You’ve been reading English novels! One does keep a paper-knife for such purposes.
Two other ladies began talking to Anna, and a stout elderly lady tucked up her feet, and made observations about the heating of the train. Anna answered a few words, but not foreseeing any entertainment from the conversation, she asked Annushka to get a lamp, hooked it onto the arm of her seat, and took from her bag a paper knife and an English novel.
–Tolstoy, Anna Karenina
Nowadays most people call them “letter openers” but I like the old name better.
When I was in high school (this was awhile ago), I got suckered into paying for the Evelyn Wood Speed Reading Seminar (anyone remember these?). The ONLY thing of value–and the only thing I retained from that two day abortion was this advice on how to break in the binding of a book.
you’re almost right. Some are russian futurists or surrealists. I just dud some out and realized i did misremember them a bit. First they have to be cut at the small side and second they are perforated.
It’s a pretty thick paper though and despite the perforation my letter opener doesn’t really cut it (yes, pun). I need to find me a paper knife
I remember being shown a film about this in elementary school in the mid seventies. I’m pretty sure that the film itself was made a couple of decades previously though. It showed the protagonist (probably with a name like Timmy, or Billy) reviving a new book, and the care he took in what amounted to the wedding night between him and the book.
