Have you ever intentionally destroyed a book? Why? How did you feel?

Question

I've never intentionally destroyed a book because it would feel wrong. Is this just a weird psychological hang up or do other people feel like this?

Answer 1

its just a weird psychological hang up lol..

Answer 2

Yeah, I ripped up a book (romance novel) and threw it away, when I was fourteen. Why? because there was a scene in it where a woman got raped and she 'enjoyed' it. That just disgusted me so much, as it seemed so unlikely!! So, I did the deed.

Can't say I felt regret, which is strange, because I really like books!! I believe I may have actually felt happy, as if busting up that novel and throwing it on a heap of garbage to rot was my revenge against that author.

I've matured since then ;). Now if I find a book is too disgusting for my taste, then I just find another home for it, where it would be much happier, rather than subject it to my scorn.

I don't think I would be hesitant to destroy a book now, just too lazy. Some books aren't worth getting hyper over - you just ignore them!

In case you were curious, the book was a novel by Jennifer Wilde, the nom de plume of a man named Thomas Elmer Huff.

Answer 3

Not actually destroyed a book, but I once bought a second hand book in the English Lake District about climbing in eastern Turkey. The book was written in 1966. I had only got a few pages into it when I read 'Since the Turks domesticated the Kurds, the most dangerous thing in eastern Turkey is the Syrian brown bear.' I threw the book into the farthest corner of the living room, and I felt very, very angry, but strangely satisfied.

Answer 4

I'm with you on this. I have never given any of my books away, nor have I destroyed any of them. I feel it is wrong to destroy something that is a source of knowledge and enjoyment. I love having books around. I love the smell of them and the look of having them lining the walls of my den from floor to ceiling.
I don't think you are weird to feel as you do. Trust me, there are so many people who think the same.

Answer 5

I once destroyed a science fiction novel I thought had wasted my time. It was a 19th century thing, very dry and buttoned up, kind of second rate HG Wellsy "Time Machine" trash, and it ended with "it was all a dream". So I ripped it up and binned it.
Why not destroy the odd book? Anger is sometimes a valid response to shitty writing and a book has no feelings.
Wouldn't you like to shred Mein Kampf?

Answer 6

My parents would say I destroyed books by writing in them. I think that's destruction only if the book is a first edition. But, when I was about 10, I carved a hole in the pages to make a safe. Can't remember the book, but whatever the treasure was, it stayed safe.

Answer 7

I binned a couple of rather nice old books once because they were riddled with holes and I was afraid there might still be bookworms in them. It felt very bad.
I have one by the Marquis de Sade I couldn't carry on reading and feel should be destroyed but can't bring myself to do the deed.

Answer 8

Yes I have, and it did feel wrong but it was the right thing to do.

A long time ago, a Jehovah Witness was trying to recruit me and since I had questions about the literal truth of their creation myth, they gave me a small book which tried to tie in the book of Genesis with geology and evolution.

The book was so full of lies, half truths and distortions that burning it seemed the only right thing to do.

Answer 9

I've never destroyed one, and I never would. But, I've defaced one, and I felt bad. It was for my A level studies, and I was writing notes all over the text to remind myself of poignant moments etc. I felt very guilty and wrong...book's are sacred, and I've been known to stress out in a severe way when my toddlers try and rip pages out of their books! Fair enough, learning about tractors and cars maybe isn't as important as Great Expectations...but evenso, they need to learn the book respect early on!

Answer 10

Once I was extremely drunk and grieving, and I threw my entire library into a nearby stream. Fortunately, my friend Bert picked each book out as I lobbed it in. When I sobered up he kept them all, because they reminded me of a lost time and I wanted no more to do with them. During the course of my life I have given away all my books about five times. Now I have only two.

Answer 11

Only once. Years ago I carved out the pages of a book I did not want, so That I could hide things in the compartment thus created inside.

It felt like SACRILEGE!!! :-))

It was VERY hard for me to do it, and to choose a book that I was willing to destroy!

If you are weird, I guess I am, too! :-))