“Printed books have been in existence for four hundred years at the most, and already they pile up in certain countries in such a way as threaten the old balance of the planet. Civilization has arrived at the most unexpected of times — the age of paper.
Since everyone now makes books, no one is in any hurry to buy them. Elsewhere our young authors are themselves in process of making a complete library from their own books. There’s nothing to do, but to let them do it.”
Charles Nodier, noted book collector, in his 1841 essay, The Book Lover (original French text also available at that site).
