Bibliomania

Bibliomania

Bibliomania is an obsessive-compulsive disorder involving the collecting or hoarding of books to the point where social relations or health are damaged. One of several psychological disorders associated with books, bibliomania is characterized by the collecting of books which have no use to the collector nor any great intrinsic value to a genuine book collector. The purchase of multiple copies of the same book and edition and the accumulation of books beyond possible capacity of use or enjoyment are frequent symptoms of bibliomania.

The term was coined by Dr. John Ferriar, who practiced as a doctor at the Manchester Royal Infirmary. [Kendall, Joshua. The man who made lists: love, death, madness, and the creation of Roget's Thesaurus. Penguin Group. USA. 2008. p.154 ]

Bibliomania is not to be confused with bibliophily, which is the usual love of books and is not considered a clinical psychological disorder.

Other abnormal behaviours involving books include book-eating (bibliophagy), compulsive book-stealing (bibliokleptomania), and book-burying (bibliotaphy).

Examples

People with bibliomania

* Stephen Blumberg, who was convicted of stealing over $20 million worth of books
* Thomas Phillipps [ [http://www.maggs.com/collections/onlycollect.asp?book=17&page=3 Book Collecting: A.N.L. Munby: A Balanced View ] ] (1792-1872) suffered from severe bibliomania. His collection, which at his death contained over 160,000 books and manuscripts, was still being auctioned off over 100 years after his death.
* Rev. W.F. Whitcher [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9A01E2DB133EE433A2575BC2A9619C94609FD7CF A Book Thief.; A Providence Preacher'S Strange Transactions In Rare Vo... - Article Preview - The New York Times ] ] 18th century Methodist pastor who after having stolen and rebound rare books, would assert they were rare "finds" from local booksellers.

Fictional characters with bibliomania

* Mel Gibson's character in the movie "Conspiracy Theory" suffers from triggered bibliomania, a form of mind-control that prompts him to buy a copy of J.D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye" every time he goes outside his apartment. (cf. MK-ULTRA papers, National Security Archives.)
*Yomiko Readman from the Read or Die anime series is so obsessed with books that she will spend every dime she earns on books and will risk her own life to save a book from being destroyed. The ecstasy that Yomiko feels from reading a book borderlines on orgasmic.

Further reading

*cite book | last = Jackson | first = Holbrook | title = The Anatomy of Bibliomania | publisher = University of Illinois Press | location = Urbana | year = 2001 | isbn = 0252070437
*cite book | last = Dibdin | first = Thomas Frognall | title = Bibliomania: Or Book Madness | year = 1811
*cite book | last = Basbanes | first = Nicholas A. | title = A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for Books | publisher = Henry Holt and Company, Inc. | year = 1995

Notes


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Bibliomania — Bib li*o*ma ni*a, n. [Gr. ? book + ? madness: cf. F. bibliomanie.] A mania for acquiring books. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • bibliomania — 1734, after Fr. bibliomanie, from BIBLIO (Cf. biblio ) + MANIA (Cf. mania) …   Etymology dictionary

  • bibliomania — s. f. Mania de possuir livros …   Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa

  • bibliomanía — sustantivo femenino 1. (no contable) Pasión exagerada de tener muchos libros …   Diccionario Salamanca de la Lengua Española

  • bibliomanía — (De biblio y manía). f. Pasión de tener muchos libros raros o los pertenecientes a tal o cual ramo, más por manía que para instruirse …   Diccionario de la lengua española

  • bibliomania — [bib΄lē ə mā′nē ə] n. [ BIBLIO + MANIA] a craze for collecting books, esp. rare ones bibliomaniac n., adj …   English World dictionary

  • bibliomanía — (Del gr. biblion, libro + mainomai, estar loco.) ► sustantivo femenino Afición desmedida a tener muchos libros. * * * bibliomanía (de «biblio » y « manía») f. Pasión exagerada por los *libros, no justificada por interés erudito, literario o… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • bibliomanía — {{#}}{{LM B05197}}{{〓}} {{[}}bibliomanía{{]}} ‹bi·blio·ma·ní·a› {{《}}▍ s.f.{{》}} Pasión desmedida por tener y acumular libros. {{★}}{{\}}ETIMOLOGÍA:{{/}} De biblio (libro) y manía (afición desmedida). {{★}}{{\}}SEMÁNTICA:{{/}} Distinto de… …   Diccionario de uso del español actual con sinónimos y antónimos

  • bibliomania — noun Etymology: French bibliomanie, from bibli + manie mania, from Late Latin mania Date: 1734 extreme preoccupation with collecting books • bibliomaniac noun or adjective • bibliomaniacal adjective …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • bibliomania — bibliomaniac /bib lee oh may nee ak /, n. bibliomaniacal /bib lee oh meuh nuy euh keuhl/, adj. /bib lee oh may nee euh, mayn yeuh/, n. excessive fondness for acquiring and possessing books. [1725 35; BIBLIO + MANIA; r. earlier bibliomanie < F] *… …   Universalium

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