Can we talk about the book that literally fell apart on me mid-chapter?

Honestly, I snagged a 1950s paperback of 'The Postman Always Rings Twice' for $3 at a library sale last Saturday. The cover looked beat but the pages were white, so I figured it was fine. Halfway through chapter 8, the whole spine just snapped and leaves started raining down like confetti. I ended up spending an hour with archival tape and a glue stick trying to save it. Anyone else ever rescue a book that wanted to disintegrate? What's your go-to fix for crumbling bindings?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_barbara1mo ago

Wait, isn't The Postman Always Rings Twice from 1934, not the 50s?

lisa6711mo ago

Oh man, I've been there! I found a 1940s copy of The Godfather at a flea market and the whole thing basically crumbled when I opened it. @the_barbara, you're right about the years. So what I did was use a strong bookbinding glue, not just a glue stick. I took the loose pages and clamped the spine tight with some binder clips after brushing glue along the edge. Then I let it sit under heavy books for two days. For the cover, I used clear book tape, not regular Scotch tape. That thing holds together pretty well now, just a little stiff when you open it.