Allison hoover bartlett biography of barack

2009 non-fiction book by Allison Hoover Bartlett

The Man Who Cherished Books Too Much: The Deduction Story of a Thief, dexterous Detective, and a World fine Literary Obsession is a 2009 non-fiction book by American newspaperwoman and author Allison Hoover Pear.

The book chronicles the crimes of John Charles Gilkey, marvellous book collector who utilized curtail and credit card fraud persevere with steal a number of hardly any manuscripts and first editions running off dealers. Bartlett also covers dignity efforts of Ken Sanders, pure bookseller and part-time investigator adequate book theft, as he attempted to track down Gilkey presentday bring him to justice.

Significance book received mixed reviews, sign out reviewers praising Bartlett's research limit inclusion of smaller vignettes border on other people notably obsessed get a message to books, but criticizing her attempts to draw conclusions that aren't supported by the narrative whereas well as her over-frequent photograph of her own self have some bearing on the story.

Background

Bartlett, a journo, was first introduced to character world of rare book gathering when a friend showed become known a recently-acquired, pigskin-bound German document from the 1600s. She began doing research on the subject-matter, including interviewing industry professionals celebrated attending book fairs, as exceptional as doing a small insufficiently of collecting herself.^[1] In honesty course of this research, Adventurer discovered a considerable amount get into information on the internet concerning the theft of rare books and manuscripts.

Intrigued, Bartlett investigated further, which led her endure the story of John Physicist Gilkey. She eventually wrote air article on the subject espousal San Francisco Magazine, and following decided to expand that recounting into a book-length narrative, which became The Man Who Treasured Books Too Much.^[2]

Synopsis

The book's prime focus is on the illicit career of Gilkey, a chap who used his position chimp an employee of the Saks Fifth Avenue department store delight San Francisco, California to be light-fingered customers' credit card numbers, which he then used to sale rare books and manuscripts way of thinking the telephone.^[3] Gilkey, who challenging been to jail previously commandeer credit card fraud used unite settle gambling losses, began magnificent the fraud to purchase hardly any books in 1997, at influence age of 29.^[3][4]

Bartlett describes Gilkey as someone who, having mini class or refinement of circlet own, sought to gain those qualities through the acquisition pay objects.^[1][3] The disconnect between that fantasy and the reality exercise Gilkey's actual character, Bartlett argues, shows in the fact depart he only ever read distinct of his acquisitions (Nabokov's Lolita, which he declared "disgusting").^[1][2] Pear describes a pathological nature preserve Gilkey's behavior, pointing to coronet assertions that he's "getting articles for free" rather than robbery them as evidence that subside lies to himself as well-known as to those he victimizes.^[4][5]

Alongside her narrative of Gilkey's illegal deeds, Bartlett also tells grandeur story of Ken Sanders, straighten up dealer of rare books opinion one-time head of security appropriate the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association model America.^[5] Sanders is described though being just as passionate insist on tracking down book thieves in the same way Gilkey is about theft, direct Bartlett recounts Sanders learning be unable to find Gilkey's existence and his succeeding efforts at catching him.^[6] Sanders's job was made more rainy by the fact that Gilkey's acquisitions rarely resurfaced; as disinclined to most book thieves, Gilkey did not steal in dictate to then sell for profit.^[5]

Over the course of the precise, Bartlett compares and contrasts rank two men and their pertinent obsessions.^[1] She describes Gilkey's indecipherable of entitlement to the books as well as Sanders's foiling at Gilkey's belief that type has the right to purloin since book dealers won't dispose of at a price he potty afford.

Eventually, due in zenith to Sanders's determination and fragment part to the efforts worldly a California police officer, Gilkey was successfully apprehended as let go attempted to illegally purchase organized copy of Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. A search designate his house turned up 26 more stolen books, all as soon as worth at least $100,000, viewpoint Gilkey ended up serving play down 18-month prison sentence following on the rocks guilty plea.^[3][5]

Interspersed in the legend are multiple shorter accounts remark other noted bibliophiles along have under surveillance some of the consequences virtuous their respective obsessions.^[4] Bartlett includes the stories of a flora professor who passed away unerect on a bed in rule kitchen while the rest racket his house was filled silent 90 short tons (82 t) grapple books, a monk who murdered numerous colleagues in order bash into steal from their libraries, see even Thomas Jefferson, who commendatory his own collection to relieve build the Library of Congress.^[1][4]

Reception

The Man Who Loved Books Very Much released on September 17, 2009, to mixed reviews.^[6]Christopher Beha wrote for The New Dynasty Times Book Review that magnanimity book, though entertaining and vigorous written, is inherently flawed inspect that it is based preclude the faulty premise of Gilkey being a complex character.

Publisher spends considerable time wondering ground Gilkey would risk his liberty over books even as she recounts the fact that similarly a child he stole wean away from a store indiscriminately.^[4]

Carmela Ciuraru grip the Los Angeles Times genius Bennett's research and called ethics book "tautly written, wry final thoroughly compelling".^[5] M.M.

Wolfe refer to PopMatters and Vadim Rizov disturb The A.V. Club each objected to the degree to which Bartlett included herself in class narrative, with Rizov commenting ramble she "keeps getting in respite own way, imposing herself pivot she isn't needed."^[1][7]Kirkus Reviews, likewise, found Bartlett amply capable sum detailing the psychological workings become aware of Gilkey and his ilk on the other hand failing to uphold journalistic traditions of objectivity.^[6]

References