19th century literature that you enjoy

[Emmanuel Dabney]

To boost this forum and to see what people may find interesting...

One of the frequently mentioned topics of the middle and upper classes is what they were reading. Generally I have found that the topics were very broad but generally do not include the current well-known 19th century authors like Edgar Poe, Jane Austen, and Nathaniel Hawthorne just for examples. However, that does not mean there is NO mention of these well-known authors.

A paging through just glancing back at Mary Chesnut's diary reveal some of the following texts and authors:

Framley Parsonage by Anthony Trollope (1861)
Charleston Mercury
New York Herald
Evan Harrington; or, He Would Be a Gentleman by George Meredith (1860)
Basil: A Story of Modern Life then reprinted as The Crossed Path or Basil, A Story of Modern Life by William Wilkie Collins (1852, 1853, 1860 dependent on where printed)
The Rise of the Dutch Republic (1856) by John Lothrop Motley
The Giaour: A Fragment of a Turkish Tale (1813) Lord Byron
Reliques of Ancient English Poetry (1765) edited by Thomas Percy

So what are some of your favorite stories, newspaper articles, or poems of the period?

I'll start: Nathaniel Hawthorne's Mrs. Bullfrog (which can be found online http://tinyurl.com/38kmhw). And while he may not have been all that popular in his life, I like Poe's work particularly The Black Cat, Masque of the Red Death, and the Fall of the House of Usher.

[Bushrod Carter]

Ok, here is one of my absolute favorites! A book entitled:

“PLU-RI-BUS-TAH: a song that’s-by-no-author. A deed without a Name” by Q.K. Philander Doesticks. New York: Livermore & Rudd, 1856.

Seriously! If you haven’t seen a copy of this book GET ONE! Philander Doesticks is the pseudonym of Mortimer Neal Thompson. Thompson was a satirical humorist of the 1850 and 1860s. He wrote several books, but I have only had the great experience of reading the above mentioned.

PLU-RI-BUS-TAH is a satirical history of the United States from the earliest times to the time of printing.

To tease everyone’s literary taste buds, here is how the books opens:

"Non-committal applause by the curious reader, who don’t know what to expect. Enter, to slow music, the author, solus and seedy. In the distance are seen the nine muses, smoking short pipes, and eating peanuts. They encourage the bashful poet by telling him to “Go in, Lemons!” (The good-natured public will also imagine the lemons.) Thus encouraged, he speaks as fallows:…”



Has anyone else out there read this?

[DJCasey]

I have finally gotten around to reading "Uncle Tom's Cabin." Being such a historically significant book, both to US hitory and the history of literature, I figured it was my duty to read it. I am about half way through and cannot put it down. I did not expect to enjoy it this much. I highly recomend it to anyone. It is a great first person knowledge for a living historian. It was the most popular book of the day and insighted much controversy. It is something mid-19th century Americans would talk about, weither north or south.

[Bushrod Carter]

Here is a source that I founding interesting as to what the (more educated) soldiers were reading WHILE IN THE FIELD with the Army of Tennessee. The following list is taken from the “Confederate Diary of Robert D. Smith” Jill K. Garrett, ed. Columbia, TN

April 22, 1862 “Reading Dumas’ Three Guardsmen.”

April 29, 1862 “reading Hallet’s military arts & science” [sic]

May 5, 1862 “reading ‘Alone’ by Harland”4

May 8, 1862 “reading Hot Corn Life Scenes in N.Y.” [sic]

May 26, 1862 “reading ‘Three Beauties’”

June 1, 1862 “ready ‘Pictures in Italy’”

June 13, 1862 “reading Dickens’ ‘Pickwick Club’”

June 27. 1862 “Reading Tom Burk of Onrs by Charlie Lever.” [sic]

July 15, 1862 “Reading ‘Love me little love me long’ by _____ Reade”

Aug. 4, 1862 “Reading ‘Sam Slick’s nature & human nature’” [sic]

Feb. 14, 1863 “Reading Knowledge is Power by Knight” [sic]

Feb. 15, 1863 ”Reading the works of Josephus”

March 25, 1864”reading Jean Valjean by Victor Hugo.” [sic]

April 6, 1864 “Reading ‘Auro Floyd.”

