ever happened to you?

angel011 · 04-07-2006, 12:44 PM

I apologize if a thread like this already exists.

Anyway, today I went to a bookstore and bought two books. And stood, rather unhappy, in front of another book I really wanted, but couldn't afford. That book was Orson Scott Card's "Robota", a book by an author I really like and with beautiful illustrations -- and far too expensive for me.

My question is: did it ever happen to you to unhappily stand in front of a wonderful book you can't afford, and whine inside of yourself, and what's the title of that book? Why did you want it so much?

winged_dreams · 04-07-2006, 07:25 PM

All the time. I don't have much money to spend on books so I always want a lot of books I can't afford.

Corpus_Draconis · 04-07-2006, 07:53 PM

Check if they have the books at the Library.

My general problem is that I stand in a bookstore and don't know what book to get, especially if I don't have it pre-planned.

I also hate it when they don't have a book that I want.

Godslayer Jillian · 04-07-2006, 09:48 PM

It once happened to me. I had to buy a book for the school. It was a test grade. I had no money and the book was expensive, so my father acceeded to buy it for me.
When I saw the book Olympos by Dan Simmons i the sci-fi section, I literally whimpered like a puppy

I didn't even notice.

angel011 · 04-08-2006, 12:17 AM

Quote:

Check if they have the books at the Library.

Oh, I do that all the time. As for this particular book, a friend of mine has it, so I can borrow it -- the thing is, the book looks so beautiful I'd love to have it in my own collection.

Goth Blonde · 05-24-2006, 04:37 PM

SUE books. I wanted to read the whole series for the rest of my life.

Empty_Purple_Stars · 05-24-2006, 10:20 PM

Wow.

You can read?!?

Gosh, you really can teach a monkey to do just about anything!

You certainly can't SPELL, unless you are laughing at Santa Claus in your uber lame little signature, or perhaps thats Latin for " I promise never to breed."

Spin Again,Trollop.

Defy · 05-25-2006, 04:12 AM

Always,

So many thing,
So many book,

I want it all

but I can't afford

Nike · 05-25-2006, 04:37 AM

Yes, often.

There's a row of archaeological publications I'd like to have myself to be able to work with them any time I want to, or very new publications I need to work with, but that I can't find in libraries yet..... but the prices are....D'uh. Ancient Greek and Roman texts in original language and commeted translations. I've bought some already,but I'd like to have the whole Natralis Historia by Plinius, Herdodot, Thukydites, and some more - but no way.
I still buy a lot of them, but usally only if there's a possibility on getting a discount on them, like at congresses etc., they are still expensive then, but I'm usually convincing myself that I won't find them to the same price again soon.

Art books and illustrated books. Tons of them. I don't even know where to start. Libraries usually don't have the ones I'm looking for, and these are books I want to have on my shelf, that I want to be able to look at any time I want to.

It's odd, but I'm usually attracted by expensive books, that I can often not afford, and by books that are out of print. I'd give a fortune for the Mabinogion illustrated by Alan Lee, my brother and me have been looking for it for 2 years, but none of us was able to get it til now.

Lady Victoria Pareesis · 05-25-2006, 09:53 AM

It happens all the time, like thoses sublims Tolkiens books, with illustrations...
The worse was the "Carnets et Journal" (scrapbook and diary) of Emile Zola, it was a Limited Edition: really expensive... I stood for half an hour in the bookshop, and I came back every day until some one bought it.
*sigh*

Somber Illusions · 06-05-2006, 03:36 AM

That happens to me a lot, especially with computer books.

Last month I was in Borders and I spotted this illustrated guide on drawing fairies, it was beautiful. I love to draw, but not $50 worth.

I can't understand why people overprice books, they expect our youth to expand their knowledge, but eat too?

gloom_cookie · 06-05-2006, 12:46 PM

A local collectible toy store gets in loads of beautiful books, full of artwork by popular modern illustrators. I'm incrediby torn, when I visit this shop. I want to show my support, by buying their wares, but these books are very expensive. I almost feel guilty going on ebay and finding the same books for $10 to $20 less.

