The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession

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The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession

by Allison Hoover Bartlett (Goodreads Author)

3.34 of 5 stars 3.34 · rating details · 4,401 ratings · 1,191 reviews

In the tradition of 'The Orchid Thief', a compelling narrative set within the strange and genteel world of rare-book collecting: the true story of an infamous book thief, his victims, and the man determined to catch him.

Rare-book theft is even more widespread than fine-art theft. Most thieves, of course, steal for profit. John Charles Gilkey steals purely for the love of b...more

Hardcover, 274 pages

Published September 17th 2009 by Riverhead Books

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Nov 14, 2011 Stephen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks, books-about-books, true-crime, non-fiction, 2006-2010, audiobook

Ahhhh...books. They are wonderful...especially books about other books. Even better are books about books that are rare and valuable. These books give me the happies.

There were chunks of this story that serenaded my growing bibliomania off its feet like Cyrano de Bergerac beneath Roxane’s window. I love books. I love them for their minds and I love them for their bodies and over the past few years, I’ve begun collecting first editions of my favorite novels. I get tremendous enjoyment from it...more

65 likes · like · see review

May 21, 2010 Δx Δp ≥ ½ ħ htgkvkkviholmvobsvzighxofyyzmw rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: a-day-in-the-life, i-do-not-want-spoil-the-party, glass-onion, i-want-to-tell-you

edited review:

1. I want to apologize for the all the recommendations from me yesterday. I only pressed the send button once--I'm not sure what happened. Urggghh...this is so terrible...
Again, I'm very sorry.

Sprange Ben Lend Splotches Abruptly

2. gini nih kalo baca ulang. bintangnya harus turun satu. terjemahannya bikin deg-degan. rating tepatnya seh 3¼

jadi penasaran sama bahasa Inggrisnya

______________________________________________________________

Jika Anda pernah mengeluh bahwa sebuah buku p...more

11 likes · like · see review

Jun 18, 2010 miaaa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to miaaa by: Goodreads Indonesia

Shelves: non-fictions-others

I think life's an irrational obsession.
Sean Penn

And I solemnly think this book is about obsession, which has a shallow and fragile border with insanity. A man with disturbed upbringings, John Gilkey, sets the world to his own rules of fairness and rights. Whatever impacts his conducts may have caused to others would never bother him, or he simply pretends not to. And somehow whilst reading this magnificent journal, I can't divert my mind from Carlos María Domínguez's The Paper House.

Prior read...more

13 likes · like · see review

May 12, 2013 Lisa Vegan rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: more for those studying psychopathology than for bibliophiles

Recommended to Lisa by: Lesley

Shelves: books-about-books, biography, gr-author, non-fiction, history, san-francisco, bookclub, altta, reviewed, mental-illness

I’d wanted to read this book since it was first published (I first learned of it, and Gilkey, from one of my local independent bookstores), and so I was grateful when my real world book club decided to read it.

It was not exactly what I’d expected, a book about a man who loves books, and happens to steal them. The man in question is less a book lover and more a narcissist, sociopath and thief, primarily but not exclusively stealing books.

I was not as enthralled as I’d expected to be. I was appall...more I’d wanted to read this book since it was first published (I first learned of it, and Gilkey, from one of my local independent bookstores), and so I was grateful when my real world book club decided to read it.

It was not exactly what I’d expected, a book about a man who loves books, and happens to steal them. The man in question is less a book lover and more a narcissist, sociopath and thief, primarily but not exclusively stealing books.

I was not as enthralled as I’d expected to be. I was appalled and I did remain interested, but not quite as fascinated as I’d expected to be, given how much I like books and given how owning/losing books has been such an important influence in my life, and given that this is a true story with a focus on San Francisco. I tend to be especially interested in San Francisco themed books. I did find this man’s family history very intriguing. I also enjoyed the information about rare book collectors and dealers, and some of the history about books in various cultures.

I know this is irrational but at times as I read I felt like a guilty witness.

I was particularly infuriated about the stealing from libraries, including my (SFPL) public library. I do often see the only copy/all the copies listed as “missing” in the online catalog. I’d known some of those books might have been stolen but always assumed they were more likely to have been lost.

I wish the footnotes that contain additional stories and text had been incorporated into the book proper because they were distracting as footnotes and the ones with extra stories could just have easily been included in the main part of the book.

What I enjoyed most was recognizing so many of the San Francisco settings.