April 8, 1864 “Reading ‘Misrepresentation.”

April 16, 1864 “Reading ‘Dante’”

April 22, 1864 “Reading ‘Henry Esmond’ by Thackeray.”

June 13, 1864 “reading ‘Memoirs of Napoleon’”



I’m curious about the “Jean Valjean” entry. Is that a book entitled “Jean Valjean” or is he referring to “Les Miserable”?

[redleggeddevil]

My two favorite period books (aside from "A Christmas Carol", my very favorite of all time) are "Cape Cod" by Thoreau and "Moby Dick".

Thoreau's book is both informative and evocative, and you can almost smell the salt air as he describes walking the beach. As for "Moby Dick", I feel like I am getting a quick educational refresher along with my entertainment-- biblical allusions, whaling lore, travelog and vocabulary enhancement all wrapped in some of the most beautiful prose of the era.

On the side, and considerably easier to transport in a breast pocket for living history events, I like to carry odd little tracts and monographs. My current favorites are "The Westminster Short Catechism", printed in Richmond in 1861 and "Spiritual Milk For New-Born Babes".

Just the things to review before going into battle.

[pipthelimey]

I'm pretty lucky in that my dad used to be an English teacher in England so he's always had plenty of older books around. I've got an original copy of a Tennyson compilation, as well as a very old set of Dickens. As for original good reads, I'm fond of Lever's "Charles O'Malley: The Irish Dragoon."

Andrew Jerram

[Miss Elodie]

Hello,

This really doesn't qualify as "literature," but it represents a genre of humor rampant in the antebellum South that likely inspired Samuel Clemens and really must be shared:

Odd leaves from the life of a Louisiana "swamp doctor" In The swamp doctor's adventures in the South-west containing the whole of the Louisiana swamp doctor, Streaks of squatter life, and Far-western scenes, in a series of forty-two humorous southern and western sketches, descriptive of incidents and character (Library of Southern Civilization) by Henry Clay Lewis (ISBN 0807121851)
http://worldcat.org/isbn/0807121851

This 1846 account of the author's travels through Tensas and Concordia Parishes in Louisiana will leave you laughing as he describes the mire, muck, and mischief of the people who have settled about 30 miles north of Natchez on the Louisiana side of the Mississippi River. It so happens my mother grew up there and, to this day, it is the most rural parish (county) in the state.

Persons who want a feel for the dialect of the western South should take a gander at this work of artifice.

This isn't Jane Austen and, as was often the case of books written at the time, the language doesn't conform to today's standards of political correctness; but anyone reading from this forum will expect this.

The Louisiana State Univ. Press reprinted this a few years ago and it is still available for under $6 at Amazon. I hope you get the chance to read this gem of a book!

Jennifer

[ElizabethClark]

Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell has one of the best scenes involving a cat, a dish of milk, and a lace collar. The whole book is very good--involving the lives of a village full of women (most of the men being either dead or off at sea).

Rachel Ray by Anthony Trollope; another social satirist, but I really like Rachel, and the book was censored in the US in 1863, which was my first fascination with it. The unexpurgated version is very mild... but the censored bit was a meeting or two, unchaperoned, between the heroine and a main male character.

Jane Austen is still a favorite, notably Pride and Prejudice... and I like quite a lot of Dickens. And Shakespeare, if read out properly, is very funny.

On Uncle Tom's Cabin, I was researching something else entirely the other day and came across mention of the theatrical piece being performed to great applause in California... so it seems to have been popular nation-wide.

