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

My rating:

add to my books

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

3.33 · rating details · 2,790 ratings · 910 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 t...more

Hardcover, 274 pages

Published September 17th 2009 by Riverhead Books (first published 2009)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die by Peter Boxall

Best Non-Fiction Books About Books and Reading

6th out of 117 books — 82 voters

Best Books of 2009

146th out of 1,146 books — 6,049 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 7,037)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Nov 14, 2011

Stephen rated it

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 tremen...more

like 50 likes

· see review

May 21, 2010

Δx Δp ≥ ½ ħ htgkvkkviholmvobsvzighxofyyzmw rated it

· 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

___________________________________________________...more

like 13 likes

· see review

Jun 18, 2010

miaaa rated it

· 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 ...more

like 14 likes

· see review

Jun 26, 2010

Sweetdhee rated it

· 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 bu...more

like 9 likes

· see review

May 24, 2010

Amang Suramang rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: indonesian, non-fiction, goodreads-indonesia, favorites

Pencuri buku? Aku adalah salah satunya. Cukup sering malah. Tidak ada pembenaran untuk itu. Kalau ditanya apa alasannya? Aku sering bingung. Kalau kujawab digerakkan karena rasa ingin tahu, sepertinya aku bisa saja membacanya sampai selesai di perpustakaan atau pinjam dari teman. Kalau dikatakan ingin memilikinya untuk dipamerkan seperti yang dilakukan John Charles Gilkey seperti dalam buku ini, aku pikir tidak juga. Aku tidak begitu suka memamerkan apa yang aku punya. Tapi aku tahu apa alasan y...more

like 31 likes

· see review

Oct 03, 2011

Mike (the Paladin) rated it

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 multimillio...moreI'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 so 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)

like 4 likes

· see review

Dec 16, 2009

Mahlon rated it

· 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

like 8 likes

· see review

Jul 09, 2011

Michelle rated it

Shelves: first-reads, true-crime, nonfiction, arc, in-libris-veritas-reviews

In compliance with FTC guidelines, I won this book through the First-reads program on Goodreads

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 w...more

like 5 likes

· see review

Jun 07, 2010

Harun Harahap rated it

· 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 at...more

like 3 likes

· see review

Oct 12, 2011

Zeek rated it

· 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 behavio...moreI 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)

like 4 likes

· see review

Jan 26, 2012

Ann rated it

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 tir...moreNarrative 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.

(less)

like 2 likes

· see review

Jan 16, 2012

± Colleen of the Crawling Chaos ± rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: b-b-4, 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...more

like 2 likes

· see review

May 10, 2010

Truly rated it

· 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...more

like 10 likes

· see review

May 19, 2010

astried rated it

· 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...moreI 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 annoyed me seeing books, a thing I love, treated as one.

Of course this is not the author's fault, after all she was only stating the fact. However how she presented her story bothered me too. For the whole span of the book she was so bewildered that this man has so little moral in him to steal *gasp* books! She couldn't grasp this idea of immorality and kept on pushing forward people who also loved books but didn't steal, which gets pretty stale midway of the book. On the other hand she didn't have any problem understanding that Gilkey used stolen money for a nice high-life holiday or two, which led me to believe that what Bartlett couldn't grasp was not his lack of moral but his target, books instead of jewel or sport cars. I could've told her not to bother thinking about it so much, obviously Gilkey treated books as monetary valuable goods and source of prestige, so why not books? He would've done the same had his fancy was taken by jewelry or cars.

So, my last grudge with this book is his method of stealing. I was imagining a daring operation involving breaking in a shop, library, highly secured museum... He could've at least stole it during open hours right in front of shop owner's nose hiding it inside his sweater... But no,it was credit card fraud *yawn* (I'm sorry, does this count as a spoiler?) I'd rather read more about this other guy who burnt down a house and killed 4 people to have the book he wanted. This book is truly a let down and dissapointment for me. (less)

like 11 likes

· see review

Feb 07, 2011

Mag rated it

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...more

like 1 like

· see review

Sep 25, 2011

Asra Ghouse rated it

· 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 ...more

like 1 like

· see review

Apr 29, 2010

Anita Dalton rated it

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

like 4 likes

· see review

Jan 01, 2010

Michelle rated it

"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 ...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)

like 1 like

· see review

Mar 25, 2010

Brian rated it

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 wa...more

like 1 like

· see review

Nov 10, 2009

Shellie (Layers of Thought) rated it

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, aa-blogged-reviews, favorites, read-in-2009, challenge-gr-fall-09, 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 ...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)

like 4 likes

· see review

Aug 24, 2011

Thomas Andrikus rated it

Shelves: fave

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 ...more

like 1 like

· see review

Feb 22, 2011

Pammie rated it

· 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.

