Do you know your “Ars Amatoria?’ Written by Ovid 2000 years ago, ‘The Art of Love’ still contains much sensible advice today, although frankly the bit I looked at was a stiff read. Anyway, it’s apparently very important to remember your wife’s birthday. Very important. Unfortunately due to the great age of the work there’s no advice on whether renewing the subscription to Netflix counts as an actual present even though that was what she wanted or whether there should be a real present as well, one that was wrapped up as a surprise.
Not that I’ve read this 1854 book cover to cover, mind you. One of the truly stupendous things about book collecting is that you don’t have to read the things. To us the outside of the books is just as important as the inside, especially when the gorgeous gilt illustration on the spine is as bright and crisp as this one. Tomorrow I’ll be looking at another very similar Victorian book – an Oracle that reveals how to find that lover in the first place…
'For The Booksellers' - often used if the subject matter was a little lively, and also of course to create that impression, even if it were not true., 1854. Reprint.