[Anna Allen]

Rachel Ray by Anthony Trollope; another social satirist, but I really like Rachel, and the book was censored in the US in 1863, which was my first fascination with it. The unexpurgated version is very mild... but the censored bit was a meeting or two, unchaperoned, between the heroine and a main male character.

Of course that was the best part in the book... :rolleyes:

Also, don't forget the many stories included in popular magazines of the day, like Godey's, Peterson's, Harper's New Monthly etc.

Great topic, Em!

[Jubilo]

Dear Sir ,
I remember reading an account of either Pelham's or Alexander's artillerymen reading out loud to one another "The History of the War in the Peninsula ," by Napier . We must also remember that according to Mark Twain , the works of Sir Walter Scott helped defeat the Confederacy .
all for the old flag,
David Corbett

[Drygoods]

My top choices are fairly easy;
The Barclays of Boston by Mrs. Harrison Grey Otis,
Any books or newspaper articles by Fanny Fern,
Any books byAugusta Jane Evans, or
Elizabeth Gaskell's stories are good too.

That's my women's list. I need more time to compile one for male authors.:rolleyes:

[MissAnnaMae]

I am currently reading "Beulah" by Augusta Jane Evans. What a great story it is!

[rbruno]

My personal favorites are the Transcendentalist and Romantics from the period. Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne, Poe, etc. For the first time, American literature started to become truely American. These authors looked to separate themselves from England and Europe to have a new American voice. In many respects, they questioned society and other social issues that were very much based on England and Europe's society. Many of their ideas and values are lost today, but they interested me and what lead me to research and learn more about this time period. I also like Whitman's poetry. He created a very unique style of writing poetry agian in a time period that America was questioning its own beliefs and values. Whitman's Leaves of Grass was published in 1855 and was certainly one of the books he read to soldiers as a nurse during the war. So, I would think the soldiers of the north would be familar with his work. Just my thoughts.
Rob Bruno
1st MD Cav

[GermanDraftee]

[QUOTE
I’m curious about the “Jean Valjean” entry. Is that a book entitled “Jean Valjean” or is he referring to “Les Miserable”?[/QUOTE]

Perusing the Victor hugo website http://www.hugo-online.org/ The only references to Jean Valjean I could find were from "Les Miserable".

[Drygoods]

Good Afternoon All,

The one thing that I consider when reading old books, are the lives of the authors. For instance, Mr. Craddock mentions, Doesticks, yes he was a great writer, but when you think of his personal misfortunes, I wonder while reading how much it effected his writing style. I mean, having both of your wives die in childbirth, that can hamper your humor for life. Consequently, some authors/authoresses have a completely different style of writing as they went through life. What I mean to say is that some writers, I love what they wrote early on, but cannot tolerate their later writing after people, circumstance, or money influenced them. I suppose it's a rather shabby attitude of mine, but when you read everything a writer has, well, you pick up on those subtle social clues and wonder.:sarcastic Most important point is though that we should read only what our ancestors read so that we begin to think as they thought, and use it with our interpretation....don't let yourself be influenced by modern author's opinions of what the period author meant to say. Uh, like I just did with Doesticks?

[Danny]

I have finally gotten around to reading "Uncle Tom's Cabin." Being such a historically significant book, both to US hitory and the history of literature, I figured it was my duty to read it... It is something mid-19th century Americans would talk about, weither north or south.

David -

I agree it's a must-read for a living historian, but more because it gives us an idea of where the hearts and minds of the people were at that time, and in particular where the "Northern and righteous" heart and mind were. It was considered a National wake-up call and played no small part in bringing on the Civil War -- for us today to decide if that was justified at the time.

It's important in reading the book to understand that there is little in the book that was based on actual occurrences or first-hand knowledge of the South or of slavery. In fact the setting of the story was mostly based on hearsay, and that's the reason it so infuriated some at the time, while others were inspired well beyond actual justification.

BTW a pretty good story in any event, even by modern bestseller standards. Has interesting characters and plot twists and is not as "naive" as overly-intellectual critics would have it be.