One thing I learned is that, despite owning so many books, I am not a book collector, as the term is used here. I don’t aim to acquire valuable or rare books, not even signed first editions. And I have to say I’m grateful I’m a heavy duty user of the library. I don’t want people like Gilkey coming into my place to steal anything.

I’d recommend this book less for bibliophiles and more for readers interested in psychopathology.

3 to 3 ½ stars, which means it was a bit of a disappointment, but I still liked it.(less)

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Mar 21, 2012 Jeffrey Keeten rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book belongs to none but me
For there's my name inside to see.
To steal this book, if you should try.
It's by the throat that you'll hang high.
And ravens then will gather 'bout
To find your eyes and pull them out.
And when you're screaming
"Oh, Oh, Oh!"
Remember, you deserved this woe.
---Warning written by medieval German scribe

Fortunately for me I live in the part of the world that couldn't conceive of a book being of a value worthy of stealing. Thieves here are more interested in cash...more This book belongs to none but me
For there's my name inside to see.
To steal this book, if you should try.
It's by the throat that you'll hang high.
And ravens then will gather 'bout
To find your eyes and pull them out.
And when you're screaming
"Oh, Oh, Oh!"
Remember, you deserved this woe.
---Warning written by medieval German scribe

Fortunately for me I live in the part of the world that couldn't conceive of a book being of a value worthy of stealing. Thieves here are more interested in cash, and flat screen televisions than say a first edition of Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy.

This is the story of the rare book dealer, Ken Sanders and his search for the book thief John Gilkey. I have issue with the title The Man Who Loved Books Too Much. I'm a bibliophile and suffer from bibliomania, but I would never, ever steal a book because for me ownership is directly tied to the fact that I paid for the book. There is no ownership, merely possession if an object is stolen. Gilkey felt that because he could not afford the books that he was justified in not only stealing the books, but stealing credit cards to use to purchase the books. The only victims as he saw it were the "rich" rare book dealers. He came up with elaborate schemes to put booksellers at ease enough to filch their books, and at the same time went to great lengths to not be recognized.

Ken Sanders, a collector and rare book dealer out of Salt Lake City, started to notice a pattern in book thefts across the country, and put together a network through the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America to try and warn dealers about the rash of stolen rare books and thus the first biblodick was born. This story is about John Gilkey and Ken Sander's detective work in bringing him to justice. It is too bad that John Gilkey, to some degree, achieved the fame he wanted through the writing of this book, but without him the efforts of Ken Sanders could not be lauded.

I have some respect for those book thieves that steal because they have a love of rare books. John Gilkey stole rare books because he perceived the ownership of rare volumes to equate with the respect he craved. He wanted people to come over and be impressed by the rare books on his shelves and see him as an educated, smoking jacket wearing, bourbon drinking, blue blood aristocrat. He was never any of those things. He was just a man who did not want to work for a living and yet wanted to own the finer things in life, not because he loved those items, but because he wanted to be perceived as someone who owned those fine objects.

The moments when the author stepped into the book annoyed me. In fact if she had not done such a wonderful job of interviewing the rare book dealers and conveying their views and life, I would have rated this book much lower. When she would sit around and whine about not really understanding book collecting, I would find myself grinding my teeth. I was starting to question if she was really the right person to tell this story. Luckily those moments involving the author were few and far between, and frankly could have been left out of the book.

It has been many years now since I used to work a booth at the San Francisco Book Fair, but it brought a smile to my face whenever she would mention a name of a rare book dealer that I had the pleasure to meet. This is a book for book people, but also those that enjoy a real life detective story.
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Jun 26, 2010 Sweetdhee rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bahasa-indonesia-terjemahan, punya

Dia GAK CINTA buku sama sekali!!

Huh!!! Apanya yang Loved the Books Too Much?
Apa?
Alasan Gilkey mencuri buku-buku itu cuma pengen pamer, cuma obsesi memiliki perpustakaan seperti orang-orang kaya
Dia baca ga tuh buku-buku?
Cuma satu, Lolita!!
Sisanya?

Tapi suka banget sama narasi nya Allison (eh, ini bisa disebut sebagai narasi ga sih?).
Gara-gara nemu buku langka Krautterbuch, Allison menelusuri jejak Ken Sanders sang bibliodick (penjual buku yang merangkap detekfif) dan John Gilkey, sang pencuri bu...more

8 likes · like · see review

Nov 11, 2012 April rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, non-fiction, books-about-books

The Man who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett is a work of narrative non-fiction. This means it's most likely not going to be a snooze like your earth science textbook! I think that anybody reading this review most likely loves books. If you don't love books, why oh why are you here?
Read the rest of my review here

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Apr 19, 2012 Mike (the Paladin) rated it 2 of 5 stars

I'm afraid I must admit to a bit of judgmentalism here. I was very annoyed at this book and skimmed a lot. I know a lot of people enjoyed it...but I couldn't help but feel that the author was just too "understanding" of the book thief.

