Books as presents - the influence they have

[Cailin]

Apologies if this has been done before but I just wanted to ask whether as a child you've ever got a book as a present that changed/influenced you?

Some of us will have got presents of books from parents in an effort to get us into the reading habit - I'd say with mixed success!

Personally I remember two presents that came from random people - one was a beautiful collection of world legends and fairytales that came in 5 hardback editions and was given to me by a work colleague of my Dad's who had been in the army.The artwork was amazing and I still cherish it for the imaginative journey into other cultures that it provided.

The other opened my eyes to the political situation in Northern Ireland - it was a copy of The Twelfth of July by Joan Lingard and it was given to me (again by a friend of my parents). Living south of the border, and being only 9 at the time, it opened my eyes to the possibility that fiction could inform as well as entertain.

So is/are there any books that people gave you that shaped some aspect of you?

[Tallon]

My mother always buys me books at christmas because she knows i like them, she has no idea what to buy though and i mainly receive crap :D
However i have received the odd gem, Clive James' autobiographies were great. I always buy her books too but she never gets round to reading half of them (i do).

[Petya]

I remember getting a book from my parents when I was 9 (22 now) got a few pages in and gave up and came back to it about 10 years later, and although the book itself was bad, I can't help thinking that no matter how much time has passed the books I haven't got around to reading yet will still be there which is kind of nice when I see my 'to read list'.



Some of us will have got presents of books from parents in an effort to get us into the reading habit - I'd say with mixed success!


I only recently got it to reading but I know the feeling all to well :)

[Joreads]

I never buy books for adults because tastes vary so much. I always give a voucher for a bookstore though. There is nothing worse then getting a present you don't like

[JBI]

Nah - I'm yet to receive a book, or even a gift certificate for books, for a birthday present.

I guess when I was in present-getting age, I wasn't really an avid reader, and that I started really reading seriously at age 15 or so. And, being Jewish also, I tend to get cash, as that is the custom.

I would say, if anything, my parents are discouraging of my reading.

[Cailin]

I would say, if anything, my parents are discouraging of my reading.

Wow! Really? Why?

[JBI]

Wow! Really? Why?

Two reasons. One, I know a lot more than they do, and it allows me to refute any simpleton argument they throw at me, and to undercut almost anything they can say.

The second, is because I had the marks and prerequisites to do anything for post-secondary schooling, yet I went for literature over science or medicine, and they think now I am not going to be rolling around in it. I think, basically, since I have siblings, they try to bet on the winning horse, and now they think that perhaps won't be me.

[RG57]

I was never bought that many serious reading books as a child, mostly annuals of my favourite comics at Christmas time. But this was no real problem as there were always books around the house to suit evey age group, my mother was prolific reader.

[papayahed]

I remember getting Little Women from my aunt when I was around 10. Hated it.

[mona amon]

My most favourite birthday present ever was two bright, glossy Enid Blyton paperbacks, The Mystery of the Vanishing Cat and Summer term at St. Clare's, when I was about eight. Can't say they changed my life or anything....:D

[Annamariah]

I remember getting Little Women from my aunt when I was around 10. Hated it.
I, on the other hand, remember getting Emily of New Moon from my aunt when I turned eight years old, and I loved it. That made read other books by L. M. Montgomery and also by L. M. Alcott. (I like Little Women :))

I've always received a lot of books as birthday or Christmas presents - I guess the record was when I turned 14 and got 21 books.

[JBI]

Wow, I didn't know Anne of Green Gables was that well known - all the way to Finland.

[bazarov]

Two reasons. One, I know a lot more than they do, and it allows me to refute any simpleton argument they throw at me, and to undercut almost anything they can say.



:lol::lol::lol::lol:
Same here...after some time my mother hide some of my books, later she gave up; and today she often says: My son, I told you long ago those books will harm you sooner or later... Damn, she was right! :D

[Cailin]

Wow, this has turned into a very interesting exchange! It's so alien to me that parents would discourage their children from reading - never appreciated how lucky I've been!