- Dan Wykes

[Southernlady1862]

My period favorites are "The scarlet letter" ~Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1850. and "Pride and Prejudice" ~Jane Austen, 1813.

[KKS]

It's important in reading the book [Uncle Tom's Cabin] to understand that there is little in the book that was based on actual occurrences or first-hand knowledge of the South or of slavery. In fact the setting of the story was mostly based on hearsay, and that's the reason it so infuriated some at the time, while others were inspired well beyond actual justification.

This was an accusation aimed at Harriet Beecher Stowe when the book was first released. In response, she wrote A Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin (published in 1853) in which she collected her research materials, including newspaper articles, books, letters, laws, and her personal observations. It is a very compelling and heart-wrenching read.

I would think it possible to trace back quite a few of her sources and check their validity, then or today. If her research has been discredited, I am not aware of it.

Kira Sanscrainte

[Professor Barclay]

My favorite is my 1st edition copy from 1866 of Dabney's book on Jackson! One of my heroes.

[Trish Hasenmueller]

Good to see you, Professor Barklay!

This is the funniest and best account of city life in 1857: The Physiology of New York Boarding Houses by Thomas Butler Gunn

http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/moa/pageviewer?root=%2Fmoa%2Fmono%2Fgunn0157%2F&tif=00003.TIF&cite=http%3A%2F%2Fcdl.library.cornell.edu%2Fcgi-bin%2Fmoa%2Fsgml%2Fmoa-idx%3Fnotisid%3DANY6384&coll=moa&frames=1&view=50

It's my favorite. At Shaker Village 2006 I used it to entertain Hank and Linda Trent for an entire weekend!

Trish Hasenmueller

[lisa]

Of course I could go on about any number of the above mentioned authors who I also love, but I will add a new one:

Try Margaret Fuller. She is not a novelist, although Summer on the Lakes, in 1843 has been considered to be slightly idealized rather completely factual. She is much overlooked and was one of the major contributors to the Transcendental movement and an editor of The Dial. Also her "book" Women in the Nineteenth Century (considered one of the first feminist tracts) is a must read for any living historian interested in a mid-century women.

Regards,

[Professor Barclay]

Good to see you, Professor Barklay!

Trish Hasenmueller

Well, hello to you, Miss Hasenmueller! I do hope you and yours are all doing well!

Your humble servant,
Professor Barclay

[Drygoods]

I think what people should do to get a real understanding of what people thought and read at the time would be to start thumbing the monthly magazines, and see what sort of comments and suggestions for reading are in the 'book review' section.

I'm currently working on a book lecture myself, and found this little bit in the Ladies Repository for 1859: "But leaving the statistics of the agregate sales of American books, it is wonderful to observe the issue of a few of the works but recently written and published. Of Uncle tom's Cabin, 310,000 copies had been sold two years ago; of The Lamplighter, 90,000; Shady-Side, 42,000; Fearn Leaves, 70,000; Hugh Miller's Works, 50,000; Sears's Wonders of the World, 100,000; Benton's Thirty Years' View, 2 vols. 8vo, 55,000; Harpers' Pictorian Bible, $20 a copy, 25,000; Kane's Arctic Explorations, 2 vols. 8vo, 65,000, paying $65,000 copy-right. Of Mitchell's Geography there is a probable issue of 1,000 per day; of Davies's Mathematical Series, and of Sander's Readers, each, 300,000 were circulated in 1857. Of Noah Webster's Elementary Spelling-Book, 35,000,000 copies have been sold, and its annual issue is over 1,000,000. Webster's dictionaries, of which there are eight abridgments, have had an aggregate sale of nearly 2,000,000; and about 100,000 of the Primary are sold annually." pg 546.

Mind you, I'm still working on tracking these numbers down from other sources, mostly to see if they agree with Littel's Living Age, and Hunt's Merchant Manual. And I know that these are numbers for two years prior to the war, but thought they might interest someone here who reads often. I wonder, are there any big book collectors in this forum?