I mean we get all this "explanation" on how he dreamed of having this extensive valuable library, of collecting books (and also other things) so, he stole them.

Okay, I dream of $1000 suites, $100,000 cars and multimillion dollar houses...maybe plus of course, book...more I'm afraid I must admit to a bit of judgmentalism here. I was very annoyed at this book and skimmed a lot. I know a lot of people enjoyed it...but I couldn't help but feel that the author was just too "understanding" of the book thief.

I mean we get all this "explanation" on how he dreamed of having this extensive valuable library, of collecting books (and also other things) so, he stole them.

Okay, I dream of $1000 suites, $100,000 cars and multimillion dollar houses...maybe plus of course, books. Should I just steal them? Start my own Ponzi Scheme? Rip off some one or some ones who have what I want? I mean, it's okay to just rip off someone who has something you want, right?

No, the book follows the "exploits" of our thief and his would be Nemesis, but I couldn't really get into it. It may be more interesting when I'm not so swamped I suppose, but mostly I just skimmed through this one. I'll mention a couple of other things below the "spoiler line" but bottom line, not my choice...2 stars as I skipped along just to get through it.

(view spoiler)(less)

10 likes · like · see review

Jul 09, 2011 Michelle (In Libris Veritas) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, true-crime, nonfiction, arc

I'm so happy I won this book on Goodreads. The title alone was enough to hook me, I mean how can you love books too much?! Well apparently you can and John Gilkey was tremendously good at it. I've always wanted to collect books thanks to Beauty and the Beast, and this was right up my alley.

For someone who has no idea how or where to start with book collecting I would say that this was the perfect introduction to the world of rare books. There are definitions of the lingo and great explanations a...more

5 likes · like · see review

Dec 16, 2009 Mahlon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone who loves this site

Recommended to Mahlon by: C-Span

Allison Hoover Bartlett's The Man Who Loved Books too Much tells the story of John Gilkey, a Narcissistic book thief who uses his job at Saks Fifth Avenue in SF to steal credit card numbers so that he can finance the library to which he believes he's entitled, and Ken Sanders, a rare book dealer turned detective, who is determined to catch him. Gilkey's story is merely a jumping off point for Bartlett however, she uses it to take the reader on a fascinating tour of the world of rare book collect...more

8 likes · like · see review

Jun 07, 2010 Harun Harahap rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: punya, non-fiksi, terjemahan

Kesan yang saya baca:

1. Menurut saya, Gilkey itu sakit jiwa. Bukan karena dia pencuri tapi alasan dan pembenaran yang dia gunakan. Dia mempertanyakan mengapa yang lain dapat memiliki buku-buku langka sedangkan dia tidak. Dia tidak menyadari bahwa orang lain harus bekerja keras dan mendapatkan uang untuk membeli buku-buku tersebut. Sedangkan Gilkey yang sakit jiwa melakukannya dengan jalan pintas yaitu mencuri dan menipu. Gilkey ingin sekali dianggap sebagai seseorang dari golongan atas/elite. Se...more

3 likes · like · see review

Oct 12, 2011 Zeek rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: literary, non-fiction, kindle

I felt it apropos that this be the first book that I bought on my Kindle a yr or so ago, bibliophile that I am. Ironic because this book is all about one man's obsession with obtaining precious and rare print books!

As the title states, The Man Who Loved Books Too Much follows the story of one John Charles Gilkey who became a prolific and, often ballsy, thief of rare books. With a twisted world view, Gilkey justifies stealing from hard working book sellers by filtering his behavior through his s...more I felt it apropos that this be the first book that I bought on my Kindle a yr or so ago, bibliophile that I am. Ironic because this book is all about one man's obsession with obtaining precious and rare print books!

As the title states, The Man Who Loved Books Too Much follows the story of one John Charles Gilkey who became a prolific and, often ballsy, thief of rare books. With a twisted world view, Gilkey justifies stealing from hard working book sellers by filtering his behavior through his sense of entitlement fostered by the perceived slights he endured all his life – mostly because of the “'unfair' system which wont allow him to have what he wants while others can.”

