THE BIBLIOMANIAC'S COMPLAINT

the trouble with the two piles of books in front of me is that I can't see through them ... there are only six or seven books in each stack but the principle would be the same if they went from the floor to the ceiling ... I could not see through any one of them and any book is worthless if you cannot see through it ... you might at first put it down to its good-looking nature ... to its being hard-cover illustrated or expensive ... there's no denying the beauty of such a creature open in your hands on your lap ... but that's why we have paper-back editions to hold and handle hard on the beach or the subway ... point is in public and on the move ... making it clear the object is the word and not the page ... and to get there you have to go into the book and under the printing on the page to hear the word spoken to see the idea begin to take form ... none of which is simply given but has to be worked out in honor interest and being a person ... which are indeed the stakes in being here alive ... but even here we fail if we stay inside the book ... indeed stay inside the word itself ... if you don't know who's talking