[AZReenactor]

I had a little fun seeing which of these books are available online for those who don't buy books or own a library card. For those who have a library card and like the tactile experience of reading books, Google has a "Find this book in a library" feature which lets you find a physical copy quickly You can even search Alibris and ABE directly from the Google site. I don't own stock but do believe that Google books (and other repositories such as Making of America) has the potential of lifting eSearch to a whole new level that could even encourage people to go to the point of wanting to look at books, microfilm, and even archival resources. Not having a good library or copies of historic works is no longer a good excuse for poor scholarship. ;-)

April 22, 1862 “Reading Dumas’ Three Guardsmen.” (Edition not found but found an ad (http://books.google.com/books?id=jeUhAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PT8&dq=%22Three+Guardsmen%22+dumas&lr=&as_brr=1&ei=n3GfR97IDIuotAOLq7CwCg) for it)
April 29, 1862 “reading Hallet’s military arts & science (http://books.google.com/books?id=dYJkl8a9rooC)” [sic]
May 5, 1862 “reading ‘Alone’ by Harland” (Not available but found in book list (http://books.google.com/books?id=RL9BAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA435&dq=Harland+alone+date:1855-1865&lr=&as_brr=1&ei=5mmfR9aeEI2msgOhjdSfCg))
May 8, 1862 “reading Hot Corn Life Scenes in N.Y. (http://books.google.com/books?id=A0zs0kXf3YsC)” [sic]
May 26, 1862 “reading ‘Three Beauties (http://books.google.com/books?id=3fUcAAAAMAAJ)’”
June 1, 1862 “ready ‘Pictures in Italy (http://books.google.com/books?id=eNgNAAAAQAAJ)’”
June 13, 1862 “reading Dickens’ ‘Pickwick Club (http://books.google.com/books?id=-ZF_oLqWOu4C)’”
June 27. 1862 “Reading Tom Burk of Onrs (http://books.google.com/books?id=B94NAAAAQAAJ) by Charlie Lever.” [sic]
July 15, 1862 “Reading ‘Love me little love me long (http://books.google.com/books?id=zyAGAAAAQAAJ)’ by _____ Reade”
Aug. 4, 1862 “Reading ‘Sam Slick’s nature & human nature (http://books.google.com/books?id=1YslAAAAMAAJ)’” [sic]
Feb. 14, 1863 “Reading Knowledge is Power (http://books.google.com/books?id=ZPrcQqN9pxIC) by Knight” [sic]
Feb. 15, 1863 ”Reading the works of Josephus (http://books.google.com/books?id=BxAGAAAAQAAJ)”
March 25, 1864”reading Jean Valjean (http://books.google.com/books?id=ZuQBAAAAQAAJ) by Victor Hugo.” [sic]
April 6, 1864 “Reading ‘Auro Floyd (http://books.google.com/books?id=teum1LMqeEAC).”
April 8, 1864 “Reading ‘Misrepresentation. (http://books.google.com/books?id=4LcBAAAAQAAJ)”
April 16, 1864 “Reading ‘Dante’ (http://books.google.com/books?as_q=&num=100&as_brr=1&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_libcat=0&as_brr=1&lr=lang_en&as_vt=&as_auth=Dante+Alighieri&as_pub=&as_sub=&as_drrb=c&as_miny=1800&as_maxy=1865&as_isbn=)”
April 22, 1864 “Reading ‘Henry Esmond (http://books.google.com/books?id=SdABAAAAQAAJ)’ by Thackeray.”
June 13, 1864 “reading ‘Memoirs of Napoleon’ (http://books.google.com/books?id=WgUKAAAAIAAJ)”

I'm currently reading an original copy of the 1863 book Drifting About (http://books.google.com/books?id=vr0EAAAAYAAJ) by Stephen Massett and enjoying it very much.

