https://www.today.com/home/backward-books-shelves-controversial-home-decor-trend-t119006
I watched a learned talking head, seated at his desk, being interviewed on TV the other day and noticed the books on the bookshelf behind him were facing away from the camera. I thought nothing about it, perhaps there was room behind his bookshelf for someone to walk and read the spines, i.e., the desk was behind the bookshelf, not in front of it.
But a few days later I saw the same scene repeated, a different dude, desk and library, but again, the spines of the books facing the wall, not the room. And this time there was no access space between the wall and the shelf. It was simply impossible to read the titles, authors or publishers of the volumes without taking them out. And unless you’ve memorized the exact location of every volume in your library, finding a particular tome would be impossible.
So I looked it up (check link above). Apparently this is the latest trend in interior decoration. Heaven forbid your day-koah be spoiled by the ragged edges of trade paperbacks, garish book jackets or uncool titles on politically incorrect or overly intellectualized topics. And no longer can you show off your eclectic taste and breadth of knowledge by displaying to your guests the books you have felt it worthwhile to buy.
We must be already living in the End Times. The barbarians are no longer storming the gates, they’ve moved into our villas and palaces.