There’s no need for a tearing hurry: Even the largest books can be accommodated whole in many ways

The biblioclast who recently revealed in a social media post that he saws tomes in two for portability, appears to be unaware of ebooks that can be slipped into compact spaces no matter how many virtual pages are stored within.

Besides, even when in a tearing hurry, there are other alternatives to this cartability hack, including taking smaller books or paperbacks on journeys. A larger bag to contain the thicker book is another definite possibility.

However, people are largely free to do as they please with their inanimate possessions, so biblioclasm itself is not regarded as a crime legally. But the fact that the self-confessed perpetrator of this regular, almost casual, murder is a novelist himself makes the act egregious.


Other writers — and readers — may not agree with his contention that “the codex (book) is just a mortal husk — the soul of a book is the story”, so by implication, chopping them to size is acceptable.

Halving books in this manner is not common practice anywhere in the world yet, but the Humpty-Dumpty-esque dilemma of how to put bisected books back together again will strike many.

Hopefully, the novelist’s public admission will also trigger discussion on why the relative pre-eminence of books puts a moral ban on treating them on par, say, with old clothes, crockery, gadgets or other potentially disposable chattel.