For the book lover, the quality of a book lies only partly in its contents. Credit:Brooke Holm

It is common, in this bibliosceptical age, to hear expressions of disbelief that anyone would still buy a real book.

"Why clutter your homes with these dust-infested relics, when an e-book is half the price and a tap away?" cries the paperless agnostic. "Read an online article, listen to a podcast, watch a documentary. Liberate yourself from the cloying grip of the paperback."

This digital evangelist has the manic enthusiasm of a weight-loss testimonial. “Look at what I’ve done,” they beam, standing defiantly in the stretched leg of their fat pants. “See how much lighter and healthier I am! This could be you!”

And yet, book lovers are deaf to this new gospel. They prowl the aisles of book stores with the carnivorous intensity of a jaguar. They buy new titles despite the gnawing reproach of a stack of unread books in their study. They abandon books they have bought to languish apparently forgotten on crowded shelves. They steel themselves against the plaintive sigh of their friends and partners who ask, "Do you really need another one?"