Also intrigued by the types of books people are citing as influences - I like that the sheer pleasure of a book can be the formative influence

[bazarov]

They didn't discourage us; maybe they just didn't like how much and what we read.

[Cailin]

They didn't discourage us; maybe they just didn't like how much and what we read.

Actually, now that I think of it, there were books my parents didn't want me to read either :lol: Now that would make for an interesting thread :idea:

[kasie]

I was given a book of stories for Christmas when I was five by a particularly unctious 'Welsh Uncle' (ie - someone who was a friend of the family, not a blood relative) with the assurance that a 'good little reader like you will love this'. Even at this tender age, I viewed the gift with deep suspicion - and I was right. It was a collection of thinly disguised Sunday School sermons and homilies for 'good' children - the virtuous were rewarded, the wicked got their just deserts. I felt cheated, given a book that was not what it seemed, and I have felt much the same way towards gifts of books ever since. Unless someone specifically asks what I'd like, I'd much prefer to be given a Book Token or credit on Amazon: double the pleasure, not only do I get a book/books, I get the delight of spending an afternoon in a book shop or on line havering over the choice!

[optimisticnad]

Two reasons. One, I know a lot more than they do, and it allows me to refute any simpleton argument they throw at me, and to undercut almost anything they can say.

The second, is because I had the marks and prerequisites to do anything for post-secondary schooling, yet I went for literature over science or medicine, and they think now I am not going to be rolling around in it. I think, basically, since I have siblings, they try to bet on the winning horse, and now they think that perhaps won't be me.


:lol:

Sounds like my family! My parents felt I was wasting my 'talents' and 'brain' on Literature. Oh well. It's done now. And yeh....absolutely, I'm getting 'thicker', dumber every second....yep, there goes another part of my brain.....

I know tastes vary but I like giving books as presents - but only to the right people. I wouldn't give it to people who don't read - I probably should but.....see, I've forgotten what I was going to say. Dumber....:lol:

[absurda]

I was never given a book as a present, how weird... I have always loved reading, and my parents never refused buying any books I chose, but it was always my choice. I have given books, though. I am going to give my sister in law the book "In defense of food: an eater's manifesto" for christmas, because she is always saying what you should and should not eat... hope she likes it!

[Pecksie]

My most favourite birthday present ever was two bright, glossy Enid Blyton paperbacks, The Mystery of the Vanishing Cat and Summer term at St. Clare's, when I was about eight. Can't say they changed my life or anything....:D

I got my first Enid Blytons at age 7 and loved them... although she sounds pretty snobbish when read by an adult.

One of the saddest anecdotes I can tell about books as presents is this: I once bought a book for the birthday of a 20-year-old friend, a (rather superficial) girl from a wealthy family. She was very surprised and said: "Oh... thank you... I've never got a book as a present before..." (as if I had given her... let me think... a forklift, or a garbage bin, or a wig :lol:).

[crystalmoonshin]

The first book I received as a gift was Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter". I was around 13 years old then and it was from a friend. Because of it, I realized hat I wrong coz before, I thought that classics were just for either the oldies or for geeks. Because of that book, I was introduced to the beauty of classic novels.

The second book I received was Anne Rice's "Taltos". I liked the Vampire Chronicles more.

The third was just a month ago from a dear friend. She gave me "Eragon", knowing that I'm a fantasy fan and of my fascination for dragons.

[optimisticnad]

Actually, now that I think of it, there were books my parents didn't want me to read either :lol: Now that would make for an interesting thread :idea:

:D Yeh, I wouldn't like my kid reading 'that' kind of stuff either.....

[Pecksie]

Wow, this has turned into a very interesting exchange! It's so alien to me that parents would discourage their children from reading - never appreciated how lucky I've been!



Same for me. In my family, my parents always tried to buy us kids lots of books, even when that meant not buying them for themselves.