The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession, by Allison Hoover Bartlett, takes an intriguing look at the world of rare books and the ends to which one man goes to obtain some of the finest manuscripts ever made available. Bartlett explores literary obsession and the sub-culture of rare book collecting through the actions and stories of John Charles Gilkey.
Gilkey is an unrepentant book thief and collector. Between 1999 and 2007 he stole hundreds of rare editions worth thousands of dollars from rare book dealers around the country using stolen credit card numbers, bad checks, and other forms of subterfuge. Even after his incarceration, Gilkey resumes his book “collecting,” returning repeatedly to prison for violating parole, grand larceny, and other repeat offenses.
Ken Sanders, a rare book dealer, self-proclaimed “bibliodick,” and security chief of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America pursued Gilkey for many years, attempting to recover books appropriated from other dealers and book sellers. Bartlett, inspired by her own unintended possession of a four hundred-year-old Kräutterbuch of botanical medicine, makes connections through Sanders with Gilkey to explore why rare books provoke such levels of fascination and obsession.
From her first contact with Gilkey, while he is imprisoned in Deuel Vocational Institution outside of San Francisco, Bartlett becomes submerged in the underworld of book dealing. She traipses through numerous antique book fairs interviewing booksellers who had lost books to Gilkey. Bartlett handles and views books worth thousands of dollars, all the time wondering about the need to possess such incredible items. She spends many hours with Gilkey upon his release learning about how he obtained rare books and manuscripts from dealers, and what drove him to acquire the books for his collection. Throughout her investigation her goals where to discover why people are obsessed with rare books, and ultimately to discover where Gilkey stashed his collection.
The Man Who Loved Books Too Much is a pleasurable read with a strong psychological aspect. Bartlett forces the reader to examine the obsessions and compulsions that drive each of us, and what we would each do to satisfy obsessive/compulsive desires. The book is meticulously researched and written in a lively and intimate style. Bartlett provides an insider’s look at the oddly compelling world of book lovers and collectors.
Allison Hoover Bartlett writes for several publications. Her articles appear in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The San Francisco Chronicle. Bartlett is a founding member of North 24th Writing Group and works at San Francisco Writer’s Grotto.
Stephanie Maatta 4/8/2010