steiner@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU (Dave Steiner) (12/15/85)
I'm looking for novels (mysteries and SF especially, but not
exclusively) that are about books/bookshops in some way. I've just
picked up two mysteries that fall into this catagory:
Bodies in a Bookshop, by R.T. Campbell
The Haunted Bookshop, by Christopher Morley
Anyone know of any others?
Also, a slightly harder request: novels (M. & SF esp) about pipes &
pipe smoking. I doubt if there are many books dealing specifically
with that but any that mention it a lot will do. Eg, in both the
above books, most of the (male) characters smoked pipes and in the
Morley book they talk a lot about pipe smoking.
thanks,
ds
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uucp: ...{harvard, seismo, ut-sally, sri-iu, ihnp4!packard}!topaz!steiner
arpa: Steiner@RUTGERS or Steiner@RED.RUTGERS.EDUcitrin@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU (Wayne Citrin) (12/16/85)
In article <4274@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU> steiner@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU (Dave Steiner) writes: >I'm looking for novels (mysteries and SF especially, but not >exclusively) that are about books/bookshops in some way. First, I'd recommend "If on a Winter's Night a Traveler" by the late Italo Calvino. It's quite hard to describe, but it's quite ingenious. Available in paperback at any good bookstore. I would also recommend "The Name of the Rose" by Umberto Eco. It's a mystery that's also about books and libraries. Also available in paperback. Both of the above books can be read at any of a number of levels. Finally, I would recommend a short piece by Jorge Luis Borges called something like "The Library in Babylon" or "The Labyrinth in Babylon" (the name escapes me) which can be found in a paperback collection of Borges' works called "Labyrinths." This piece was one of the inspirations for Eco's book. Wayne Citrin (ucbvax!citrin)
citrin@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU (Wayne Citrin) (12/16/85)
In article <11249@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> citrin@ucbvax.UUCP (Wayne Citrin) writes: > >Finally, I would recommend a short piece by Jorge Luis Borges called >something like "The Library in Babylon" or "The Labyrinth in Babylon" >(the name escapes me) which can be found in a paperback collection >of Borges' works called "Labyrinths." This piece was one of the >inspirations for Eco's book. > The Borges piece that I was referring to is "The Library of Babel," not to be confused with "The Lottery in Babylon," which can also be found in the same volume. Wayne Citrin (ucbvax!citrin)
citrin@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU (Wayne Citrin) (12/17/85)
In article <4274@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU> steiner@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU (Dave Steiner) writes: > >Also, a slightly harder request: novels (M. & SF esp) about pipes & >pipe smoking. > Not a novel, but a short story: "Maigret's Pipe," by Georges Simenon, in the collection of the same name. Pipes are mentioned fairly frequently in the Maigret mysteries. Wayne Citrin (ucbvax!citrin)
rwh@aesat.UUCP (Russ Herman) (12/17/85)
Lawrence Block's crime series with Bernie Rhodenbarr are a well-written,
amusing set of books about a sneak thief who is a rare- and used-
book dealer. _The Burglar Who (?) Kipling_ is entirely about a inscribed
rare book.
--
______ Russ Herman
/ \ {allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!aesat!rwh
@( ? ? )@
( || ) The opinions above are strictly personal, and
( \__/ ) do not reflect those of my employer (or even
\____/ possibly myself an hour from now.)putnam@steinmetz.UUCP (jefu) (12/19/85)
In article <4274@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU> steiner@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU (Dave Steiner) writes: >I'm looking for novels (mysteries and SF especially, but not >exclusively) that are about books/bookshops in some way. I've just >picked up two mysteries that fall into this catagory: > >Bodies in a Bookshop, by R.T. Campbell >The Haunted Bookshop, by Christopher Morley > >Anyone know of any others? "If on a Winters Night a Traveller" by Italo Calvino. This probably doesnt count as being about bookshops, but it is certainly about books. It does have a section on bookshops and the book-o-phile which is very true and funny -- its so good im tempted to quote a bit. (I'll resist the temptation because the last time i took it off the shelf and started to look at it, i rapidly got completely absorbed in it and couldnt put it down). Read it anyway. -- O -- jefu tell me all about -- UUCP: {rochester,edison}!steinmetz!putnam Anna Livia! I want to hear all.... -- ARPA: putnam@GE-CRD
krantz@csd2.UUCP (Michaelntz) (12/25/85)
/* csd2:net.books / putnam@steinmetz.UUCP (jefu) / 4:41 am Dec 19, 1985 */ In article <4274@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU> steiner@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU (Dave Steiner) writes: >>I'm looking for novels (mysteries and SF especially, but not >>exclusively) that are about books/bookshops in some way. I've just >>picked up two mysteries that fall into this catagory: >> >>Bodies in a Bookshop, by R.T. Campbell >>The Haunted Bookshop, by Christopher Morley >> >>Anyone know of any others? >"If on a Winters Night a Traveller" by Italo Calvino. >This probably doesnt count as being about bookshops, but it is certainly about >books. It also happens to be a very, very fine piece of writing. In the interest of encouraging net.books to get more literary, I will add that Philip Roth's "Goodbye, Columbus" has as its protagonist a young librarian, and some portions of the story take place in a public library. But tell us all, please, WHY you are looking for such books, so we can sleep again... Yours Literarily, Michael Krantz, Courant Institute, 251 Mercer Street, New York, NY 10012 - - - - - "The text reveals the process of its own production."
joyceb@ptsfc.UUCP (J. Black) (12/28/85)
I haven't read the book, but read a blurb in a magazine. "Chapter
and Hearse" is subtitled 'Suspense Stories About the World of Books'.
Edited by Marsha Muller and Bill Pronzini, it is a collection of 16
mysteries whose authors include Ngaio Marsh, Dorothy Sayers, Cornell
Woolrich, and Ellery Queen.
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...{ihpn4,dual}!ptsfa!ptsfc!joyceb