The guy is indeed skewed in his thinking, but he often got away with it because really, what police department has time to hunt down book thieves in the scheme of things? When he inevitably would get caught and prosecuted- because he refuses to stop- he would do his minimal time as penance and add one more slight to justify stealing again.

From Allison Hoover Bartlett's interviews, the guy proved himself to be a classic narcissist- he loved that the author was singling him out. And I could tell she did have to struggle a bit to justify writing the book, being a book lover herself. In fact she was often told “what you’re doing is, well, glorifying him”. (Because of the labor of love the independent book selling business is, it made his victims justifiably angry that he kept getting away with it, the depth of which those who don’t have the bibliophile gene could never really fully understand.) But I’m glad she did go forward with this book, because it’s surprisingly easy to empathize with Gilkey- well his obsession anyway- which makes for some compelling reading, imo.

Honestly, any true book lover has the same obsession to some degree. Even I think there’s nothing like owning a physical 1st edition book- especially one that “carries so much memory and meaning” for you, as Bartlett aptly put it. And, as she also points out- there’s power in books. (Why else would oppressive regimes works so hard to destroy them?) So yep, there’s a part of me that understands doing anything to own one. However, I do have a moral compass, so while I may understand his obsession, I cant condone stealing to feed it... But it makes for an entertaining read! :)

As evidenced by his conversations with Bartlett, Gilkey wants people to think he is so much more than the small man he really is. (He’s a nutbag- a charming, lucky, nutbag - but still a nutbag.) Believe it or not, at the time of the publishing of this book, he was still getting away with his criminal activity!? Makes me wonder for how much longer. A smart G-Man on the lookout for an easy collar might just be following Gilkey as we speak...

(For the record, it took me so long to finish reading this book because I only picked it up and read it when I didn’t feel like being social while waiting for oil changes, short flights and other odd “waiting” games life inevitably throws at us. In fact, I purposefully saved it for just that reason because I liked it so much!) (less)

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Jan 26, 2012 Ann rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: language-books

Narrative nonfiction books that deal with the more rarified forms of theft (books, art, orchids...) seem to follow a certain template. The author, usually a journalist, describes how he/she first of heard of "the story". He (let's make it a "he" for practical purposes) starts pursuing it with the zeal of Woodward and Bernstein tracking down the Watergate story. The author takes frequent pauses from the story to reflect on his own attitude towards the coveted objects, his tireless pursuit of trut...more Narrative nonfiction books that deal with the more rarified forms of theft (books, art, orchids...) seem to follow a certain template. The author, usually a journalist, describes how he/she first of heard of "the story". He (let's make it a "he" for practical purposes) starts pursuing it with the zeal of Woodward and Bernstein tracking down the Watergate story. The author takes frequent pauses from the story to reflect on his own attitude towards the coveted objects, his tireless pursuit of truth, and the strange way reality and story begin to blend while he struggles to maintain the most stringent journalistic standards. He meets the protagonist (extra points are apparently awarded if interviews take place in jail) and discovers that every villain is being pursued, Javert-like, by a dedicated and usually somewhat maverick avenger.

And so it goes here. The story can be resumed in a few lines. A man named John Gilkey stole numerous rare books in the early 2000s by the simple expedient of ordering them over the phone with stolen credit card numbers. His nemesis was Ken Sanders, seller of rare books and head of security of Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America, who alerted other booksellers of the thief's characteristic modus operandi. One day, while picking up a fraudulent order, John Gilkey was arrested. The author interviewed him multiple times and came to the conclusions that 1. Gilkey stole rare books because he wanted the patina of elegance, refinement and erudition that a well-stocked library bestows and 2. Gilkey felt no scruples about stealing the books he coveted. Gilkey was eventually released from prison and one wonders whether he will be able to stay on the straight and narrow.

That's about it. There's really not enough material here to fill an entire book with. So the author gives us a lot of anecdotes about her own favorite books, some thumbnail descriptions of the book sellers she meets, a handful of historical tidbits about famous booklovers and book thieves, and some musings about ethics (what should she do if Gilkey reveals an hitherto unrecognized theft to her?!).

Altogether too thin a story with too much padding.

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Jan 16, 2012 Colleen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

The book has a cool premise - following a book thief, trying to understand his motivations and whatnot, and also following the man whose quest it is to stop the thief.

And yet...

