My paperback copy of 'The Hobbit' started falling apart after two reads

I noticed the glue on the spine was cracking on page 87, and when I checked the binding, the sections were just stuck together with hot glue instead of sewn like on older editions, so does anyone else have tips for reinforcing these cheap glued spines before they fully give out?

2 comments

2 Comments

victorcoleman10d ago

Aw man I gotta disagree with you here. Hot glue is actually pretty solid for paperbacks if you treat them right, way easier to fix than trying to resew a modern book. I've had old sewn copies of The Hobbit that were falling apart too, and the glue was the only thing holding them together for years. Honestly if the glue is cracking on page 87 after just two reads, that sounds more like you got a defective copy or maybe you're opening it too wide. Most paperbacks from the big publishers these days use a decent enough glue that lasts way longer than that. For reinforcement, just grab some bookbinding glue (like PVA, not any random craft glue) and run a thin line along the spine where it meets the pages. Don't overdo it or the book won't lay flat though.

rose_young10d ago

Oh totally, I've had the same luck with hot glue on some old paperbacks!