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Five highlights and lowlights from my chaotic bookshelf
by David Lee
My bookshelf that isn’t mine
16.12.2021
Translation: Eva Francis
My boyfriend rules the bookshelf with an iron fist. Few of my books have been given a place in it. Even fewer are by female authors.
From A like Achebe to Z like Zweig
After the handles of the paper bags filled with heavy books cut into my hands, I was forced to help sort these works. How? Alphabetically by the last names of the authors. In doing so, I realised the book by Gertrude Stein, which I gave my boyfriend on his 30th birthday, is only his third book written by a woman. It’s still sitting on the living room dresser and hasn’t been read.
The bottom right corner of the bookshelf is dedicated to history books. They’re right next to countless bulky books on architecture and art. These three genres aren’t sorted alphabetically, but thematically. This makes sense to me, as its more important what they’re about than who wrote them.
My dark childen’s book
After almost a year of living with the bookshelf (and my boyfriend), a handful of other books of mine have made their way onto the shelves. «Things Fall Apart» by Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe is one of them. And I now even agree with putting them in alphabetical order.
Like father, like son
It’s only thanks to the large bookshelf and the knowledge gathered there that I realised how much ethnology fascinates me. Or that I can also appreciate poetry from time to time. Or that Mikhail Bakunin was a great anarchist. Or... the point is, my bookshelf, which isn’t really mine, has a book for every need. Unless the need is to read a book by a female author. But I’m working on that.
Chaotic, chronological, alphabetical; by colour, by size, by mood; geographical, autobiographical, thematic. We all have our own ideas about how books should be arranged on a shelf. We, the Digitec Galaxus editors, are allowing you a sneak peek into our very own bookshelves. Next up: Martin Jungfer.
My life in a nutshell? On a quest to broaden my horizon. I love discovering and learning new skills and I see a chance to experience something new in everything – be it travelling, reading, cooking, movies or DIY.
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