customer credit cards would do well to run background checks on those employees. Finally, security procedures may discourage theft, but they will not prevent theft, so when I hear of such crimes, I should remind myself not to blame the victim for a lack of vigilance. I highly recommend the book to readers of true crime stories, detective novels, psychological suspense mysteries, and book lovers of all kinds.
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LibraryThing member SamSattler
Despite its title, "The Man Who Loved Books Too Much" is not a book about some especially avid reader who becomes so obsessed with reading that he allows it to take over the rest of his life. One only has to read the book's subtitle, "The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary
That John Gilkey is an obsessed book collector is beyond question. Gilkey's gnawing desire to own rare books, however, does not make him unique - or even uncommon. People collect a variety of objects for a variety of reasons and many of them do become obsessed with the chase and the displaying of their "trophies." What makes Gilkey unusual enough to have a book written about him is that he entirely satisfies his urge to own rare books by stealing them. Price is no object for a man who never intends to pay for the books he adds to his personal library.
"In The Man Who Loved Books Too Much," Allison Hoover Bartlett combines Gilkey's story with that of the man who became obsessed with stopping his thefts, rare book dealer Ken Sanders. Against all odds, she was able to befriend both men to such a degree that she was able to gain insight into what motivated each of them - one to steal books and the other to spend countless hours trying to stop him.
Bartlett spent a great deal of time getting to know John Gilkey. She visited him in jail when he was serving time for stealing expensive items from rare book dealers; she interviewed him extensively while he was a free man; and she visited his mother's home where she was allowed to see some of the books being kept for him there. However, as Ken Sanders, the man most responsible for putting Gilkey behind bars for extended periods of time reminded Bartlett, Gilkey is a born liar and what he says can never be trusted. Bartlett, though, despite Gilkey's lies and distortions, develops a sound theory as to why he is so driven to steal rare books despite the increasing regularity with which he is caught and sent to jail.
Book dealer/detective Ken Sanders seems to have been more of a challenge for Bartlett than Gilkey turned out to be. Sanders seemed reluctant to discuss in any detail what motivated him to dedicate so much of his life to Gilkey's capture and arrest. He preferred, instead, to let his actions speak for themselves. Sanders did open the door to the world of rare book dealers for Bartlett by placing her in contact with many of Gilkey's victims, and she combines the insights she gained from those interviews with her own research to recount the history of book lust and book theft from the earliest days to the present.
This is the perfect true crime book for book lovers, a morality play to remind even the most obsessed of us of the dangers of those obsessions.
Rated at: 4.5
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Obsession," to learn that "the man" in question had a much different problem.That John Gilkey is an obsessed book collector is beyond question. Gilkey's gnawing desire to own rare books, however, does not make him unique - or even uncommon. People collect a variety of objects for a variety of reasons and many of them do become obsessed with the chase and the displaying of their "trophies." What makes Gilkey unusual enough to have a book written about him is that he entirely satisfies his urge to own rare books by stealing them. Price is no object for a man who never intends to pay for the books he adds to his personal library.
"In The Man Who Loved Books Too Much," Allison Hoover Bartlett combines Gilkey's story with that of the man who became obsessed with stopping his thefts, rare book dealer Ken Sanders. Against all odds, she was able to befriend both men to such a degree that she was able to gain insight into what motivated each of them - one to steal books and the other to spend countless hours trying to stop him.
Bartlett spent a great deal of time getting to know John Gilkey. She visited him in jail when he was serving time for stealing expensive items from rare book dealers; she interviewed him extensively while he was a free man; and she visited his mother's home where she was allowed to see some of the books being kept for him there. However, as Ken Sanders, the man most responsible for putting Gilkey behind bars for extended periods of time reminded Bartlett, Gilkey is a born liar and what he says can never be trusted. Bartlett, though, despite Gilkey's lies and distortions, develops a sound theory as to why he is so driven to steal rare books despite the increasing regularity with which he is caught and sent to jail.
Book dealer/detective Ken Sanders seems to have been more of a challenge for Bartlett than Gilkey turned out to be. Sanders seemed reluctant to discuss in any detail what motivated him to dedicate so much of his life to Gilkey's capture and arrest. He preferred, instead, to let his actions speak for themselves. Sanders did open the door to the world of rare book dealers for Bartlett by placing her in contact with many of Gilkey's victims, and she combines the insights she gained from those interviews with her own research to recount the history of book lust and book theft from the earliest days to the present.
This is the perfect true crime book for book lovers, a morality play to remind even the most obsessed of us of the dangers of those obsessions.
Rated at: 4.5
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LibraryThing member daisyq
I found this only intermittently interesting, mainly in the asides on book collecting and interviews with book traders who do genuinely love books. Ken Sanders, who tracks down the book thief of the title, is also an interesting character and one I felt the author didn't focus on enough.
