Saturday Blog Post *3

The previous installment about The Preserver and The Handler involved internet shopping. This week involves one of three problems which I'm hurling at the two types of readers: What happens when a book gets dropped in water.

The scenario: As avid readers, both The Preserver and The Handler read whenever they have a spare moment. Inevitably this will usually include while preparing a bath (for themselves, or one of their children if they have one). While reading the book, for whatever reason - be it slipping on the floor, or getting startled by the doorbell or the phone, the book ends up in the water. What will they do?

Life for the book doesn't look good in The Preserver's household. Trembling at the waterlogged pages, The Preserver will pick the book out the water carefully. The Preserver will use both hands, scooping it up underneath the cover to reduce tearing the wet paper. Sobbing at the wreck of the book, carefully so the tears don't land on the pages, The Preserver will place the damp remains on a towel. The Preserver will set about pat drying the book, getting rid of the excess moisture. Then, with a solemn dignity The Preserver will parade the book to the airing cupboard (unsure of US term for the cupboard where the boiler lives), and leave it there to dry out. The Preserver will frequently check the book, monitoring it's drying progress on an hourly schedule. The Preserver, if they have the funds to do so, will set about buying a replacement. This copy will be for guests and family, who won't care that the pages are crumpled and smell of lavender bubble bath.

The Handler, as usual, will take the incident in their stride. They'll shrug their shoulders at the book floating amidst the mostly white bubbles, pick it up regardless of how it landed. The suds will be blown off (or flicked off). The book will be placed on a radiator (which The Preserver wouldn't do for fear of scorch marks), or just on a windowsill where the sun can shine on it. If there wasn't such a fear of fire, The Handler would put it in the oven. There would be no rush to get another copy - what are a few crumples in the pages when the book gets to that state within a few rounds of reading anyway? The Handler will read the book even when it's damp - why wait to finish the story? The incident doesn't even register as an incident - it's just another normal day in The Handler's household.

How would you react to a book falling in water? Are you like A Preserver, in complete shock at the horror of a wet book? Or do you take it in your stride like The Handler?

Next week, The discovery of a child's scribbles on a book.