I recently received a box of books from Barnes & Noble containing a nice mix of books both fiction and non-fiction.
I dived right into Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny and at the end of chapter one I had mixed feelings. On the one hand I’ve been a huge fan of Roger Zelazny for nearly thirty years and I’ve been looking forward to reading this books for months, the book itself having been on my radar for years.
On the other hand I wasn’t sure of what to make of the book so far. The first chapter laid out some impressive world building and had just enough intrigue to spark a vague sense of curiosity in me.
I slipped the bookmark into its proper place on the first page of chapter two, toweled off, watered down and dressed up and left the gym.
It turns out I left the book at the gym quite by accident. Since I go to the gym six days per week I thought nothing of it; I’ll pick up the book the next day. All of the members are friendly and honest so no worries at all.
Except the book was gone. Taken.
It is with no small amount of irony that Roger Zelazny, through Lord Corwin of Amber in The Guns of Avalaon said “Nobody steals books but your friends.”
Not this time, Mister Zelazny.
Now I’m faced with a dilemma and left with a firm resolution.
Dilemma: Do I buy a second copy of this book and soldier on despite the fact chapter one left me with mixed feelings?
Firm resolution: I’m going 100% digital with all of the books I buy going forward to eliminate the logistical nightmare of book storage, book loss, etc.
What would you? Leave the book an orphan or give the poor thing a second chance?
6 Comments to 'When a Book Becomes an Orphan'
December 21, 2012
Book is good enough to be stolen – give it another chance
December 21, 2012
Why not request it through your library?
December 21, 2012
Give the poor thing a second chance. You say you like what the author has done in the past and have looked forward to reading this story. The story may come on like “Gang Busters” and you will find out years from now how great it really is. As a writer of short fiction I know I must hit the ground running at the start. Your author may need a couple chapters to get the long work up to speed. If you read a couple more chapters and it falls short then you will know something important about the author. He’s just as human as the rest of us. Gerald Burgess
December 27, 2012
You know it – you’re 100% correct. I’ve been leaning towards buying another copy for my Kindle on iPhone and you’ve convinced me to go ahead and exactly that. Slow starts aren’t necessarily a bad thing.
December 27, 2012
That was my other thought. But I felt more drawn to buying it again or not bothering at all. I’m bigger on black and white than the shades of gray in the middle. Amber or the Courts of Chaos, if you please.
December 27, 2012
You make an excellent point! That’s two reasons for me to buy a second copy.
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