I think it could've been cool as a sort of "based on true story" kind of fiction. I think it could've even worked better if the author wrote it focusing on the people in the story more than herself.

See, she spoke a lot about what she did to get the story. The interviews she did, the research she undertook, her ethical di...more

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May 10, 2010 Truly rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Semua pencuri buku adalah pembohong sejati!

Baru kali ini saya menyesal bisa membaca dengan cepat! Walau setiap hari memaksa membaca hanya sekian halaman, tetap saja buku ini selesai dalam hitungan hari. Ceritanya sungguh sayang untuk ditamatkan dalam waktu singkat. Apa boleh buat, lain kali ini ini pasti saya baca lagi, lagi dan lagi.

Bagi kolektor buku, buku dinilai bukan dari isinya. Bahkan banyak diantara mereka yang tidak membaca buku koleksinya. Mereka menilai buku dari bentuk fisik, saat p...more

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Apr 04, 2012 Sam Sattler rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-on-books

Despite its main 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 Obsession, to learn that “the man” in question had a much different problem/obsession.

That John Gilkey is an obsessed book collector is beyond question. Gilkey’s gnawing desire to own rare books, ho...more Despite its main 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 Obsession, to learn that “the man” in question had a much different problem/obsession.

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 display 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 was more reluctant than Gilkey to discuss what motivated him to dedicate so much of his time to Gilkey’s capture and arrest. He preferred, rather, 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 combined the insights she gained from those interviews with her own research to recount the history of book lust and book theft from its 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 obsession. (less)

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May 19, 2010 astried rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010

I wanted to like this book, but I can't. I thought it would be a story about a man who loved book too much, but it wasn't. Sure, he wanted books so much that he stole it, but not because a book contains story. He only stole it because he thought wealthy people should have an imposing library, because first print books have high monetary value. It's like treating book like Prada bags or whatever other silly wealth symbols. I never could understand the power or need of marked merchandise and it an...more

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Feb 07, 2011 Mag rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: audio, audible

This book is about Gilkey, an odd individual, who seemingly loves books and steals them to surround himself with them. He steals expensive books- first editions of mainly American literature. He has been caught and has served time, and cannot even enjoy the books he has stolen- he has them stored away in a place he rarely visits. Yet, he has not done anything to be able to enjoy them or to acquire them through legal means. Collecting and petty crime run in his family; it seems that acquiring new...more

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Sep 25, 2011 Asra Ghouse rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: must-reads

Are you willing to serve a term of 18 months in prison for the love of books?

The true story of Ken Sanders and John Gilkey who play cat and mouse game- Ken chasing Gilkey for his thefts of rare books. This is a fascinating biographical fiction. The author who interviews both John and Ken on the issue narrates the story. It involves strange and interesting recounts of John's thefts and equally intriguing strategies on Ken's part to capture John.

Embedded into the story are the author's own feelin...more

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Apr 29, 2010 Anita Dalton rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-about-books, non-fiction, true-crime, books-we-own

This book engrossed me for reasons I did not anticipate when I started reading it. The story of this particular book thief is not as interesting as some other book thieves of whom I have read. John Gilkey, who remains unrepentant concerning his thefts of rare books from dealers, may one day become a man who steals rare books from libraries, as the book indicates he may be doing right now, but his thefts were more prosaic: He stole credit card numbers during his job as a retail clerk and used the...more

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Jan 01, 2010 Michelle rated it 1 of 5 stars

