Instant Attraction?

[muninnhuginn]

I've often wondered how one finds favourite authors, how they leap out still unread from the mass of other writers we pass by, whether on bookshelves at home, or in libraries or bookshops. It's all the more intriguing watching the process going on for someone else.

I'm in the middle of cataloguing, sorting and shelving the books as they come back from the cellars of Cherry Hinton and this entails piles of dusty tomes lying around the place. Accidentally, during the process of moving out of the way of builders and then out of the house during reflooring and decorating, odd volumes popped up in strange places. I'll never quite know how In Viriconium ended up on Looby Loo's desk (nor how I found it in the clutter of Hama and dissected sheets of paper and Skoobidoos that breed there). Amongst the various piles of unpacked an LT-ed paperbacks this afternoon, I built a small footing of M John Harrisons. Looby Loo picked up the top one--A Strom of Wings--and said "I love it" in that I will brook no argument: this is how the world is and ever shall be tone of voice that would have me doubled-up with laughter except she'd be hurt. Somehow, out of all the piles and heaps and crates, these are the books she's choosing. Perhaps I should leave a copy of Light lying around prominently: she might finish it.

So, before adding it to the pile of books to read to her, I'd better check A Storm of Wings is suitable. There's no hurry: I got her hooked on the Clive Merrison starring Sherlock Holmes adventuress on BBC7 over half term, so we're reading those first.

But, why? How? Will the attraction survive the encounter with the texts within?

Comments

[ex-lark-asc.livejournal.com]

I had one favourite author jump off the shelf at me: Robin Hobb, the Liveships trilogy, in a random bookshop in a shopping centre at which simont and I were stopping for a bio-break during a drive on our holiday in Ironbridge. I thought "Ooh, that's got an interesting cover", picked it up, read the blurb, and bought it on the spot :)

I believe something vaguely similar happened with Terry Pratchett..

[muninnhuginn]

I now have visons of eager authors throwing themselves from bookshop stacks in their haste to become someone's favourite author :-)

I don't think I've ever been seduced by a cover that way (and me with a collection of expensive illustrated books) or the back cover blurb. It's usually reading the last page (always the first port of call) and not finding a typo on the first page.

The exception may be Stephen Donaldson. But who could resist such thick black shiny spines?

[(Anonymous)]

THe image it gives me is of Heffers' ceiling being covered in authors on bungee ropes, hanging up there like giant literary bats and pyoinging down to harrass unsuspecting shoppers :-)

It's the overall feel I go for. Like The Wasp Factory, for example: that one was well designed to look very different from most of the other books that were around at the time. I really like a book that's bothered going to the effort of making its cover speak volumes (sorry ;) ) about what's inside.

[ex-lark-asc.livejournal.com]

THe image it gives me is of Heffers' ceiling being covered in authors on bungee ropes, hanging up there like giant literary bats and pyoinging down to harrass unsuspecting shoppers :-)

It's the overall feel I go for. Like The Wasp Factory, for example: that one was well designed to look very different from most of the other books that were around at the time. I really like a book that's bothered going to the effort of making its cover speak volumes (sorry ;) ) about what's inside.