So, I (21F) recently encountered an issue with my younger brother (18M) and his extensive book collection. He’s been collecting books since he was about 10 and is an avid reader, with two large bookshelves in his room.
Recently, I’ve been trying to get into reading more and stumbled upon a book recommendation online. Coincidentally, I noticed my brother had just finished reading the same book a few days prior. Instead of purchasing it online, I decided to ask him if I could borrow his copy. He graciously agreed, only requesting that I return it once I’m done.
Everything seemed fine until I was reading the book in the living room and folded a page to mark my spot. My brother walked in, and suddenly, things took a turn. He started shouting at me for bending the page, swiftly snatching the book from my hands and retreating to his room in a huff. Perplexed, I followed him upstairs to understand what the fuss was about, but he continued to berate me for “ruining” his books.
I’ve always folded pages in books as a way to keep my place, so I couldn’t comprehend why it was such a big deal to him. While I understand his fondness for his collection, his reaction felt disproportionate to the situation.
by boojbok
2 Comments
A new car with a scratch in it’s paint drives just the same as a new car without a scratch in it’s paint, but it still makes you an AHole to go around scratching cars.
Not an asshole, just some miscommunication between the two of you. Some people really care about the condition of the books in their collection, and dog-earing pages, while a valid way to mark your spot in a book, will make them upset. Just agree to use a bookmark the next time you borrow a book from him next time and you’ll be fine.