"An entire book about the love of books, The Man Who Loved Books Too Much is equal parts ode to books, specifically rare books, and insight into one man's psyche. Mr. Gilkey and Mr. Sanders make for interesting, albeit somewhat stilted, reading. It is written about a love of books driving one's actions by someone who truly does love books. That love makes itself apparent in the loving, almost erotic, way that Ms. Barrett describes her favorite childhood books or viewing some of the rare books sh...more "An entire book about the love of books, The Man Who Loved Books Too Much is equal parts ode to books, specifically rare books, and insight into one man's psyche. Mr. Gilkey and Mr. Sanders make for interesting, albeit somewhat stilted, reading. It is written about a love of books driving one's actions by someone who truly does love books. That love makes itself apparent in the loving, almost erotic, way that Ms. Barrett describes her favorite childhood books or viewing some of the rare books she finds. As she explains it, the love of books is more than visceral. It includes the experience of reading one and the memories associated with that reading. I wholeheartedly agree with this idea, and her statement that the experience behind reading is what will keep the written word in print form around forever.[return][return][return]Unfortunately, this book is not without its drawbacks. Ms. Barrett describes Mr. Gilkey as someone who has found his purpose in life, and even though that purpose may be against the law, it makes him happy and gives his life meaning. She even tries to compare his life with someone who works in a dead-end job and has nothing in the way of motivation. It's an interesting comparison but one that falls short of the truth, in my opinion. Truly, the title of the book is a misnomer in that Mr. Gilkey does not love books, he loves the IDEA of books. His entire life has been fabricated around an idea that possessions make a man. His whole purpose behind stealing books is to build a fabulous library, such as those found in movies or seen when touring historical homes of the fantastically wealthy. He doesn't love the books but loves what he thinks they can bring to him - respect, wealth, status in society. Worse yet, Mr. Gilkey operates under a false sense of entitlement that it is not fair that only a select few can afford the truly wonderful rare books and therefore sets about to personally settle the score by stealing those same books. It is an interesting, somewhat disturbing philosophy, one that Ms. Barrett hints he learned from his family. [return][return][return]Mr. Sanders, the hero of the novel, is also interesting. What is so intriguing is the idea that throughout her research, he continues to distrust Ms. Barrett and her motives. This distrust makes itself apparent in the rather unflattering light in which she portrays him. He's the hero but is not discussed nearly as often as Mr. Gilkey. At one point in time in the novel, Ms. Barrett mentions her struggle with not making Mr. Gilkey appear more sympathetic than he deserves. Unfortunately, she does not succeed in this endeavor, as she paints Mr. Sanders in a more unfavorable light than Mr. Gilkey. [return][return][return]My biggest issue with this book is the author's actions. She loses her sense of being an impartial observer as she finds herself drawn to the mystery that is Mr. Gilkey's motives behind his thievery. As she starts to rationalize his behavior as well as her own in not going to the authorities when he discusses his crimes with her, she receives his sympathy, which shows very clearly on the page. I also took issue with Ms. Barrett's lack of ethics. While researching this book, Mr. Gilkey did share with her knowledge of several crimes of his, and yet even though she felt uncomfortable about her part in these proceedings to warrant discussing it with lawyers, she does nothing about her continued misgivings. In this case, she lets the story get in the way of her ethics, and I have major problems with her lack of ethical behavior and impartiality.[return][return] [return][return]Ms. Barrett waffles between telling the story of Ms. Sanders and Mr. Gilkey, often jumping from topic to topic and including her own commentary with very little bridge between the sections. It makes for very disjointed reading as well as causing difficulties relating to any of the characters on the page. These negative issues with the book are disappointing because taken as a whole, I thoroughly enjoyed my view into the world of rare book collecting. I would love to be able to own one or two rare books myself but unlike serious collectors, I would own them to read them. Even though I was disturbed by the author's behavior towards Mr. Gilkey and his lack of responsibility for his actions, I would recommend this to any bibliophiles as merely an interesting read from one book lover to another.[return][return][return]Speaking of bibliophiles, Ms. Barrett defines both bibliophiles and bibliomaniacs. To me, there is such a fine line between the two that the differences are purely personal. As a book blogger, who devotes her free time to reading, where do we fit in among book lovers? Have we crossed the threshold to bibliomania or does that word only apply to serious collectors? Thoughts?"(less)

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Mar 25, 2010 Brian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010

A very interesting story about rare books thief John Gilkey, who has so suppressed his conscience with lies he no longer sees stealing as morally wrong. He has his own vocabulary to avoid words like theft, crime, etc. For example, to do “business” with a dealer is to have stolen from him. The author writes, “[he:] was particularly taken with Nietzsche’s idea that if a law or system is unjust, to break it down, to go against it, is not wrong. Apparently the unfair system Gilkey had in mind was on...more

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Nov 10, 2009 Shellie (Layers of Thought) rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: older book lovers - who like quirky and psychological real life dramas

Recommended to Shellie (Layers of Thought) by: Penguin Books

Shelves: genre-mystery-thriller-true-crime, genre-non-fiction, books-about-books, blog-reviews, favorites, read-in-2009, fav-non-fiction

I would give this book 4.5 stars. Highly recommended.
This is an intriguing and psychologically complex book. Written by journalist Allison Hoover Bartlett who inadvertently finds herself in possession of a valuable and very old book. It is a German tome written in 1630 called Krueterbuch – plant book, by Hieronymus Boch. Its weight is 12 pounds.

