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

Book Overview

In the tradition of "The Orchid Thief," a compelling narrative set within the strange and genteel world of rare-book collecting: the true story of an infamous book thief, his victims, and the man determined to catch him. Rare-book theft is even more widespread than fine-art theft. Most thieves, of course, steal for profit. John Charles Gilkey steals purely for the love of books. In an attempt to understand him better, journalist Allison Hoover Bartlett...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1594488916
• ISBN13: 9781594488917
• Release Date: September 2009
• Publisher: Riverhead Books
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.91 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.8" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much

I read that book in 3 days, I got it as a gift for Christmas. The first chapter reminded me of Sherlock Holmes. I never knew that rare books are being stolen and how big of a problem it is. They even have an Art division in the FBI for stolen books, amazing! I really enjoyed this book. I never want to own any rare books, I like to read them, so give me a ratty, coffee stained, marked up paperback book, so I can enjoy it.

Love it

Love it!!

An obsession that makes you rethink collecting!

I found myself doubtful at reading a non-fiction book. To tell the truth, I think they are too slow, and when I read I want to escape real life. I thought this was just going to be a book about someone who just collects their favorite books. When I first started reading it though, I found similarities in this man and my obsession with books. I thought to myself, OMG! That could so be me! I love the part where he describes how people love to show off their bookcases and calls them my library! I am constantly showing off my new books and I am always telling my husband that we need a library room. I would be in heaven! Frankly, it scares me now. Am I destined to be a book thief? No. Do I collect books? Yes. I am obsessed with collecting books. If I find a great author, I instantly want to own every book this author has published. I even have a shelf of books, which my family knows it as 'Touch-this-shelf-and I-chop-off-your-hands!' shelf, that includes my ARCs and signed copies. Would I ever steal them from someone? No. So, I am overjoyed to know that I am not that bad. This book opened my eyes to the many amazing books that we hold so dear and rare. To think people actually pay up in the hundreds of thousands for some books. I can see where someone would want to own them, but I don't think I could go so far as to steal them as this man has. This is a true story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession just like the subtitle states. You will get sucked in from the first chapter all the way to the last. Be warned though, you may not like the similarities in the book thief and yourself!

Hateworthy thief

Talk about an unrepentant thief. John Gilkey was banned, watched and questioned but still would not stop his obsessive habit of... acquisitions.Totally untrustworthy, Gilkey wouldn't stop, even when warned by police. He simply saw himself above the law, accessing credit cards, and plotting how to grab more... and more. Allison Bartlett's work is terse writing, and a true detective work. Nice detailing makes it a can't-put-it-down read. Book thieves are a hardy bunch; I've encountered them on a very personal level, so I had an immediate hate for Gilkey that only got me madder as I followed his guileless demeanor. You'll want to join in the pursuit of this weasel, and you'll be obsessed enough to keep reading. Bravo Bartlett! You totally grabbed this reader and didn't let go.

Book lovers, beware.

Despite its title, "The Man Who Loved Books Too Much" is not a book about some especially avid reader who becomes so obsessed with reading that he allows it to take over the rest of his life. One only has to read the book's subtitle, "The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession," to learn that "the man" in question had a much different problem. That John Gilkey is an obsessed book collector is beyond question. Gilkey's gnawing desire to own rare books, however, does not make him unique - or even uncommon. People collect a variety of objects for a variety of reasons and many of them do become obsessed with the chase and the displaying of their "trophies." What makes Gilkey unusual enough to have a book written about him is that he entirely satisfies his urge to own rare books by stealing them. Price is no object for a man who never intends to pay for the books he adds to his personal library. "In The Man Who Loved Books Too Much," Allison Hoover Bartlett combines Gilkey's story with that of the man who became obsessed with stopping his thefts, rare book dealer Ken Sanders. Against all odds, she was able to befriend both men to such a degree that she was able to gain insight into what motivated each of them - one to steal books and the other to spend countless hours trying to stop him. Bartlett spent a great deal of time getting to know John Gilkey. She visited him in jail when he was serving time for stealing expensive items from rare book dealers; she interviewed him extensively while he was a free man; and she visited his mother's home where she was allowed to see some of the books being kept for him there. However, as Ken Sanders, the man most responsible for putting Gilkey behind bars for extended periods of time reminded Bartlett, Gilkey is a born liar and what he says can never be trusted. Bartlett, though, despite Gilkey's lies and distortions, develops a sound theory as to why he is so driven to steal rare books despite the increasing regularity with which he is caught and sent to jail. Book dealer/detective Ken Sanders seems to have been more of a challenge for Bartlett than Gilkey turned out to be. Sanders seemed reluctant to discuss in any detail what motivated him to dedicate so much of his life to Gilkey's capture and arrest. He preferred, instead, to let his actions speak for themselves. Sanders did open the door to the world of rare book dealers for Bartlett by placing her in contact with many of Gilkey's victims, and she combines the insights she gained from those interviews with her own research to recount the history of book lust and book theft from the earliest days to the present. This is the perfect true crime book for book lovers, a morality play to remind even the most obsessed of us of the dangers of those obsessions. Rated at: 4.5

Passion Overshadows Reason - Compelling Page Turner

Collectors are my business. My clients aren't book collectors, but the objects aren't important, it's the common thread of collecting and the level of interest/passion involved. In my work I have had customers who enjoyed their hobby but kept it in perspective. They didn't let it negatively affect the rest of their lives, but I've also had clients that consumed macaroni and cheese all month long so they could afford a particular treasure. One pair of clients (they collected together) phoned on the way to the airport leaving for their honeymoon. The gift money they'd just received would pay for a treasure they'd been eyeing. For some people collecting is their life, and the rarer the treasures they possess, in their mind, defines how important and special they are. As passion for the hobby grew so did the crimes at shows I'd attend. Theft became common and more and more security guards were hired to inspect packages and watch the entrances and exits. This book is a compelling narrative of the world of collecting and the passionate individuals who reside in it. It illustrates how the line between desperately wanting something can evolve into theft because the need and distorted importance of the collection overshadows right and wrong. It is a true crime, cat and mouse game where the end result, as is often the case in the real world, doesn't neatly resolve everything. Whether the reader is a collector or has never for a moment cared about searching for old treasures, the book does what good books should always do -- permit immersion into another's world. The book does this beautifully and makes this the perfect gift for a sick friend, an avid reader, a book lover or a collector.

Stealing PRIZES!!

Just finished this, and WOW!! I titled my review "Stealing Prizes!!" That could be a subtitle for this wonderful work, although it was the actual book title that drew me to the book. I am a man who, some would say, loves books too much. Though I don't steal them, I do collect them (1st Edition signed hardcovers). I call them "my prizes." This book arrived in my mailbox and from the moment I opened it, I could not stop reading it. I lost a good night's sleep thanks to the talents of author Allison Hoover Bartlett. I LITERALLY could not put this down. This is a detective story with a twist. We follow the trail of John Charles Gilkey who "loves books too much"-- if you get my drift. How he "collected" his treasures and how he was caught is just fascinating. More than that, Bartlett examines the world of book collecting. This compendium of book history provides an additional dimension to what is a great true crime drama. If you are a book lover, like me, prepare to be hypnotized, fascinated and ultimately grateful as you explore The Man Who Loved Books Too Much. Five stars, with no hesitation.