Gabriel's Greatest Sentiment

The connections I find between myself and Gabriel continue unabated. There is a line in "The Dead" that I underlined over and over again with many exclamation marks. The line is probably something that everyone else simply read over. Even I did the initial time I read it but after going over it with a fine tooth come I have found a diamond of purest "H" quality. He says that he enjoys the feel of the covers and turning the pages of newly printed books. A feeling of pure ecstasy right before one begins a new book. I think that this is a profound statement in the story. I believe that it is not too vast a generalization to say that English majors are bibliophiles. I personally not only love new books, but (as I said before my nose knows) I love old ones too. The smell of old books is unmistakable and to me makes it so much easier to re-read books several times. I also like the feel of having a book in my hands, whether young or old and feeling the change in weight as I start and finish the book. Which is why I think that I will never get into Kindles or other forms of reading books electronically. I love the books themselves. Gabriel "Nearly every day when his teaching in the college was ended he used to wander down the quays to second-hand book-sellers." in this manner he absolves a lot of his issues in my mind and helps me to reconcile myself with my love of books. Not just reading but the sensual feelings that can be attributed to them.