Her curiosity takes her beyond her research for the owners of the Boch book. What she discovers about the nature of old books and the ease by which they...more
I would give this book 4.5 stars. Highly recommended.
This is an intriguing and psychologically complex book. Written by journalist Allison Hoover Bartlett who inadvertently finds herself in possession of a valuable and very old book. It is a German tome written in 1630 called Krueterbuch – plant book, by Hieronymus Boch. Its weight is 12 pounds.

Her curiosity takes her beyond her research for the owners of the Boch book. What she discovers about the nature of old books and the ease by which they are pilfered, leads her to believe that this is the probable story behind this ancient book as well. As she begins to explore, she comes across a community of old book lovers whose interests lay beyond that of the garden variety paperback book collector. They are book experts and aficionados whom care for, collect, and sell books with values of hundreds of dollars and beyond.

Interestingly, Bartlett finds that within the peripherals of this community there is a man named John Charles Gilkey. He is of questionable character and psychological health, and in an obsessive fashion values books beyond the norm. His goal is to acquire books through some very convoluted and interesting means, and his justification of those means is fascinating. He also triggers a series of events within the community. As the sellers become entrenched in their losses and their desire to capture this man, we find out about these experts, sellers, and collectors, as well as the inevitable obsessed “biblio-dick” (book detective), whom all in turn converge to find “the man who loves books too much”.

The Man who Loved Books too Much is a wonderful, interesting, and quirky read. I laughed. I reminisced. I was amazed and fascinated. I wanted to enter this world. To touch, smell, and read these old and special books.

I would recommend this book for book lovers, non fiction lovers, true crime fiction aficionados, persons interested in psychological intrigue, and those whom are “slightly older” since some of the references in the book are connected to the 1960’s and 70’s and may be lost on a younger reader.

On a more personal note since reading this I have had to restrain myself from creating my own little obsession. That would be researching these amazing texts, special books, and first editions, as well as purchasing them. This could be the figurative “rabbit hole” for me. My relationship with readable books is enough without bringing an additional obsession with ancient and valuable books too. *sigh*(less)

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Aug 24, 2011 Thomas Andrikus rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favourites

Readers are welcomed to the rustic cover displaying a plethora of (presumably) ancient tomes, which serves as an excellent overture to the monde of rare books and its collectors. Despite the factual account of the story, the book tends to unfold in a fiction-like pace.

Regardless what one thinks of the alleged kleptomaniac book thief (whether he is truly cultured or simply cunning), one could delve into how actual, physical books can still hold dear values for us, even in this world of iPad and N...more

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Feb 22, 2011 Pammie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is situational irony at its best: reading a book about a man driven to collect rare books because of a love of their feel, weight, looks, smell---in an electronic edition. I don't know whether to laugh or hang my head in shame!

I was expecting to like Gilkey...but I didn't. What a jerk! Bartlett does a good job of showing the reader what she went through in her own head in dealing with him.

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May 13, 2013 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars

Really enjoyed this book, more than I had expected. It combines my interest in books with my interest in crime stories, along with the psychology of what motivates people to act the way they do. Actually once I started it, I had to finish it within a 24hr. period.

Since there are already plenty of reviews detailing what the book is about, I'll skip that & just give my personal thoughts. I do, however, want to point out that while the book tells the story of book collectors of various levels o...more Really enjoyed this book, more than I had expected. It combines my interest in books with my interest in crime stories, along with the psychology of what motivates people to act the way they do. Actually once I started it, I had to finish it within a 24hr. period.

Since there are already plenty of reviews detailing what the book is about, I'll skip that & just give my personal thoughts. I do, however, want to point out that while the book tells the story of book collectors of various levels of intensity, there's a lot of thought provoking questioning about where does a hobby of collecting turn into a compulsion and out of control obsession? And what motivates one to collect books? Is there an emotional bond to the story or author, or is it a need to make an image for oneself? Because of the author's repeated questioning I began to examine my own relationship with books, so in an odd way I found this book rather "deep".

One thing that kept coming to my mind was how I found it kind of funny reading how this book thief would admit & deny stealing just about like how Ted Bundy admitted while denying killing! Of course their individual crimes are vastly different, even so, they both had the obsessive compulsions, the rationalizing, the charming gentleman-criminal affect etc. causing me to ponder the glaringly similar personalities of these men that cannot conform to society's laws. How do they get so mixed up in their own heads??

