Text And The City
This week, I have mostly moved into the library. I honestly did intend to take the whole thing from a position of languid irony, to concentrate more on fighting my corner at the Purple Turtle bar than guarding my spot in the college library, to approach finals with a pen in one hand and a gin in the other. Sadly this has not worked, largely because it would mean turning the pages with my teeth; a practice frowned upon in library circles.
Once again I find that all the books in the world are surrounding me clamouring for attention. If books were men, I'd be the girl with her own brewery and a box at Old Trafford.
I'm afraid I tried to resist the temptation to make this comparison, but it's really inevitable given that in the run-up to finals the only sheets which tend to get crumpled are your old lecture notes.
Of course, books aren't really like men. Their entertainment possibilities will always be limited by decency and the danger of paper cuts. They're rarely as pretty, although a quick glance round the Rad Cam may occasionally leave one turning sharply back to the printed word. Sometimes books are better: they're usually where they're meant to be, unless filched by some thieving book-smuggling hand, leading to the sad AWOL sign of 'temporarily missing'.
There are, however, many parallels. The books which are frustrating and make no sense are generally the ones you should be reading. The male equivalent of Heat magazine is probably little use in the long run, and quickly expendable.
As with men, trying to read all the books out there is a recipe for severe trauma and strain (of the eyes, that is), but it's usually wise to take a general sampling before selecting, and examine them thoroughly before taking out.
And in the feverish weeks before exams, you may find yourself dreaming of The One: the book which will save your degree and render all others unnecessary. So you can tear up all your reading lists and focus on this. However, should disaster befall, and the library need it back, or it's already checked out by someone else, remember there are plenty more books in the library of love.
Just make sure you take them back before the dates run out.
6th May 2004