like 2 likes

· see review

Jan 11, 2012

Johnny rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: history

This is a wonderful book about a dishonest bibliophile and an imaginative “bibliodick.” It is the story of a man who collected rare books via fraud (mostly credit card, some checks) and the bookseller who managed to catch him. It is a fascinating story for anyone who has lusted after a rare book (my visits to the British Library in London, the J. P. Morgan Library in Manhattan, and the Huntington Library in San Marino come to mind), purchased a rare book (the fact that I buy my books to mark up...moreThis is a wonderful book about a dishonest bibliophile and an imaginative “bibliodick.” It is the story of a man who collected rare books via fraud (mostly credit card, some checks) and the bookseller who managed to catch him. It is a fascinating story for anyone who has lusted after a rare book (my visits to the British Library in London, the J. P. Morgan Library in Manhattan, and the Huntington Library in San Marino come to mind), purchased a rare book (the fact that I buy my books to mark up and read keeps me out of the collector category, but I have some old volumes that I am delighted to have in spite of the fact that they are in such poor shape that they wouldn’t bear reselling), or read any of Dunning’s “Bookman” novels.

I couldn’t put this one down (literally reading it in one sitting). What really gripped me was the realization that this man, a flagrantly dishonest person, was desperately trying to build a library of rare books in order to be perceived as someone special. What really resonated as true was the way the thief explained himself (like every other dishonest person I’ve known) as simply trying to get even for all of the perceived injustices he had received at the hands of others (p. 136) and merely trying to strike back at those he perceived as perpetrating dishonest practices (as in reducing the values of first editions by claiming they had dust covers when they didn’t [I also didn’t realize that Lewis Carroll was the innovator behind the dust cover—p. 155] or by rebinding the title and information pages of a first edition which was in bad condition onto a second or third edition which was in good shape (p. 176)). Gilkey, the thief in this real-life adventure, even attributed dishonest behavior to others such as accusing book dealers of hiring people to check out books from libraries and never returning them (p. 180). Ironically, Gilkey claims never to have taken a book from a library like that because (his words) “…that would be stealing.” (p. 181). He also identified with existentialists saying, “The way they can’t differentiate between right and wrong, well, I’ve been thinking that could be me.” (p. 222) And the clincher was the brief note appended to the final chapter (not the Afterword).

In addition to the main story (catching Gilkey and its aftermath), there is a great anecdote about Don Vicente, a 19th century bookseller (former monk who had pilfered the library of his own monastery) who burned one man’s house and stabbed several others for their manuscripts. Asked why he hadn’t taken money from his victims, he protested, “I am not a thief.” (p. 204) I loved the quotation from a writer named Walter Benjamin (“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.” – p. 64) and the thought from Patricia Hampl (“Collecting is not a simple matter of possessing. It’s a way of looking: a looking that is itself a kind of craving. To look this way is to be possessed, lost.” – p. 75). I liked the writer’s observation that “Touring a personal library is a lot like going through someone’s family photo album…” (p. 110) and Milton’s observation that books are not ultimately “dead things” (p. 128) but preserve the intellect that created them within themselves (p. 129).

This is a delightful book, full of surprises like the classic riddle as to whether a man would be happier with a library full of all the world’s classics or with thirteen daughters. The answer is that the man with 13 daughters is happier because he knows he has enough. The implication should be obvious (p. 129). Of course, the most alarming quotation in the book was from more than one authority claiming that eBay is the “largest legalized fence of stolen property in the world.” (p. 152) It may be true.

As noted before, this book is highly recommended to anyone who cares about book and the people who love them (or maybe only obsess over them).
(less)

· see review

Nov 16, 2011

Becky rated it

Recommends it for: book collectors, book lovers

I enjoyed this book, especially the information about book collectors. Since I have been to Sanders' store before, it added a personal aspect for me.
What I didn't care for was that the timelines skipped around. Bartlett would talk about one interview with Gilkey and then skip ahead a few years to another interview then go back. I felt like that detracted from the story element of the book.

-------------------------------------------------------------
"I love to read book...more

· see review

Oct 27, 2011

Cyndi rated it

It is a quick easy read, some parts were very interesting. I guess I expected a bit more intrigue, suspense, etc. and got more of a long newspaper article.
I have always thought I loved books but discovered that while I have a few that have sentimental value, I love the things that books teach me more than the paper and ink that makes a book. I am in love with how powerful words are and the art of constructing them in such a way that they can convey thought, evoke strong emotions, and stay...more

like 1 like

· see review

Oct 23, 2011

Brent rated it

Shelves: non-fiction-story

This book was written by a journalist. I love reading the news and appreciate efforts to be informative while staying neutral. But sometimes that hurts the narrative. Not as exciting as it could be if more liberties were taken.

