Why steal, rather than leave them out there with a sign that says “free to good home”? How would someone stealing give him hope for the country?
A used copy of Abbie Hoffman’s Steal This Book can be purchased for $7 on Abe Books.
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I’m not sure that this comic can be properly discussed here at CIDU. Pearls Before Swine has been drifting into thinly disguised political commentary recently. Besides the strip shown above, other examples include the strips for September 20th and 22nd.
P.S. That said, the whole point of “Steal This Book” is grass roots resistance against governmental authoritarianism. Goat thinks that if there are some people who will steal his books, that will show that there is still a spirit of resistance to fight against the fascism and corruption that is rampant within the current administration.
P.P.S. It might be better to replace this post with the next strip in the queue.
I got a totally different take from this. Goat left some books out, “free” for the taking, and no one took them. It is a comment on illiteracy in our society. It is unfortunate that Goat used the term steal, and even more unfortunate that Hoffman’s “Steal This Book” got dragged into the conversation.
I agree with guero. Goat is unhappy because people don’t read books anymore; if they did, obviously they would steal his books.
Patsis’ “political commentary” is almost entirely limited to the most banal “can’t we all just get along” type of sentiment that it’s hard to believe anyone would find it objectionable.
Would have worked better had Pastis borrowed the Emo Philips’ classic: “Guy came to my door the other day and said ‘I’d like to read your gas meter’, I said ‘Whatever happened to the classics?'”
I’m aligned with guero and definitely don’t see any political bent to any of this. If books were valued in this society they would be stolen. People who regularly read are considered more educated and informed, so having books not be valued is a statement to that effect.
To all those touting the contrary, it seems to me the deliberate use of the word “steal” seems to me to be invoking the Hoffman book/credo — it would have been much more natural to use the word “take” had only the “people don’t read” reading been meant to be evoked.
True story: Walking through a nice neighborhood, pass a house that has one of those little free libraries plus a basket of overflow / duplicates at its base. A few days later, walk by again and they’ve added a sign saying these books are free to take and keep — they’re NOT inviting more books.
Will confess I’ve never taken a book from a little free library, but I usually stop to peruse the titles. Always wonder to what extent they’re curated, or reflective of their librarians. Usually see kids’ books, hardbound recent novels, and the occasional history or nonfiction. Rarely see classics, even in paperback form. No discernible agenda or individual taste, but no thrift shop randomness either.
If I had a place to set one up, I’d favor small but sturdy editions of classic short stories — detective, scifi, and humor, mostly.
I disagree, larK. You can’t steal something that is worthless. But if someone is willing to risk the consequences of stealing it generally means the item has some value, if to no one else than the thief. It doesn’t mean everything you are allowed to take is worthless, but “steal” in this context is being used to indicate whether books have any value.
When “Steal This Book” first came out, there was a stack of copies on the counter of the university book store. I asked the clerk if I should steal the book like it said. He said no. So I didn’t steal it, or buy it either.
There was/is also Bookcrossing, leaving books for others to find and enjoy. With traceability if desired. https://www.bookcrossing.com/
“BookCrossing is the act of releasing your books “into the wild” for a stranger to find, or via “controlled release” to another BookCrossing member, and tracking where they go via journal entries from around the world. …”
@TedD: not sure I understand. My point is merely that “to see if anyone takes them” sounds to me the more obvious phrasing, so why did he use “steal”? You seem to be saying that he used “steal” because it implies or imparts value? Maybe, but more obviously it imports a whole raft of negative connotations — that’s the part I’m having trouble understanding. Just yesterday I was at the pool in my gym, and the (gym supplied) towel I had left on a hook was gone after I was done doing my laps. And I noticed that I was loath, even to myself, to say that someone had “stolen” my towel; my take was that someone had “taken” my towel. And in my context, there really was no ambiguity as to whether I had left or abandoned my towel, yet still I hesitate to think “steal”. In the comic, there is is definitely a note of ambiguity for any passerby as to whether the books have been abandoned or left on purpose for someone to take — and yet the goat immediately jumps to “steal”. Why?
I’m not sure that this comic can be properly discussed here at CIDU. Pearls Before Swine has been drifting into thinly disguised political commentary recently. Besides the strip shown above, other examples include the strips for September 20th and 22nd.