Then I sat and wondered if I could have any book in the entire world, which one(s) would I consider a most valued treasure? Probably a Geneva Bible owned by John Calvin. WOW! Columbus' Log Book would be nice to see, touch, hold, own.

Almost like after having read about a romance, I'm more aware than ever that I think of my books as friends. And like Gilkey I'm drawn to the large (Chicago) Public Library. Sitting there, surrounded by books is almost like being in a Church; a sacred refuge.

I'd definitely recommend this book to devout book lovers. But also to anyone interested in the psychology criminal behavior. (less)

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May 04, 2013 Cheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars

My notes on the book as posted on BookCrossing (this book was received as part of a bookring):

A really quick and compelling read that I quite enjoyed. I was delighted to find out that the "bibliodick" in the book had once been the owner of Cosmic Airplane in Salt Lake City -- a place I heard legends about growing up in Utah, but never got to visit. I found that I related to him quite well, to the author not as much, and to Gilkey the book thief not at all.

I was surprised, because the premise of...more My notes on the book as posted on BookCrossing (this book was received as part of a bookring):

A really quick and compelling read that I quite enjoyed. I was delighted to find out that the "bibliodick" in the book had once been the owner of Cosmic Airplane in Salt Lake City -- a place I heard legends about growing up in Utah, but never got to visit. I found that I related to him quite well, to the author not as much, and to Gilkey the book thief not at all.

I was surprised, because the premise of the title is that he loved books too much, something that I (and I'm sure many fellow BookCrossers) would not have dreamed possible. But I really came away thinking that he loved himself too much -- he felt entitled to have the books that he wanted simply because he wanted them. For all my love of books and my obsessive pursuit of them, I have never stolen a book or even considered it. I would sooner rob a grave -- it just seems so wrong to me to taint something as precious as a book by stealing it. Gilkey did not see things the same way -- he wants the books and he thinks he should have them, plain and simple. And every time he is thwarted in his pursuit of stolen books even the least little bit -- by a dealer who doesn't answer the phone when he calls to inquire about the inventory -- he feels completely justified in stealing a book from the person who thwarted him. Clearly his parents did not raise him with any values, as evidenced by their complicity in his crimes, nor did they teach him the value of earning something vs deserving it.

I am impressed that this is the author's first book and look forward to reading many others by her. She has a great conversational style and is willing to reveal her own personal demons and confusion which allows you into the story in a very real way. Like her, I will always be more attached to books for their stories (the ones on the page and the ones about how the book came into my hands) than for their value or rarity, but I enjoyed getting to know more about the world of rare and antique books.(less)

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Mar 26, 2013 Jen rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book was ultimately disappointing. The stories of the two main subjects, Gilkey and Sanders, are definitely fascinating, as are a number of the anecdotes sprinkled throughout regarding other famous book thefts, cons, and stories. The problem is that Bartlett manages to take this fascinating material and relate it in the least interesting way possible. Not only is the way she chooses to detail the events very boring (too much direct quoting of her interviews, most of which took place well af...more

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Jan 24, 2013 Voracious_reader rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 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...more 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 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.
(less)

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Nov 21, 2012 Russell Atkinson rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The reviewers who rate this low often say it is too long for the material, and they have a valid point, but I enjoyed it. Gilkey, the subject of the book, reminds me of many other criminals I dealt with in my years in the FBI, rationalizing his thievery, so that part wasn't very surprising. I did find the book to be a fascinating peek into the world of rare book collectors. Good nonfiction teaches you something you didn't know before, and this succeeds handsomely at that. The lack of care agains...more

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About Allison Hoover Bartlett

Allison Hoover Bartlett is the author of the national bestseller, The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession. She has written on a variety of topics, including travel, art, science and education, for the New York Times, the Washington Post, San Francisco Magazine, and other publications. Her original article on book thief John Gilkey...more

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“The difference between a person who appreciates books, even loves them, and a collector is not only degrees of affection, I realized. For the former, the bookshelf is a kind of memoir; there are my childhood books, my college books, my favorite novels, my inexplicable choices. Many matchmaking and social networking websites offer a place for members to list what they're reading for just this reason: books can reveal a lot about a person. This is particularly true of the collector, for whom the bookshelf is a reflection not just of what he has read but profoundly of who he is: 'Ownership is the most intimate relationship that one can have to objects. Not that they can come alive in him; it is he who comes alive in them,' wrote cultural critic Walter Benjamin.” — 6 people liked it

“A book is much more than a delivery vehicle for its contents.” — 4 people liked it

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