This is an interesting story. A guy grows up in a poor family and decides that he's going to break into the higher echelons of society by amassing a rare book collection. Bartlett repeatedly argued that acquiring this book collection by stealing was opposed to t...moreThis book was written by a journalist. I love reading the news and appreciate efforts to be informative while staying neutral. But sometimes that hurts the narrative. Not as exciting as it could be if more liberties were taken.

This is an interesting story. A guy grows up in a poor family and decides that he's going to break into the higher echelons of society by amassing a rare book collection. Bartlett repeatedly argued that acquiring this book collection by stealing was opposed to the values of these higher classes, which I kind of scoffed at, but the legitimacy of wealth in general is a different matter. What intrigued me the most about this story is somebody dedicated to doing something to achieve a status. I think this is fairly common as people do things they don't "really want to do" in order to advance or maintain a job or a relationship or something else that they do want. Compromise. The point when compromising becomes criminal is a line that lots of people purport to use in their decision making, but there seems to be lots of hypocrisy about this when one considers all the fraudulent business and personal deadlings in the world.

This book also spoke to me about games. It's easy to turn life into a game. A contest for something and if you win, you're better somehow. But all games are human creations and as such they're subject to human destruction. People play different games and they quit and switch in the middle. The only people you can beat are people who agree to keep being subject to a game that they've lost and people seem to do a lot to avoid that. But even in the big games that lots of people keep playing, there are outsiders who don't care. I don't know any rare book collectors myself, but after reading this book I feel like I have a more accurate picture of the market's scale. One could say that a man trying to break free of his impoverished roots should have gone after something less obscure than rare books, but I feel like that'd be missing the point. There is no universally accepted indicator of what kind of person you are. Everyone values things differently. That's why if you try to conform to some ultimate norm there's an emptiness because nobody can actually get there. No one qualifies as that. It's a game figuring out what things people are still going to care about after you get them.

Don't let other people tell you what you want.(less)

· see review

Oct 02, 2011

Wiebke rated it

Shelves: non-fiction, biography

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

· see review

Sep 29, 2011

Christine rated it

Shelves: crime, books-about-books

I enjoyed, but didn't love this. Long ago, I - somewhat reluctantly - acknowledged that as much as I love them, I am no collector of books. I'm happy to read them, and very happy to let them go when finished. So I can't actually say I relate to Gilkey. Gilkey claimed to be a reader, but it's actually kind of hard to believe he was. He was so focused on gathering a collection so that others would look at his books and think better of him, I'm guessing he didn't have much time or inclination for a...more

· see review

Sep 11, 2011

Amanda rated it

I read this book in two days. That's fast for "normal" me and lightening fast for "mother" me (the new normal I guess). You'd think I'd give a book that I clearly couldn't put down 5 stars, and it is true that enjoyed reading it. But... I have reservations about lavishing high praise on it, because I did not find it to be particularly insightful or enlightening, and I couldn't help thinking that the author was not quite someone I'd consider a kindred spirit. Do I take the...moreI read this book in two days. That's fast for "normal" me and lightening fast for "mother" me (the new normal I guess). You'd think I'd give a book that I clearly couldn't put down 5 stars, and it is true that enjoyed reading it. But... I have reservations about lavishing high praise on it, because I did not find it to be particularly insightful or enlightening, and I couldn't help thinking that the author was not quite someone I'd consider a kindred spirit. Do I take the reading of a book too personally? Well, of course I do.

My favorite parts about the books were learning about the rare book collectors; reading the descriptions about their stores, about their book discoveries, reading how much value they placed on the items in their collections, and I'm not talking about monetary value. I came away from this book wanting to tour the stores mentioned, wanting to see the stacks for myself, the locked cases with the highly precious texts. Even though the cover of this book advertises the collectors as the deep heart of the story, I did not feel they were quite given enough of the spotlight. For sure, the book opens spectacularly with the author's description of her first rare and antique book fair and the vignettes of some of the sellers with their quirks and their tall tales of treasures discovered, ended up being perhaps the best part of the book. And I read about the collectors with complete understanding -- that yearning for this particular volume, that feeling that books are sacred objects. The author herself admits to not quite understanding these bibliomaniacs, an aspect of her that I found puzzling (she's a writer!), and a little disappointing.

The worst part about the book cannot reasonably be blamed on the author (although since an author chooses her subject, maybe she can?) The "thief" John Gilkey was a despicable, petty thief. He is "the man who loved books too much" but for most of the book I had the irritating feeling that in fact he did not love books enough. He acquired them because he viewed them as status symbols, ownership of them indicating the height of intellect and achievement.

At first I had the strange sense that he didn't care about the books at all.... acquired many books he'd never read, drawn to them only because someone else had suggested to him their value. In that sense he was almost an impostor -- playing the act of someone intellectual and well-read.

