"Where would you direct someone who has a Kerouac novel in one pocket and Flaubert in the other"

An older woman in a stiff dress and disappointed face could sit with the person in silence in a sparse room painted sunset gold--the only piece of furniture that of an old car.

I might send a house-boy in there half way through the session and have him pretend to kill the woman. Then they can pretend to dump her body. The house boy would only speak french and be dressed as a doctor.

Hard bound, thank you very much!

"Where do bindings come into play?"

Without binding there are no books. Then again that's a discussion for a bibliomaniac tribe. Too bad I haven't found one.

"I just love the feel of gently turning delicate pages with my fingers... "

...a manuscript man...I can dig it. I'm always glad that someone long ago realized they could sew paper like fabric. I'd lose unbound paper. Though the image of millions of flying loose papers in an empty book depository is pretty spectacular.

Have a good day!
iris

I fell in love with Thomas Hardy long ago. First, my heart swam in Jude the Obscure. Then I was completely rapt with adoration in Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, A Pure Woman. Far From the Madding Crowd essentially sealed my heart in a coffin of pages, rich in sentiment, honor, and integrity that his characters possess. I remember reading paragraphs over and over again only because they were so beautiful, each chapter a masterpiece in and of itself! Reading Hardy became a breathing exercise as I held my breath through so many passages. Every time I finished another Hardy, I wept and would often sleep with the book on my pillow before returning it to the library... just one more night, I would think. Just one more morning with the book in my hands. After I'd return the book, I would rush to the 4th floor of the library and stand in front of a shelf of unread Hardy's, each visit growing thinner like a balding head until I had read them all (except for some of the poetry books, and then I switched libraries. This one has far fewer Hardy's to salivate over).