No doubt, when one writes books, the mind wanders as one thinks “who’s going to read this? will they be given a copy as a gift? perhaps for their birthday, by a friend?” Used copies of some of Christopher Fowler’s back-titles arrived this morning and included a copy of the jacketed trade-paper edition of Psychoville. An odd combination of binding options, but there we are.
The aspect of the jacket & paperback was only the start of the madness of Psychoville. Turning to the ‘dedication page’, one finds the book given to an ‘Andrew’ as a birthday present, and the text of what may be the maddest newspaper item ever written [click the image to get a larger version so you can read the madness]. As someone as re-typed it, and I’ve never heard of the periodical, there’s no way of telling if it’s real. I’ve also no idea if it has anything to do with the story, but whether it does or not, it does make one want to meet both ‘Andrew’ and his friends, if only to find out if they’re as intriguing as the potential provided.
What’s the oddest thing you’ve found inside a used book? Bus tickets and normal shopping lists are common, but what of other things? Any truly bizarre dedications such as this?
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I once found a signed photograph of Australian actress Melissa George in a copy of an old horror book. The photo was more interesting than the book.
Well, given the alternative, I’d probably cast aside the book and call it a profitable day right there. For those needing a reminder about the lady, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melissa_George will sort you quick enough.