The book's
The author's moral dilemmas seemed forced, and in my view, her resolution of them(doing nothing at all for the most part) was inadequate.
The book's
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problem is that Gilkey is singularly unlikeable and beyond an initial recounting of his actions, uninteresting. The author seems to like him, but cannot convey any convincing reasons for doing so. When first introduced, he appears deluded, entitled, and selfish, with no redeeming qualities. The rest of the book just confirmed this, without adding anything further. His motives actually seem pretty simple and the need for years worth of interviews escapes me. Despite the title, it's also clear that he does not love books at all; rather he views them as status symbols and occasional sources of funds.The author's moral dilemmas seemed forced, and in my view, her resolution of them
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LibraryThing member SweetbriarPoet
Short, easy read, but completely enjoyable. The little bits of history thrown in with two personal stories are what really make this book a standout for me. I loved the connection between the two. I also liked the question that Bartlett keeps asking throughout, 'What turns the book lover into a
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book thief?' or 'Where is the line, and what obsessions will make us cross it?' Show Less
LibraryThing member kaulsu
So, to be clear, the author began her quest to write about rare book thievery when a stolen book came into her possession, and, as she wrote the last sentence of the "afterword" the book still resided on her desk.
This man suffers from an obsessive/compulsive disease. Typically, the justice system
Before I purchased this book (kindlelized), I read the poor reviews, but I could not/would not believe them. The book's main protagonist is a book thief who spends his life in and out of jail. He stores his books in his Mother's house, in his own house, and who knows where else. The secondary character is a book detective, but his story is relatively short.
This man suffers from an obsessive/compulsive disease. Typically, the justice system
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doesn't treat him, it just sends him back out to steal. Before I purchased this book (kindlelized), I read the poor reviews, but I could not/would not believe them. The book's main protagonist is a book thief who spends his life in and out of jail. He stores his books in his Mother's house, in his own house, and who knows where else. The secondary character is a book detective, but his story is relatively short.
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LibraryThing member samfsmith
I bought this book because of the title - since it resembled me a little too much. But it turned out not to be about a man who loved books, as much as a man who had a compulsion to collect books. It could have just as well been about a man who collects guitars, or a woman who collects quilts. It's
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creative non-fiction, and suffers, like most books in that genre, from having to adhere to fact. It would have been much better as fiction with a different plot. Show Less
LibraryThing member MerryMary
A fascinating and disturbing book. The author follows John Gilkey through the labyrinth of his twisted reasoning, listening while he justifies in his own mind his relentless thieving of rare and precious books. The author delves into what sparks a normal collector's passion, and the driving sense
She does acknowledge the difference between the dedicated, even obsessive love of most collectors and the warped logic of Gilkey's thought processes - but it seems sometimes that she blurs the line. So, too, she occasionally blurs the line between observing Gilkey and contributing to his ego trips. She even accompanied him as he strolls around a rare book store showing her how he cases the security, and how he identifies the prime book selections. It made me a bit uncomfortable.
But the overall impression I take from this book concerns the widespread brotherhood/sisterhood of book lovers to which I belong. (English really needs more gender-neutral nouns) Bartlett writes movingly of the deep almost visceral anger of one of the store owners that Gilkey ripped off - and the deep hurt that the loss of a rare book causes another. A really good book for bibliophiles. Oh, and by the way, Gilkey is on the loose again.
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of entitlement that sparks Gilkey's thefts.She does acknowledge the difference between the dedicated, even obsessive love of most collectors and the warped logic of Gilkey's thought processes - but it seems sometimes that she blurs the line. So, too, she occasionally blurs the line between observing Gilkey and contributing to his ego trips. She even accompanied him as he strolls around a rare book store showing her how he cases the security, and how he identifies the prime book selections. It made me a bit uncomfortable.
But the overall impression I take from this book concerns the widespread brotherhood/sisterhood of book lovers to which I belong. (English really needs more gender-neutral nouns) Bartlett writes movingly of the deep almost visceral anger of one of the store owners that Gilkey ripped off - and the deep hurt that the loss of a rare book causes another. A really good book for bibliophiles. Oh, and by the way, Gilkey is on the loose again.
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LibraryThing member DoingDewey
I really enjoyed the way The Man Who Loved Books Too Much was written. The author’s style was very conversational and she did a nice job of blending descriptions of her own experience with those of her two “main characters” the book dealer/detective and the thief. I really enjoyed her
Read the rest here...
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attempts to understand why so many people love and collect rare books, including dabbling in collecting herself. As she concludes, a lot of people build an identity out of the books they collect. For that reason, I very much enjoyed her descriptions of the collectors she met, the sort of books they collected and the the reasons for their collections. Read the rest here...
