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

Narrated by: Judith Brackley

Length: 6 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

John Charles Gilkey is an obsessed, unrepentant book thief who has stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of rare books from book fairs, stores, and libraries around the country. Ken Sanders is the self-appointed "bibliodick" (book dealer with a penchant for detective work) driven to catch him. Journalist Allison Hoover Bartlett befriended both eccentric characters and found herself caught in the middle of efforts to recover hidden treasure.

With a mixture of suspense, insight, and humor, she not only reveals exactly how Gilkey pulled off his dirtiest crimes and how Sanders ultimately caught him, but also explores the romance of books, the lure to collect them, and the temptation to steal them. Immersing the listener in a rich, wide world of literary obsession, Bartlett looks at the history of book passion, collection, and theft through the ages, to examine the craving that makes some people willing to stop at nothing to possess the books they love.

©2009 Alison Bartlett (P)2010 Tantor

Critic reviews

"A captivating cat-and-mouse game and a fascinating exploration of why people are so passionate about books." (Julia Flynn Siler, author of the New York Times bestseller The House of Mondavi

Great Story, Great narration

A very compelling story about a little-known compulsion. Excellant narration and character development. Helped me to understand a little about my own love of books. Am looking forward to more writing by this author.

Disturbing

As a book lover, I found this book disturbing and depressing. It's definitely readable, but the thief's amorality, the disinterest of the police, and the rather diffident presentation of these bothered me.

Loved It

Wikipedia defines "bibliomania" as "an obsessive–compulsive disorder involving the collecting or hoarding of books to the point where social relations or health are damaged." Having "bibliomania" is probably bad, but being a "bibliophile" (someone who "who loves to read, admire and collect books, often amassing a large and specialized collection"), is more admirable.

Do we have a word the digital book (audio and e-book) enthusiasts among us? Maybe "digi-bibliophile" or "e-bibliophile"? Can I trademark these terms? (A quick google search, done after thinking of the name, shows that I did not get to this first - oh well).

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much is about bibliomaniacs, bibliophiles, and all the people in between. Bartlett structures her story around a John Gilkey, a mentally unbalanced thief who managed to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of rare books via credit card fraud in the 1990s. Gilkey's crimes give us a window into the rarified world of rare book dealing and collecting.

I had no idea that there exists an "Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America" (ABAA), or that antiquarian book shows were such a big deal. It came as a surprise to me that rare book collectors collect mostly not to read their acquisitions, that the value of the book is less in its content but in its scarcity and historical significance. The catchphrase in rare book circles is to "never judge a book by its contents". Only first edition, first run books - in mint condition with their dust jackets intact - are valuable.

Some people think that the ascension of e-books will only increase the value of paper books that are beautifully constructed and have historical significance. The thinking goes that the rise of e-books will make paper books even more rare, and that we will do the bulk of our reading digitally while cherishing those certain physical books that we have an emotional connection with. Maybe.

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much is a great read for the bibliophiles, e-bibliophiles, and e-bibliomaniacs among us. Highly recommended.

A Good Listen!

I started this book right after buying it and didn't stop listening until it was finished. Living in Salt Lake and being familiar with Ken Sanders made it even more enjoyable for me. I have been telling everyone that this is a book they should buy.

Steal this review

This book is definitely a niche listen...I am into reading/listening about the "art of the steal" of books, maps, art, etc. Well done Allison, the historical tie ins' added most excellently to the story. The narration was well done and made the characters interesting. Not for everyone, but for this listener... priceless!

Fascinating

What a fascinating book! Similar to the Feather Thief as it takes on the world of crime in a distinct field, The Man Who Loved Books Too Much is a story of crime, personality, and obsession. I especially enjoyed the bits with Ken Sanders, as I have been in his Salt Lake store several times to buy special books for events.

Brackley does a great job of reading the book and moving the listener through the story at just the right pace.

Repetitive

The world of the story - rare books - deserves five stars, well-researched and something I hadn't seen before. However, the author uses the line "I still didn't understand what made him steal rare books..." a gazillion times too many, long after the reader understands, the three Ken's understand and a dim witted geranium could have understood if given a fair chance. Therefore, by the end, the story is repetitive and anti-climatic, which is a pity because a tighter edit could have prevented this.

Like the subject matter - don't like the narrator

I read about this book awhile back and was immediately intrigued. I really like the subject matter, but the narrator is monotone and offputting. I think this is one I might have to read in hard copy.

Dull Characters in the Book

The writing style was dull; it didn't evoke images of the characters and left you not caring about any of the characters. The author should have written more about the rare book industry and the nuances that could make a first edition book of a famous author worth thousands (like having the dust cover).

If you want to learn about book collecting...

I couldn't keep going! I made it about halfway through this story. The ideal listener wants to learn about the world of book collecting. It teaches you all about it! The mystery (?) is secondary and I just couldn't hang in there to find out if there really was a mystery underneath the story line. The reviews I read said it was for people who love books. But this is for the lover of the physical book itself - not the story inside.