You remember the Overhaul? Where I look back at a previous ‘haul’ post on my blog and see how many of the books I’ve read. And it’s always a super embarrasingly low amount. Welp, here we are with another instalment!
The Overhaul #5
The original haul post is here, where you can find why I bought the books.
Date of haul: February 2011
Location: Edinburgh (lots of bookshops)
Number of books bought: 19
Right, let’s see how well I did with those 19!
Bernard Shaw and Mrs. Patrick Campbell – Their Correspondence
I have not read this, but who actually reads collections of letters? They’re just there in case they’re needed. Right?
- The Grasshoppers Come – David Garnett
It’s embarrassing how important Lady Into Fox was to my DPhil and how few other books by Garnett I read. I have not read this.
- Moor Fires – E.H. Young
I was very lucky to find this scarce EHY but… I have not read it. I really must read some more Young, because they’re always great.
- The Loved and Envied – Enid Bagnold
Why am I doing this to myself? I have not read this – or, indeed, anything by Bagnold. Is this a good place to start?
- Thunder on the Left – Christopher Morley
I… have not read this. I look it at often, though, if that counts.
- Designs for a Happy Home – Matthew Reynolds
This was one of the books I didn’t keep when I moved into my flat – and if you’re wondering if I read it before I got rid of it, the answer is no.
- A Model Childhood – Christa Wolf
I have read a novel by Christa Wolf since, but this is not it.
- A View of the Harbour – Elizabeth Taylor
Hurrah! I have read this! Yes! And it’s brilliant. Phew, that took a while, didn’t it?
- Our Spoons Came From Woolworths – Barbara Comyns
I have read this, but years ago and before I bought this copy. But, you know what, I’m going to count it. I since got rid of the first copy I had, but I kept this nice Virago Modern Classic with its Stanley Spencer painting on the cover.
- Fraulein Schmidt and Mr. Anstruther – Elizabeth von Arnim
I don’t think I ever review this, but I have read it and it’s brilliant – the way Arnim conveys both sides of a correspondence despite only giving us one side is masterly.
- The Caravaners – Elizabeth von Arnim
And I read this! One of my favourite E von As – an extended satire of dry humour, it’s very, very funny.
- Three Came Unarmed – E. Arnot Robertson
When I bought this, I had lots of E Arnot Robertson novels I hadn’t read already on my shelves. Well, in the intervening years I’ve read a total of one of them, and it was not this (it was Cullum).
- William: the Pirate – Richmal Crompton
Another one I’d read before buying – good for this tally, if nothing else!
- Lady Rose and Mrs. Memmary – Ruby Ferguson
I’d already read this as a Persephone, and I’ve since decided that I don’t need two copies, lovely as this one was.
- Maurice – E.M. Forster
Nope, haven’t read it. I’ve still only read the three major novels, and only really liked one of them, so… we’ll see,
- Apricots at Midnight – Adele Geras
One day, one day! Somebody else read my copy, so at least that’s something.
- How Can You Bear to be Human? – Nicholas Bentley
I wasn’t sure if I’d read this or not, but apparently I did not long after I bought it.
- Joy and Josephine – Monica Dickens
Somehow I haven’t read this even though it’s been on holiday with me twice, and I expressly determined to read it for Project Names last year.
- Violet to Vita – the Letters of Violet Trefusis to Vita Sackville-West
See the first point about letters…
Total bought: 19
Total still unread: 11
Total no longer owned: 2
Why are you doing this to yourself? I could not bear it! I will console myself with the idea that 10+ years ago or more, I had read every single book on my bookshelf. Since then… well, I guess I found book bloggers and Twitter…
Well, you’ve read nearly half of them, so that’s good! I’m not even going to try and look back at old reading haul posts — too embarrassing, and I have all my unread books staring at me accusingly every day as it is (it is my lockdown resolution to read off my own shelves, except for audiobooks). I do have several of those unread: the EvAs and the Bagnold. I hadn’t read Carol’s review of The Loved and Envied so maybe that will inspire me to read it this summer. I have more than 30 unread Viragos and would love to get through some of them.
I love this! You unashamedly own it! :)
LOL! I love these posts – they make me feel so much better about my unread books! :D
Is this your bookcase? Goodness me. It’s beautiful. I would love to sink into one of your armchairs with a novel and peace-and-quiet.
I have just started my own reading journey.
This is very funny. Feel much better about my own unread. But I love letters and diaries. Both volumes you mentioned made me go searching. Thanks!
Hilarious! I dread to think what would happen if I were to do the same with all the books hauled from my trips to Edinburgh Book Festival over the years …..
Thanks for the fun post! Yes, really… why do people buy books of correspondence between two famous people except to use them in some kind of dissertation or thesis paper?
You beat me to it! Never in a million years would I be drawn to such a book I think.
I think you should view this as a public service announcement for the bookish community – I feel so much better :-D Even after my book-buying ban of 2018 my shelves are ridiculous with unread books I bought years ago – you are far from alone…
I have books that have been in my TBR for well over 20 years – waiting their time. I did read one a couple of years ago when it was reprinted (for Shiny) that had been waiting for 21yrs. Don’t feel guilty. These posts are great fun.
I have no unread books on my shelves …
I suggest that having a large collection of unread books is not in anyway a cause for concern. What does intrigue me, however, is that so many people do appear to worry about their own collection of unread books. Why is this?
Good work! I took soooo long to get through a load of books I bought in Foyles with book tokens one May and I cant’ really work out why, given the way I allegedly read my TBR.
Very, very amusing (and quite therapeutic)! It’s nice to know that von Arnim’s Caravaners is funny; perhaps that will be an incentive to read my own dusty copy (on the TBR list for much longer than I care to think). And I totally agree with your assessment of E. Taylor’s A View of the Harbor — it’s a fabulous book (as are the rest of her novels).
Oh do! It’s one of her best.
This made me feel better! Every year I bring home boatloads of books from The Newberry Library Used Book Fair, and, despite reading constantly, I have only read a small percentage of them. Perhaps I should be pickier. But aspirational book buying is such a pleasure, in and of itself! Even looking at the books on my shelf makes me happy, imagining the hours of reading pleasure I will someday have. So, no guilt! But, oh, your remark about collections of letters is spot-on!