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Read it later, read it never: Indonesians who hoard books
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Good intentions: Unlike bibliomania, people with 'tsundoku' only buy books they would likely want to read. (Unsplash/Christin Hume) (Unsplash/Christin Hume)
Some people have a habit of picking up books they will never read. It hasn’t stopped them from piling up their collection.
There is a term for the curious habit of piling up unread books. The Japanese call it "tsundoku", which the BBC defines as "the art of buying books and never reading them". People with this habit justify their excess purchase in various manners, but their excuses notwithstanding, they usually insist that "they'll get to read it later" — perhaps. In short, they are book hoarders.
"I left around 15 books mid-way and left around seven untouched," said Arthur Andre, not his real name, a 29-year-old programmer from Malang. "Mostly because I don't have the time. Sometimes work stands in the way and even when I do want to read, I can't focus on one book for a long time."
The term "tsundoku" is said to be born around the Meiji era (1868–1912). It is a portmanteau of the word "tsunde-oku", which means to pile things up ready for later and "dokusho", which means reading books. Although the term is indeed Japanese, Aang Hudaya, cofounder of the organization Gemar Rapi (Likes Tidiness), who has lived in Japan for more than five years, said the habit was not prevalent in the nation.
