A Pound of Paper: Confessions of a Book Addict

John Baxter knows in infinite detail what makes a book special. He says at one point “Rarity can be created, but not value. That has to be achieved. It gathers on a book like the patina on a bronze, over decades of diligence and care.” He says a lots of things really, and says them well. He’s got a lovely way with words. Talking about a friend’s middle-aged daughter “……she was limp and colourless as a house-dress washed to exhaustion.” Then driving home from the airport in Paris, with his ‘new’ French wife (too long a story to tell you here, you’ll have to read the book) his new mother-in-law is driving and having a “machine-gun conversation” with her daughter and “my name surfaced a few times, like a twig in show more the flood.” Brilliantly descriptive!
Collecting for himself and then becoming a runner, which means hunting down books for other collectors, became his life and eventually led into writing, publishing and broadcasting.
He’s met some interesting people through all this, not always nice people but without doubt, 'interesting'. The middle section of the book isn’t as good as the bits either side in my opinion. However, I've got to admit, the whole of this ‘confession’ couldn't have been written without it.
If you’ve read anything by Clive James where he’s talking about books, for example, Latest Readings, published four years before he died (which I also highly recommend) I’m sure you’ll enjoy this memoir. show less

Subtitled confessions of a book addict and my hard backed copy comes complete with its dust cover; it was bought in a second hand book shop in Melton Mowbray (England). There were a couple of others for sale, I don't remember the cost because a friend bought it for me. These details might be important to you if you were a collector of books, although you might be in a world of your own collecting books by John Baxter, who is described as writer, journalist and film maker. A pound of Paper is an autobiography with a continuing thread of Baxter's life as a collector and dealer in books, many other aspects of his life are sketched in to give some sort of continuation to the story.

For people who read books and who visit bookshops especially show more second hand shops; the world of the book collectors will hold some fascination. Baxter is not overly concerned with the why's of collecting, but his story bounces along with an enthusiasm for his two subjects: which are John Baxter and book collecting. His book starts of with his collection of books by Graham Greene which serves as an introduction into first editions, unpublished works, signed copies, dedications, marginalia, manuscripts and all the paraphernalia that can grip a person addicted to collecting. Baxter's hunting down of 'Greenes' (books by Graham Greene) leads him into the slightly murky world of book dealing or book running. The visits to book fairs, and shops, the searches at house clearance sales, tip offs of collections coming up for auction, and the chasing around the countryside looking for a rare item reinforces the old adage that the chase is the most exciting part of the hunt.

Following the introductory chapters on collecting and dealing Baxter tells of his early life in Australia and his love of science fiction, which is the route that many young (men mostly) follow into the world of books. The search for something different or for favourite authors in a country where publications were more scarce than Europe or the USA fuelled the excitement of the chase and seems to have been a character defining moment for Baxter. He dabbled in science fiction and then fell into the career of journalism that opened up more work-life connections for him, but the lure of greener pastures got him on a boat for England where he had more scope to enjoy his hobby and sometimes livelihood. Baxter writes about his sojourns in America, then back to England and finally settling in Paris, but books are never far from his thoughts. He does not tell us much about his enjoyment of reading, but concentrates on the the acquisition of books. He tells us that opening a rare book can decrease its value and so perhaps he does not read so many.

My impression of John Baxter is that he is very good at self promotion and is probably rarely short of a word to say. The book of course is littered with name dropping and there are plenty of little stories about famous people in the book world. If he comes across like a poor man's Clive James, we can probably blame that on his Australian upbringing. He is certainly a man who is good at making connections and is probably good company. He has written a number of biographies of film directors and is now enjoying a career as a chronicler of an English speaker living in Paris. A Pound of Paper gives the reader a glimpse into the world of a collector and book dealer and a life well lived, it touches lightly on most things and can be read at a gallop. I enjoyed it and so three stars. show less

An intriguing tour through the life and travels of Australian John Baxter, as he works his way through the worlds of television, film, books and radio in Australia, the US, Britain, and France. Amusing at times, instructive at others, it's worth reading. My edition (the '04 Bantam) also has what is probably the best-designed inside rear wrapper I've ever seen.

Very well written and evocative account of one mans lifelong obsession with books & the secondhand book trade; full of hilarious ancedotes and characters. A great little book.

A colorful and snarky Brit/Aussie/LA/Parisian bibliophile and collector writes a memorably funny and interesting memoir for book-obsessed souls who share his affliction(s).

As the book progresses the account veers too deeply into a recitation of his meetings with people, and less about the books -- after he sells his Graham Greene collection, it is basically downhill -- but it is well written and engaging nonetheless.

"In the rural Australia of the Fifties where John Baxter grew up, reading books was regarded with suspicion; owning and collecting them with utter incomprehension" says the dust-jacket. Despite this, he grew up to become (among other things) an internationally known collector, bibliophile and writer. Funny and serious, any book addict will see their own symptoms reflected here in a book which is as well produced as it is written.