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[patrick boo]

When I was sixteen I bought a copy of 'For Esme : In Love And Squalor' by J.D. Salinger for a girl. I gave it to her with a note asking if she'd come for a picnic in the arboretum with me. She looked scared.

When I was twenty I bought a copy of 'Perfume' by Patrick Suskind for a girl I was trying to woo. She was achingly cool and introduced me to Francoise Hardy and Bobby Gentry. Olivia Honey fans (and I know there are at least two of you out there) note that 'Children's Film Foundation' and a few others are about this girl. Anyhoo, a week after I bought it for her I received a note from her regretting her folly in almost falling for me, explaining, "I haven't been walking close to God these last few months."

When I was twenty-four a seventeen year-old girlfriend bought me a copy of 'If On A Winter's Night A Traveller' by Italo Calvino. I was blown away, both by the book and the girl. Still am.

"And now my days are done, I'm in the Autumn of years..." ....Sorry, this post seems to be going all Sinatra on you.

Anyhoo, I was wondering if any of youse buy books to impress people, what they are, and if you have better luck than I did! And before you start, don't mention making tapes for people, that's a whole other thread....

[Lester Burnham]

I have a whole pile of Dante books, Le Devine Comedy... only I actually read them and have an interest in them.

I also own the complete works of William Blake, though that just might class me as sad.

Also in the collection, wads of art books, wads of educational books, books on engineering, hippy books... ya-da ya-da.

Most are in a cupboard though, they dont fit on the shelf, and they make me look like a pretentious bastard to anyone who actually knows what they are.

Arty farty darling... yus.

[patrick boo]

I dunno if I phrased the last part of my initial posting correctly. What I was meaning is have you ever given a copy of a book to someone with 'La Bella Donna Mella Mia Miente' inscribed in cursive script in the inner cover? You know the kind of thing?

[Lester Burnham]

Apologies Paddy, muchos booze at the weekend, and I just got frazzled in Statics and Dynamics (scary engineering stuff) brain is mush.

Erm... yeah... I gave someone a Pink Floyd book once, that was ace, and a Rennie Mackintosh book to my mother.

I dont tend to inscribe things, I suck at being romantic, I by people stupid clothes and random things that make me think of them, thats my styleeeeey. Bought an Ex a pile of designer gear once though... does that count?

I have had things given to me though... with funny notes and things, mostly by sleazy people that wanted in my pants... I got scared.

I wish I was invited for a picnic rather than, "I think your tits are great in that t-shirt"

yeah...

[patrick boo]

Ah, but shiny automatons are not built to be romantic, my dear. It's the cold, sleek, Teutonic emotionlessness that makes you you, and I wouldn't change it for the whirled.

[Heather]

no, but i am impressed by other people's books.

i wouldn't have thought "perfume" would be the book to have a girl falling at your feet, especially if she was reading to far into the gesture...

i guess you gotta pick your recipients carefully.

[Lester Burnham]

Originally posted by patrick boo
Ah, but shiny automatons are not built to be romantic, my dear. It's the cold, sleek, Teutonic emotionlessness that makes you you, and I wouldn't change it for the whirled.

True, I have no heart... I love nothing... and nobody. You are just tools in my sick and robotic game.

I am destined to stand alone throughout eternity, pouting at those whom dare to cross my path.

Everybody is getting rocks for Christmas.

[patrick boo]

Ooh, ooh - can we request what kind of rocks? Crack? Gold? The ones Primal Scream made us all get off?

[Lester Burnham]

Well... I'm feeling festive.... so I'llk paint your rocks. I could paint a betty boo onto yours Paddy. It would be the most delish rock in town.

Actually.... in all seriousness... I think I might give some people rocks for Christmas.

Pick your colour folks.

[ghost]

I bought an book at Trieste train station on my first trip to Italy in 1997, with the sole purpose of trying to make me look like one of the locals. Of course, I would have been better with a fishing rod, or some spray paint. But hey.

You'll be wanting to know the name of the book? Remember I was trying to impress here. Ok, it was an Agatha Christie (but it was really nicely bound, looked old etc) - I misplaced it on the train back to Venice. On purpose. I still can't read Italian (but now I buy comic books so I can at least see the pics! Twack!)