Scholars can study what Ernest Hemingway was reading and what influence it might have had on his fiction because all of his books remain at the Finca Vigia in Cuba, which is now a museum. After Updike died, his extensive book collection was sold to a local book dealer, so it will be a little more difficult for scholars to do their work. But pieces from that collection are appearing now on eBay, sold by Manchester by the Book, the Manchester, Mass. used book store that bought the Updike books in bulk.

The gem of this batch (and yes, The John Updike Childhood Home would love it if someone bought the set and donated it to us) is Updike’s set of Albert Camus Notebooks Vols. 1-2, with one of the volumes heavily annotated in Updike’s handwriting.