[AZReenactor]

I feel pretty certain that it is most Likely Les Miserable that he is referring to. Keep in mind that he was reading a newly translated book from the French 1862 novel and not the popular Broadway production that is so much a part of our culture today.

[QUOTE
I’m curious about the “Jean Valjean” entry. Is that a book entitled “Jean Valjean” or is he referring to “Les Miserable”?

Perusing the Victor hugo website http://www.hugo-online.org/ The only references to Jean Valjean I could find were from "Les Miserable".[/QUOTE]

[AZReenactor]

Kira,
Good catch. A Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin sounds like an interesting read for those on either side of the Abolition issue. I found a copy of it on Google books (http://books.google.com/books?id=mHUFAAAAQAAJ) as well as a copy at my local University Library.

This was an accusation aimed at Harriet Beecher Stowe when the book was first released. In response, she wrote A Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin (published in 1853) in which she collected her research materials, including newspaper articles, books, letters, laws, and her personal observations. It is a very compelling and heart-wrenching read...

It's important in reading the book to understand that there is little in the book that was based on actual occurrences or first-hand knowledge of the South or of slavery. In fact the setting of the story was mostly based on hearsay, and that's the reason it so infuriated some at the time, while others were inspired well beyond actual justification.

Danny, Please be careful with statements like this. We want to be careful to try and avoid re-arguing the politics and philosophies of history in this forum. The issues then aroused enough passion in people that they were willing to go to war killing one another rather than discussing and debating their points of view. We don't want pronouncements about who was or was not justified to lead us down those same paths today in this forum.

[Drygoods]

Mr. Groves,

I'm not sure yet about the Jean Valjean, and will look into that, however, one thing that I did discover and find interesting is that Godey's did not do a review of Les Miserable. We have several collections of monthly magazines, mind you, it has taken us years to get them all, but I find it very interesting to read each one monthly to see what reviews are simply copied or have slight alterations in the review. What is even more interesting are the long lists of books that arrive too late for review, or are listed simply as being refused.

Another thing that I would suggest if you truly want to get into the book market, find yourself an excellent antique book store, look around for them as some are often overpriced. But if you get a good rapport with the owners, often they will do their own book searches for you at no cost through their own private network of book dealers. It has helped me with research and over time, these folks became dear friends.

I purposely make myself read an hour to three a day, depending upon my mood and family obligations, but I find just that one hour quite rewarding. The downside is that as you get older you have to force yourself to exercise, and if your eyes go bad, it's REALLY tough to treadmill and read that antique tiny print.

Just a few days ago the AP ran a newspaper article about great book Destinations and their list of the best bookstores;

Books & Books - http://www.booksandbooks.com
City Lights Books -http://www.citylights.com
Elliott Bay Book Co - http://www.elliottbaybook.com
Politics and Prose - http://www.politics-prose.com/
Powell's City of Books - http://www.powells.com
Tattered Cover book Store - http://www.tatteredcover.com
That Bookstore in Blytheville - http://www.tbib.com
The Strand - http:www.strandbooks.com

some of these are very good stores for antique books. I remember the last time I was in Powell's I bought so many books that I had to drag them, and was there so long that I almost passed-out from fatigue and hunger, thank God for their restaurant.:wink_smil

[Drygoods]

Mr. Groves,
Well, my husband and I looked around into Jean Valjean, and came to the conclusion that it's probably a then,Reader's Digest version of Les Miserable. I'm not a VH fan, but Godey did give a decent review of his wife's book, Victor Hugo, By a Wistness to His Life (Madame Hugo) 1863.

Thumbing through my own list of book-notes, of Godey's review (some military related).....this might be of interest to those who want to know what the family read (again,in regard to military reviewed books), at any rate....here goes, a rather funky list;

instead of UTC, how about this one, does anyone know it? Black Diamonds, Gathered in the Darkey Homes of the South, by Edward A Pollard. "Presents the slavery question from a sourthern point of view." 1860 I've never found this one in ANY antique bookstore.