I'm torn, too, by the idea that art (and art publishing) industry deserves my support more than other areas of my life, where I could cut those corners. I balk at these book prices, but I seem to find it perfectly reasonable to drop $5 on a Guinness... which is so fleeting.

bloodlust_punk · 06-05-2006, 01:30 PM

hey ppl! well i'm bored....the brightside is that the guy i like seems 2 like meeh 2......though i can't help thinking that being different can bee alil depressing.

Morrigan_Dubh · 06-06-2006, 02:24 AM

http://www.p0stwh0res.com/images/capslock.gif

etc...

Somber Illusions · 06-06-2006, 03:48 AM

That's classic Morrigan :0

Here's one, thanks to Dante Caligari:

http://ssshotaru.homestead.com/files...ranslator.html

Is being a stupid cunt a trend or something?

Legacy of Wulf · 06-06-2006, 05:17 AM

My biggest problem is stepping into the bookstore, and forgetting why I'm there.

Underlying Truth · 06-06-2006, 07:00 AM

Angel that situation comes up every time I go in a bookshop. It's awful.
It also happens when I look at CD's online, even though I download music illegally, the real things are always so much better. (Side thought: I wonder if you could end up downloading books one day and printing them off? God, actually that'd be alot of printing...) The library is good -that reminds me, I requested a book they didn't have over a month ago and still haven't got a response.

The good outcomes of being poor though is that you do learn to appreciate those things you do end up getting so much more, especially if you've waited a while to get it.

Minyaliel · 06-06-2006, 08:31 AM

Underlying Truth - heard of eBooks? you can get those for free... both legally (older things) and pirated.

Anyway... Yes, several times. The worst one was probably a fantasy book I actually needed for a school project. That thing actually made me sing in the street... and after a good four hours, I came back into the book store and triumphantly bought the book with a bag full of change. lol.

Legacy of Wulf · 06-06-2006, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Underlying Truth

Side thought: I wonder if you could end up downloading books one day and printing them off? God, actually that'd be alot of printing...

Actually you can now. Some people put books into a .pdf format that you can download.

And yes, while it would be a lot of printing, it's doable.

I've only done it a couple times myself. I believe I downloaded Paradise Lost from Kazaa or some such.

Underlying Truth · 06-06-2006, 10:18 AM

Whoa, where have I been??
Downloading books! Thats awesome, I'm certainly going to check that one out. However, like MP3's and such, if it's a brilliant novel I'd still rather have the real thing

Thanks!

Legacy of Wulf · 06-06-2006, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Underlying Truth

Whoa, where have I been??
Downloading books! Thats awesome, I'm certainly going to check that one out. However, like MP3's and such, if it's a brilliant novel I'd still rather have the real thing

Thanks!

Originals are always better of course, but sometimes you just have to take what you can get.

Wish I could help you out on a place to download some, I just never looked into it much myself. I just remember having done it on a couple of occasions.

Underlying Truth · 06-06-2006, 11:22 AM

Yeah.. Theres a slim borderline in what I listen and read between normal 'good' and 'must.. have....'(which I end up buying).
Don't worry, I'll just surf around. I just typed in 'Free ebook downloads' into google and it's come up with some interesting things. I'll be stocking up on paper hopefully before long!

Cheers, Legacy and Minyaliel

angel011 · 06-06-2006, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Underlying Truth

Whoa, where have I been??
Downloading books! Thats awesome, I'm certainly going to check that one out. However, like MP3's and such, if it's a brilliant novel I'd still rather have the real thing

Thanks!

Downloading books is awesome, that's how I managed to read plenty of books which simply can not be found in my area. Of course, whenever I can I buy the real thing, but when it's not doable...

As for printing downloaded books, it can be done, but if you want that printed thing to even resemble a real book, it will cost you more than to buy the original.

Circle V · 06-06-2006, 07:17 PM

Poetry and philosophy books cost far too much, especially since lots of their contents are public domain.

For example, if I wanted to read Friedrich Nietzsche's 'The Antichrist', I could buy it in a store for about $14 (about $1 a page, it seems) or... search for it on Google and read it for free-- which, coincidentally, I did a few months ago.

Circle V · 06-06-2006, 07:37 PM

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Main_Page has quite a large collection.