Beautiful Books, to give or to keep…

It’s not a secret that I have always loved to read; and I’m just as fond of classical literature as of more contemporary novels. But what I really, really do love, are those beautiful old books which smells of leather and dry paper. I’m particularly fond of the editions of Jean de Bonnot.

Jean de Bonnot is a French editor which reedits grand classical chef d’oeuvres on laid paper with watermark (a very fine type of paper, thick quality) , sheep-leather bindings with handmade engravings and to top it all; 22 carats gold framing.

Contrary to what one might think, these books are not so expensive. You might count about 45€ a book. That is why I think it’s a perfect gift object.  It’s beautiful on the bookshelf and it’s a real quality gift which the lucky person can keep all her life.

Some of the biggest novels also come in series of 4, 7 or 20 books. In that case the back of the book is designed in order to give a whole picture once the series’ completed.

You should know that the books are only available a certain time. So if you care for a special book or author, you should purchase it right away, because once it’s expired, it’s expired!

However, there’s always a possibility to find what you are looking for in old antique book stores, on ebay (…) or if you are very, very lucky; in Jean de Bonnot’s “expired book shelf”. Indeed, if you decide to do some cleaning in your bookshelf one day and get rid of all those old books you never read, well you can sell them back to the editor for the same price that you bought them for years earlier.

That is exactly how I got over the most beautiful version of Flaubert’s “Madame Bovary”, eight years ago. (Sadly it’s in Norway so I don’t have any photos of it…) It was edited in 1973 and hadn’t been available for sale for decades. However, some person had decided to get rid of it and sold it back to the store for the same amount that it was bought for in 1973(I guess it wasn’t worth much in 2004…) and lucky me could purchase it for only 30€.

The reason why I wright about this today is that I recently discovered a (very) small bookstore close to my street in the 15^th district. It’s in the end of Avenue Emile Zola close to a café named Cosmos. And in this little bookstore they sell old books of any kind very, very cheap. 

The photos that you can see under here are of two books that I got for 20€ each!!! Knowing that neither of them are no longer available on the “real” market, that’s a real good price. 

Wuthering Heights is from 1982 and Les Fleurs du Mal is from 1990. As I said, the engravings in the leather bindings are handmade so these books will never be edited again.

Even though it’s a great joy to give nice presents, when I find treasures like this, I just say to myself that I better keep them for myself, I’m happiest that way … :) 

Jean de Bonnot, 22 rue Chapon Paris 3ème.

Metro Rambuteau and Arts et Métiers

http://www.jeandebonnot.fr/