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LibraryThing member bridget3420
Stealing books is more common than stealing art work. John is an obsessed reader who loves books so much that he steals them for his own personal pleasure. He does not sell the book to the highest bidder. Instead he adds them to his collection and files them away in his heart. Soon his obsession
Ken is book dealer who also has a talent for putting together clues. He sets his sights on John and his precious book collection. Who will come out on top?
This is a must read for any book lover. It has a little bit of everything - mystery, suspense and it's wickedly funny. It almost makes me want to stop blogging and hunt down some rare books of my own. Luckily I have a wild imagination, so hunting down rare books actually means cracking this book open and reading it again.
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overcomes him in a possessive nature. He must have them all!Ken is book dealer who also has a talent for putting together clues. He sets his sights on John and his precious book collection. Who will come out on top?
This is a must read for any book lover. It has a little bit of everything - mystery, suspense and it's wickedly funny. It almost makes me want to stop blogging and hunt down some rare books of my own. Luckily I have a wild imagination, so hunting down rare books actually means cracking this book open and reading it again.
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LibraryThing member sarah-e
I was drawn into this story. Bartlett's struggle to maintain balance between the sympathetic thief and the man who fought to protect rare books reads like a novel. This 'World of Literary Obsession' has even led me to search for rare editions of my favorite books (but not to buy any!).
LibraryThing member Arconna
Never before did I know the extent to which the antique/rare book world could come under threat by thieves. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I know that the Gutenberg Bible is worth a fortune, and that some other rare documents have quite a lot of value; the theft of such items doesn’t surprise me. But
The Man Who Loved Books Too Much is about such a person—John Charles Gilkey. Bartlett takes a winding journey through collectors' and book lovers' obsessions and follows the trail of Gilkey, a notorious book thief, across the country to the various individuals once targeted by the book obsessed man. One central figure is Ken Sanders, who takes on the role of book detective to hunt down Gilkey (previously unknown), and to retrieve the stolen items to return them to their rightful owners. Bartlett follows the trail, putting together the pieces, digging into the mind of the book obsessed and, ultimately, the mind of Gilkey, to put together a book as addictive as its key characters.
I mean that too. When I started reading this over a week ago I found myself swept into the astonishingly detailed, richly researched world that Bartlett was trying to recreate. The rare book sellers, buyers, collectors, and even the thieves: all of them kept me fascinated with the world they inhabit, yearning to know more. Bartlett’s novel, thus, became a journey that I was eager to complete and yet terrified to see go. The book is too short for its own good (about 260 pages, plus footnotes), but thoroughly enjoyable.
It’s hard to go into any more detail here without spoiling the novel. The back cover pretty much says everything I’ve said here, but you really need to pick this one up, particularly if you love books as much as I do. Bartlett’s novel, while not fiction, is one of those books that all fiction lovers should read. It takes on the book we so love and puts its history into a new context; it makes the world we enjoy drastically more complex by expanding its history, by dreaming up from the den of facts the reality that the book world is not just a place of words and authors, but so much more. Maybe we already knew that, but now we have proof. Now, we can point and say, “See, books aren’t so boring, now are they?”
P.S.: Books aren’t boring, at least not to me. I was simply illustrating a point that many people think they are.
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what does surprise me, and what was adeptly touched on in Bartlett’s journalistic monstrosity, is the extent to which people will go to collect even less-valuable items.The Man Who Loved Books Too Much is about such a person—John Charles Gilkey. Bartlett takes a winding journey through collectors' and book lovers' obsessions and follows the trail of Gilkey, a notorious book thief, across the country to the various individuals once targeted by the book obsessed man. One central figure is Ken Sanders, who takes on the role of book detective to hunt down Gilkey (previously unknown), and to retrieve the stolen items to return them to their rightful owners. Bartlett follows the trail, putting together the pieces, digging into the mind of the book obsessed and, ultimately, the mind of Gilkey, to put together a book as addictive as its key characters.
I mean that too. When I started reading this over a week ago I found myself swept into the astonishingly detailed, richly researched world that Bartlett was trying to recreate. The rare book sellers, buyers, collectors, and even the thieves: all of them kept me fascinated with the world they inhabit, yearning to know more. Bartlett’s novel, thus, became a journey that I was eager to complete and yet terrified to see go. The book is too short for its own good (about 260 pages, plus footnotes), but thoroughly enjoyable.
It’s hard to go into any more detail here without spoiling the novel. The back cover pretty much says everything I’ve said here, but you really need to pick this one up, particularly if you love books as much as I do. Bartlett’s novel, while not fiction, is one of those books that all fiction lovers should read. It takes on the book we so love and puts its history into a new context; it makes the world we enjoy drastically more complex by expanding its history, by dreaming up from the den of facts the reality that the book world is not just a place of words and authors, but so much more. Maybe we already knew that, but now we have proof. Now, we can point and say, “See, books aren’t so boring, now are they?”
