What!….No Books!

ANONYMOUS

The progress of science, which has enabled more and more men to read and write, has also provided means of entertainment like the films, the TV and now the video-cassettes that tend to turn man away from books, once considered an essential part of cultured living. Fewer men read serious books today than did, say, fifty years ago. People who would gladly have in their houses modern gadgets like the ‘ fridge’ and washing machine, find a book case a burden. This contemporary neglect of books is effectively brought out in the following article by an unknown writer, in The Times of London, dated 6 June, 1960. It is taken from the anthology Twentieth Century Prose, edited by  A.C. Ward.

When I saw the ‘ Small Add’ announcing, ‘ Book case with dror, five shillings,’ I at once smelled woodworm. At so small a cost, however, the risk was worth taking.

When I rang the bell I heard a woman’s cry, ‘Dad ! Door !’ and a few seconds later I was facing a harassed little man.

‘ Is the book case sold yet ? I asked.

He looked at me as though I were a spaceman. Then, having decided that I actually did want a book case, he replied: ‘ Want to have a dekko ? It’s outside.’

I followed him, padding along a thick carpet. An open door on the right showed a middle-aged woman brooding over the ‘ Tele .’ He led me through a kitchen equipped with ‘ fridge,’ washing machine, and other Ideal Home gadgets. We halted before a brick-built air-raid shelter; inside, behind a barricade of bicycles, I could see the case.

‘ Got it with the ‘ ouse,’ he apologized.

He levered it out for me. At some period of its history, it had been a bureau, but the flap-lid had been removed, leaving a deep shelf above the ‘dror,’ beneath which were two strong shelves. It was exactly what I wanted.

Like an indifferent woodpecker, I tapped it. No peppery dust sifted down, nor did I see any castor-like perforations.

‘ Just needs a nice coat of paint,’ he cajoled. The walnut was absolutely sound. ‘ The dror comes out,’ he said, demonstrating.

‘ It is five shillings ? ‘ I asked. I knew that even as firewood it was worth much more.  ‘’s right,’ he agreed. Then, accepting my two half-crowns, he said, before I could tell him that I would get the book case collected later, ‘I’ ll drop round with it in the car to-night if you’ll give me the address.’

Then, as an after-thought, he added: ‘ You fond of reading ?’ And picking up from the ground a dusty bundle of women’s magazines, he thrust them into my unwelcoming arms.

Glossary

Anonymous ( adj. ): ( writer’s ) name not made known

*Ad.: advertisement

*dror (n.): drawer ( spelt by the writer as pronounced )

Woodworm ( n. ): wood-eating insect that makes holes in wood. (The writer suspected that the very low-priced book case was eaten by such worms.)

Harassed ( pp. as adj. ): worried

*dekko ( n. ): look. ( Origin Hindi ‘dekho’ = see, look. )

Padding ( y. ): walking

brooding ( v. ): sitting and thinking deeply of something

*’Tele’ ( n. ): television

equipped ( pp. as adj. ): provided with

*’fridge’ ( n. ): refrigerator

*gadgets ( n. ): mechanical aids to facilitate various home tasks

air-raid ( n. ): attack by aero-planes that drop bombs

shelter ( n. ): something that gives protection

barricade ( n. ): line or heap ( of things piled up to stop or hinder movement across a passage )

*’ouse’ ( n. ): house

Apologized( v. ): gave an apology ( i.e., an explanation or a defense)

Levered ( v. ): moved ( with an iron bar or other similar lever )

bureau ( n. ): writing desk with drawers

flap-lid ( n. ): top cover ( of a desk; one that moves up and down, i. e., opens and closes )

indifferent ( adj. ): uninterested

woodpecker ( n. ): kind of bird that pecks or taps the outer skin of a tree to find insects

tapped ( v. ): gave a quick light blow ( with the hand )

peppery ( adj. ): like pepper powder

sifted ( v. ): slid

castor-like ( adj. ): similar to those on castor ( i. e., bottle or metal pot with holes in the lid )

perforations ( n. ): holes

coat of paint: layer of colouring material

cajoled ( v. ): spoke with a touch of flattery, so as to convince

walnut ( n. ): kind of wood, especially used for making furniture

demonstrating ( v. ): showing by action

*’s right: that’s right

Half-crowns (n.): coins equal to 2 shillings and 6 pence each (together making 5 shillings)

Collected ( v. ): picked up

Drop round ( idiom ): visit casually

Picking up ( idiom ): lifting

Thrust ( v. ): pushed forcibly

*All these forms are used in conversation only.