From far, from eve and morning

[sovay]

After a complete and surprising failure to find anything by E.M. Forster in a used book store in the Boston area—I can only conclude he is beloved and never put up for sale—I gave up and bought A Room with a View (1908) from the Harvard Coop this afternoon; Maurice is next. Tomorrow, Eric and I see Låt den rätte komma in (2008) at the Kendall.

Happy birthday, nineweaving!

Comments

[jtglover.livejournal.com]

I can only conclude he is beloved and never put up for sale

I've heard before from used booksellers (an uncle, for one) about certain authors being hard to find/not being sold often. The Beats, graphics novels, etc., are all ones I'd expect. P.G. Wodehouse, when I went looking one day, was equally difficult to find. But Forster? Color me surprised. I would have thought he was enough of a "Classic" at this point that the shelves would have been groaning with him. Hmm.

[movingfinger.livejournal.com]

Yes, there are authors who are not often found in used bookshops because they're the last sold out of a collection!

In a college town, another thing that can affect availability is whether courses are using the author. Students buy the books, use them, and may sell them back at end of studies, or may keep them.

[nineweaving.livejournal.com]

It's a honey of a novel, isn't it? Do try the collected stories as well: "The Machine Stops" is astonishingly prescient.

Many thanks for the birthday wishes.

Nine

[schreibergasse.livejournal.com]

Forster's also available in most public libraries...

[ap-aelfwine.livejournal.com]

Interesting. I would've figured Forster would be on enough syllabi that used copies would circulate, at least of his more famous novels. Perhaps it's the time of year, and most of them are in students' hands?

I just Googled the Swedish movie--it sounds interesting. Enjoy!

[ericmvan.livejournal.com]

So, how was the movie? :)

Spoiler: we both thought it was incredibly good; I thought it was the second-best movie I've seen this year (after The Fall and edging out In Bruges).