The Wild Sports of India: with Remarks on the Breeding and Rearing of Horses and the Formation of Light, Irregular Cavalry by Cap. Henry Shakespear, Commandant Nagpore Irregular Force. 1860 This one is far out there, but I've always wondered if it had anything that Americans in their tactics?

Camp and Outpost Duty for Infantryby Daniel Butterfield, Brigadier General of Volunteers. USA 1863.

The Story of the Guard: A Chronicle of the Present Warby Jesse Benton Fremont. 1863.
this actually got a second review due to it's popularity and later was printed in a "knapsack edition."

The Patriots and Guerillas of East Tennessee by Major J. A. Brents 1863.

Modern War: Its Theory and Practiceby Emeric Szabad, Capt. USA 1863.

Life In The Open Air, and other papers by Theodore Winthrop. "Humorous sketches entitled 'Love and Skates', 'NY 7th Regt, our March on Washington', and 'Washington as a Camp.' 1863

The Light and Dark of the Rebellion. "One of the many books to which the present war has given rise." 1863

Bivouac and the Battlefied; or Campaign Sketches in Virginia and Maryland by George F. Noyes, Capt. US Volunteers. 1863


Pretty amazing for a womens magazine eh? And they had far more than this.

[Hank Trent]

instead of UTC, how about this one, does anyone know it? Black Diamonds, Gathered in the Darkey Homes of the South, by Edward A Pollard. "Presents the slavery question from a sourthern point of view." 1860 I've never found this one in ANY antique bookstore.

Haven't read it, but here it is:

http://books.google.com/books?id=3VkSAAAAIAAJ

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[AZReenactor]

Mrs. Peebles,
It is indeed interesting to see the amount of plagiarism that frequently occured in the 1860's and the book reviews sound most fascinating. It would do well for reenactors to be familiar with some of the popular liturature of the day..

I'm not so much about collecting historic tomes as accessing their contents. (That is why I am loving Google books lately, it is a heck of a lot cheaper to print out a PDF to read than it is to buy some of these rarer volumes. Plus I don't feel bad highlighting and writing in the margins.)

I have a few Select topics that I do collect books about (California Column, Far Western Theater during the Civil War, 8th Texas Cavalry, E Clapus Vitus, and period material culture references but aside from that our house only has room for so many books and I can't compete with the space required for Misty's cook book collection. Since I am usually looking for some rare book I found in a bibliography I often access search sites such as ABE, Alibris, or even Amazon Used books to track them down.

I have a few booksellers I consider to be friends but more archivists and librarians. I do enjoy frequenting used books stores to wander amongst the shelves and see what I can find on topics I haven't explored but I'm not really a serious book collector. The list of recommended bookstores is great to have but may be quite costly. I know it seems every time I have a few extra hours while passing through Portland I usually end up dropping a house payment at Powells. ;-) Next month is the Annual Phoenix VNSA used book sale (http://vnsabooksale.org/) here in Phoenix and I fear I may end up having to enclose the carport just to add more storage space for books. ;-)

That list of items being reviewed in Godey's is quite interesting. I'll have to add some of them to my reading list as well.

Considering the sheer length of Les Miserable's a digest version would make sense.

Mr. Groves,

I'm not sure yet about the Jean Valjean, and will look into that, however, one thing that I did discover and find interesting is that Godey's did not do a review of Les Miserable. We have several collections of monthly magazines, mind you, it has taken us years to get them all, but I find it very interesting to read each one monthly to see what reviews are simply copied or have slight alterations in the review. What is even more interesting are the long lists of books that arrive too late for review, or are listed simply as being refused.

Another thing that I would suggest if you truly want to get into the book market, find yourself an excellent antique book store, look around for them as some are often overpriced. But if you get a good rapport with the owners, often they will do their own book searches for you at no cost through their own private network of book dealers. It has helped me with research and over time, these folks became dear friends.