P.S. That said, the whole point of “Steal This Book” is grass roots resistance against governmental authoritarianism. Goat thinks that if there are some people who will steal his books, that will show that there is still a spirit of resistance to fight against the fascism and corruption that is rampant within the current administration.
P.P.S. It might be better to replace this post with the next strip in the queue.
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I got a totally different take from this. Goat left some books out, “free” for the taking, and no one took them. It is a comment on illiteracy in our society. It is unfortunate that Goat used the term steal, and even more unfortunate that Hoffman’s “Steal This Book” got dragged into the conversation.
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Goat is thinking a lack of literacy but misses that he should find the morality of “no theft” reassuring. No need to overthink here.
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I agree with guero. Goat is unhappy because people don’t read books anymore; if they did, obviously they would steal his books.
Patsis’ “political commentary” is almost entirely limited to the most banal “can’t we all just get along” type of sentiment that it’s hard to believe anyone would find it objectionable.
LikeLike
Would have worked better had Pastis borrowed the Emo Philips’ classic: “Guy came to my door the other day and said ‘I’d like to read your gas meter’, I said ‘Whatever happened to the classics?'”
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The comments for this strip on GoComics led to a discussion of Little Free Libraries. Now you can get one with a red roof, sponsored by Pizza Hut: https://littlefreelibrary.org/support/sponsorship-opportunities/pizza-hut-little-free-library/
Applications close Oct. 31.
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I’m aligned with guero and definitely don’t see any political bent to any of this. If books were valued in this society they would be stolen. People who regularly read are considered more educated and informed, so having books not be valued is a statement to that effect.
LikeLike
To all those touting the contrary, it seems to me the deliberate use of the word “steal” seems to me to be invoking the Hoffman book/credo — it would have been much more natural to use the word “take” had only the “people don’t read” reading been meant to be evoked.
LikeLike
True story: Walking through a nice neighborhood, pass a house that has one of those little free libraries plus a basket of overflow / duplicates at its base. A few days later, walk by again and they’ve added a sign saying these books are free to take and keep — they’re NOT inviting more books.
Will confess I’ve never taken a book from a little free library, but I usually stop to peruse the titles. Always wonder to what extent they’re curated, or reflective of their librarians. Usually see kids’ books, hardbound recent novels, and the occasional history or nonfiction. Rarely see classics, even in paperback form. No discernible agenda or individual taste, but no thrift shop randomness either.
If I had a place to set one up, I’d favor small but sturdy editions of classic short stories — detective, scifi, and humor, mostly.
LikeLike
I disagree, larK. You can’t steal something that is worthless. But if someone is willing to risk the consequences of stealing it generally means the item has some value, if to no one else than the thief. It doesn’t mean everything you are allowed to take is worthless, but “steal” in this context is being used to indicate whether books have any value.
LikeLike
When “Steal This Book” first came out, there was a stack of copies on the counter of the university book store. I asked the clerk if I should steal the book like it said. He said no. So I didn’t steal it, or buy it either.
LikeLike
There was/is also Bookcrossing, leaving books for others to find and enjoy. With traceability if desired.
https://www.bookcrossing.com/
“BookCrossing is the act of releasing your books “into the wild” for a stranger to find, or via “controlled release” to another BookCrossing member, and tracking where they go via journal entries from around the world. …”
LikeLike
@TedD: not sure I understand. My point is merely that “to see if anyone takes them” sounds to me the more obvious phrasing, so why did he use “steal”? You seem to be saying that he used “steal” because it implies or imparts value? Maybe, but more obviously it imports a whole raft of negative connotations — that’s the part I’m having trouble understanding. Just yesterday I was at the pool in my gym, and the (gym supplied) towel I had left on a hook was gone after I was done doing my laps. And I noticed that I was loath, even to myself, to say that someone had “stolen” my towel; my take was that someone had “taken” my towel. And in my context, there really was no ambiguity as to whether I had left or abandoned my towel, yet still I hesitate to think “steal”. In the comic, there is is definitely a note of ambiguity for any passerby as to whether the books have been abandoned or left on purpose for someone to take — and yet the goat immediately jumps to “steal”. Why?
LikeLike