Tag Archives: Linda Grant

I crave the small, tactile simplicity of my new Kindle Paperwhite in its purple leather cover, which is currently home to what would make up around three boxes of physical books, but whose screen’s digital imprint is flattened of all memory and association. It’s soulless and almost weightless. On the other hand, the smug little ereader has not broken my spirit and my knees in the way that disposing of half my library has done, driving me to tears, rage and paracetamol.

Linda Grant, I Murdered My Library [Amazon]

Hermetic quote Grant I Murdered My Library ereader not broken spirit knees disposing library driving me to tears rage paracetamol

So what is the nature of this library? What function does it serve other than being a filing system for books? What, to use the phrase beloved of cultural criticism, does it say about me, and to whom is it addressing this message?

Linda Grant, I Murdered My Library

Hermetic quote Grant Murdered library

The idea that I was building a library to bequeath to the next generation is one of the greatest fallacies of my life. The next generation don’t want old books – they don’t seem to want books at all.

Linda Grant, I Murdered My Library

I think many writers are notoriously conservative and superstitious about their work methods, with rituals and incantations and other rubbish we won’t mention, apart, obviously, from the enormous amount of time spent staring out of the window.

Linda Grant, I Murdered My Library