P.S.: Books aren’t boring, at least not to me. I was simply illustrating a point that many people think they are.
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LibraryThing member bnbookgirl
Found this book not only to be an easy read, but also very interesting. Loved the journey the author took while investigating John Gilkey, the thief. I can understand the coveting of books as I feel that way sometimes as well, however, I do not steal them. There is an interesting part as well about
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Ebay and the book business. A great quote from the book: "As much as books are vessels for stories (& poetry, reference, into, etc) books are historical artifacts and repositories for memories - we like to recall who gave books to us, where we were when we read them, how old we were, and so on." We read this for our book club selection and we are all booksellers so this should be an interesting discussion. For all lovers of books, this is a must read!!! Show Less
LibraryThing member Voracious_Reader
[The Man Who Loved Books Too Much] is about a thief in California (John Gilkey) who compulsively steals books, particularly rare collectible ones. He’s so compulsive though that once banned from virtually all rare book stores he turns to stealing from libraries. He reads some of the books, but
It’s a very quick read that’s sort of like a long newspaper article about Gilkey and the dealers he steals from, as well as a memoir of sorts of the book’s author. I guess any piece of journalism that requires multiple years of research and long conversations with sociopaths is bound to affect the researcher in some way. It was low-key intone; it wasn’t riveting, but it was engaging. The title is sort of misleading to the extent that I don’t really think Gilkey loved books; he loved collecting things that he believed others saw as valuable because he was an empty shell of a person. The book has a lot of interesting moments, but the best part was a quotation from a judge sentencing another book thief to jail:
"In callously stealing, mutilating, and destroying rare and unique elements of
our common intellectual heritage, Spiegelman did not simply aim to divest
Columbia of $1.3 Million worth of physical property. He risked stunting, and
probably stunted, the growth of human knowledge to the detriment of us all.
By the very nature of the crime, it is impossible to know exactly what
damage he has done. But this much is clear: this crime was quite different
from the theft of cash equal to the appraised value of the materials stolen,
because it deprived not only Columbia, but the world, of irreplaceable pieces
of the past and the benefits of future scholarship."
It’s nice to hear a judge being so thoughtful and thinking of the victim(s) instead of only thinking about the Defendant. The theft of books shouldn't necessarily be treated any differently than the theft of money, but it's a nice quote.
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for him it’s really about being able to know that he possesses the books, that he’s been able to take them from someone else without paying. Although he has all sorts of time and reason to contemplate why he does what he does—he spends a good portion of the book serving a variety of jail sentences for fraud and theft related offenses—he has no insight into his own actions. He doesn’t even pretend to know that stealing isn’t ok. It’s a very quick read that’s sort of like a long newspaper article about Gilkey and the dealers he steals from, as well as a memoir of sorts of the book’s author. I guess any piece of journalism that requires multiple years of research and long conversations with sociopaths is bound to affect the researcher in some way. It was low-key intone; it wasn’t riveting, but it was engaging. The title is sort of misleading to the extent that I don’t really think Gilkey loved books; he loved collecting things that he believed others saw as valuable because he was an empty shell of a person. The book has a lot of interesting moments, but the best part was a quotation from a judge sentencing another book thief to jail:
"In callously stealing, mutilating, and destroying rare and unique elements of
our common intellectual heritage, Spiegelman did not simply aim to divest
Columbia of $1.3 Million worth of physical property. He risked stunting, and
probably stunted, the growth of human knowledge to the detriment of us all.
By the very nature of the crime, it is impossible to know exactly what
damage he has done. But this much is clear: this crime was quite different
from the theft of cash equal to the appraised value of the materials stolen,
because it deprived not only Columbia, but the world, of irreplaceable pieces
of the past and the benefits of future scholarship."
It’s nice to hear a judge being so thoughtful and thinking of the victim(s) instead of only thinking about the Defendant. The theft of books shouldn't necessarily be treated any differently than the theft of money, but it's a nice quote.
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LibraryThing member rlangston
Very much a book written by a journalist, and a journalist who insists on inserting herself into the story at every opportunity. Too much focus on the man's character, and not enough on what he actually did.
LibraryThing member clue
A very interesting look into the world of rare books and serious collecting. Bartlett worked, not always comfortably, as an investigative journalist following the exploits of real life book thief John Gilkey. By interviewing him over a period of 2 years she presents a unique perspective of criminal
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obsession. Show Less
LibraryThing member cindyb29
Story of a man who stole books to make himself look better. Disappointing ending.
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2009-09
Physical description
8.22 inches
ISBN
1594484813 / 9781594484810