Earlier this year I found a true story about an obsessed book thief and a high-up monastery that I loved & wanted to share: all of which (in a funny sort of way) brought to mind Allison Hoover Bartlett’s very enjoyable (2009) “The Man Who Loved Books Too Much“, which would be a nice Christmas gift for a bibliophile (I already have a copy, so it’ll just have to be Belgian chocolates again this year, *sigh*).
It’s a tale of how local teacher Stanislas Gosse found an old map in the Strasbourg city archives showing a nearby monastery’s secret stairways and passages, and then decided to go exploring. He ended up in an room in the library locked to the outside, and impulsively decided to take some books and carry them down the mountain – he ended up with a thousand books in his flat before finally getting caught. Of course, he never sold any, it was more a private obsession that grew for the thrill of it than for anything as sordid as financial gain, I suspect. Anyway, a great little story… enjoy! 🙂
Monastery is that of the religious order known as “The poor ladies” an later as now The Poor Clares. They were the second Franciscan Order to be established, founded by Clare and Francis of Assisi in 1212. Their order modelled on that of the first Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans).
– most of this from the wiki article –
On a personal note – I’ve long been fascinated by the High Vosges and its relics. I do envy anyone having access to that library. Sources for the Hortus Delicarum? *…*
*spp. keyboard is failing me.
that is *and* not an
&
*Deliciarum* not ‘Delicarum’ – of course.
Nick, The booklover’s punishment was the kindest “take” on the the expression “let the punishment suit the crime”, I’ve ever seen! Definitely to be envied! 😉
This links up nicely with a post I’d planned to put up sometime about the ‘ivory road’.
Good post too.
Diane, ROFL re “recipe” on your blog: A touch of “wry”, one onion for tears, some fennel for funny but sad, loved your blog. Please (with Nick’s OK) keep on keeping on, on these pages!
bdid1dr