The book almost suffered from a bit of false-advertising -- something about the jacket description had me envision a romantic art obsessed, clever thief - someone in the mold of Thomas Crowne (I admit to only knowing the Pierce Brosnan version), someone you might silently root for because he seemed to attend to a higher power. Someone who was a servant of the ART. I went into it envisioning an intriguing counter-play between thief and pursuer (the thoroughly likable but volatile book seller Ken Sanders). But instead the tale of Ken's pursuit of Gilkey was a mundane tale, bad credit card transactions and straightforward sting operations in hotel lobbies. Again, not so much the fault of the author, and maybe I romanticize things too much. Maybe it is telling that such a tale disappointed me.

Ms. Bartlett interviews John Gilkey numerous times, and from those segments (the greater portion of the rest of the book), we discover Gilkey to be a pathetic individual with a perverted sense of right and wrong. He never admits to stealing books, he simply acquires them, seems in fact to feel that he is the rightful owner of the books he steals, saying repeatedly how unfair it is for the sellers to keep these books away from the people who truly desire them (but cannot afford them). It was interesting how difficult it turns out to get law enforcement officials involved in catching him. Many seem not to understand why anyone would steal a book. Many seem not to imagine it possible that a book could be worth so much money.

Ms. Bartlett throughout the book, tries to get herself revved up about the obscure and 1st editions, but finally finds herself unable to understand the "gentle madness" that possesses the book collectors, so many of whom were ripped off by Gilkey. She alludes a few times over about how her involvement in the tale she was investigating became muddled and complicated, but the ultimate revelation of what she means by this was under-whelming, and unconvincing. The whole experience was supposedly very revelatory for her (to say why would be a "spoiler" I guess.) But I thought the epiphany came too late and wasn't fleshed out enough to really matter.

So stylistically and structurally I thought this book had some weaknesses. But as I said, I did enjoy the tale (despite my utter contempt and discomfort for and about Gilkey), and, as a book-lover myself, how could I not enjoy reading about collectors. The men and women in this book ALL appreciate books as objects. I have flirted with the idea of an e-reader -- they are sleek and attractive and I would love not to have to take a suitcase of books with me every time I go on a trip (which, let's face it, isn't THAT often), but finishing this book reminded me of how MUCH I appreciate being able to hold a book in my hand, feel the heft of a hardcover, smell the pages, as I fan them across my face. It saddens me too much to imagine that the book-as-object is a fading thing. And here, finally, I note that it is already beginning -- I purchased this book for 1$ at a Border's final closing day before going out of business. Sigh.

As a final note, I wrap up this review on 9/11/11. Books were not the only thing I thought about today. Peace. (less)

like 1 like

· see review

Sep 08, 2011

Craig rated it

A quick and interesting read. Non-fiction about an obsessed thief of rare books (John Gilkey)and the obsessive book detective (Ken Sanders of Salt Lake City) who catches him. The book also relates how the woman journalist author (Bartlett) gets sucked in by Gilkey's charisma and warped rationalizations of his thievery.

Gilkey steals most of the books through fraudulent credit card purchases, but the book also gives an interesting and specific history of book theft or "collector...more

· see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 234 235 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Clouds, Coffee &a...: Book collectors in general	18	8	Oct 15, 2011 09:51am

combine
Other Editions (13)

More editions...

Genres

Non Fiction

323 users

Writing > Books About Books

83 users

Crime > True Crime

51 users

Mystery > Crime

45 users

Biography

38 users

History

22 users

Mystery

17 users

Book Club

16 users

Adult

7 users

Autobiography > Memoir

6 users

See top shelves...

Readers Also Enjoyed

About Allison Hoover Bartlett

Allison Hoover Bartlett is the author of The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession (Riverhead Books, September 2009). She has written on a variety of topics, including travel, art, science and education, for the New York Times, the Washington Post, Salon.com, San Francisco Chronicle Magazine, San Francisco Magazine, and other public...more

More about Allison Hoover Bartlett...

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Pin It

Trivia About The Man Who Loved...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from The Man Who Loved Book...

“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.” — 3 people liked it

“It had a crisp paper jacket, unlike the paper-covered library books I was used to, and the way the pages parted, I could tell I was the first to open it ... I valued that half-dream state of being lost in a book so much that I limited the number of pages I let myself read each day in order to put off the inevitable end, my banishment from that world. I still do this. ” — 3 people liked it

More quotes…

Groups That Shelved The Man Who Loved...

Goodreads Indonesia

6345 members

last activity 36 minutes ago

shelf: read

Salt Lake County Library ...

500 members

last activity 10 hours, 1 min ago

shelf: read

Bookmarks Subscribers

322 members

last activity 7 hours, 40 min ago

shelf: read

title link	preview: The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession
avg rating	preview: The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Ob Goodreads rating: 3.33 (2790 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6251543-the-man-who-loved-books-too-much?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1326561008m/6251543.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6251543-the-man-who-loved-books-too-much?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]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[/url]

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

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Readers Also Enjoyed

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website