I purposely make myself read an hour to three a day, depending upon my mood and family obligations, but I find just that one hour quite rewarding. The downside is that as you get older you have to force yourself to exercise, and if your eyes go bad, it's REALLY tough to treadmill and read that antique tiny print.

Just a few days ago the AP ran a newspaper article about great book Destinations and their list of the best bookstores;

Books & Books - http://www.booksandbooks.com
City Lights Books -http://www.citylights.com
Elliott Bay Book Co - http://www.elliottbaybook.com
Politics and Prose - http://www.politics-prose.com/
Powell's City of Books - http://www.powells.com
Tattered Cover book Store - http://www.tatteredcover.com
That Bookstore in Blytheville - http://www.tbib.com
The Strand - http:www.strandbooks.com

some of these are very good stores for antique books. I remember the last time I was in Powell's I bought so many books that I had to drag them, and was there so long that I almost passed-out from fatigue and hunger, thank God for their restaurant.:wink_smil

[AZReenactor]

It looks like Black Diamonds, Gathered in the Darkey Homes of the South, is currently in print from Dick Press and through the Michigan Historical Reprint Series. It was also reprinted in the 1968 by Negro Universities Press.

While not as much fun as finding it on a shelf at Powells, these links will help find a copy to add to your library.

AbeBooks (http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?tn=Black+Diamonds+Gathered+Darkey+Ho mes+South)
Alibris (http://www.alibris.com/booksearch?qsort=p&siteID=BMAI54k.xMY-6bJvSC2hb2j9kKSb5V.rLA&qtit=Black+Diamonds+Gathered+Darkey+Homes+South)
Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&index=books&field-keywords=Black%20Diamonds%20Gathered%20Darkey%20Ho mes%20South)


instead of UTC, how about this one, does anyone know it? Black Diamonds, Gathered in the Darkey Homes of the South, by Edward A Pollard. "Presents the slavery question from a sourthern point of view." 1860 I've never found this one in ANY antique bookstore.

[Drygoods]

Mr. Groves,

Oh, I can easily understand why it helps to buy the newer versions of old books. It doesn't really matter what version of the book that you buy, either original or reprint, the point is that people should read. People often wonder how I get so much reading done, the answer is simple if you don't have a TV set. When we were working, we used to buy 4 antique books a week, and I freely admit that I did spend a good time at work reading stuff I liked, but who was going to fire me, I was the boss.:tounge_sm The point I'm working into though is that as you get older, you tend to slow down, and don't have as much time to read like when you're younger, consequently, now I simply focus on buying only copies of books that are pre-1870, and indeed a great investment. We find the return far better than any stock investing.

Books today are probably your best, and possibly last, time to afford them. Antique books tend to double or triple in price every five years, consequently, now is the best time to buy, especially if you can afford the larger volume sets. Also, it's always a good idea to check out the antique book sales shows around the country. Often you find great ephemera, journals, pocket bibles, albums for next to nothing. Several of the gems and offerings that I collect, basically annual gift books, I picked up at these shows for as little as $4-$6. The reading material is perfect for our era. Those tiny pocket bibles sell for the same price.

For those wishing to visit some of these antique books shows, here's a list for February:

CA International Antiquarian Book Fair
info@winslowevents.com

Columbus Ohio Book Fair
www.columbusproductions.com

Delaware antiquarian Book Fair
Univ Delaware, Arsht. Hall
302 655-3055

New York Greenwich Village Fair
www.gvabf.org

Westchester Antiquarian Book & Ephemera Fair
Tarrytown, NY 518 861-5478

I admit that I've not been to all of these, but have found some fairs better than others, but that all depends on the vendors. New York, Ohio, and especially Maine tend to have the better books for sale, IHMO. Get out and see them folks, if you can, books are really works of art that are underappreciated today.