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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

WIBU to unfold the pages of the HOME book gifted to me?

62 replies

Golfhotelromeofoxtrot · 10/06/2015 16:43

SIL has given us a book as a housewarming gift, the pages have been folded so it looks like it says 'HOME' when turned with its spine away from you.

I am not a fan of these sorts of decorations, and actually it looks like a really good book that has been ruined, would I be unreasonable to unfold it and read it and just keep it as a book?

OP posts:
Original poster
Golfhotelromeofoxtrot · 10/06/2015 17:23

hyg I could totally blame DD. this could be the answer.

soup that is hideous.

percy that link won't work, but I am half pleased that I won't need to hurt my eyes by looking at it Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
Golfhotelromeofoxtrot · 10/06/2015 17:24

Ok, so I can't destroy it, but if my DD gets her hands on it and starts to unfold it, it's ok to not stop her?

OP posts:
SoldierBear · 10/06/2015 17:26

What on earth are you supposed to do with it ?
Ghastly idea. It's not going to be fit to read and I take it that you do not want it on display. Either stick it in a cupboard, donate to charity it recycle.
You aren't obligated to like gifts or to have them out in show as long as you are polite to gift giver and thank them . Just not too effusively in case they then keep on buying them for you

reni1 · 10/06/2015 17:26

And whilst your dd was destroying it you tripped over her in your haste to rescue the artwork and spilled a cup of tea over it, so it had to go, sadly.

Jellytotsandfruitpops · 10/06/2015 18:03

Ive had a go at this book folding thing and the word home took me hours...so for that alone yabu!
Whilst i appreciate there not to everyones tastes, the books i used were destined to be destryoed as the charity shop couldn't sell them for whatever reason. So not necessarily a waste of a book. If you dislike it that much just put somewhere no ones going to see it like on top of the fridge or in a cupboard like my PILs

SoupDragon · 10/06/2015 18:23

What on earth are you supposed to do with it ?

It's a decorative item. You do the same with it as you would with any decorative item.

Yellowbird54321 · 10/06/2015 18:27

Oh. Dear. God. Can't believe this is a thing Confused

OP bin it at once!

BabyMurloc · 10/06/2015 18:27

I hate these. It's like extreme corner folding shudder I love the murdered books. That's now my new name for them.

CactusAnnie · 10/06/2015 18:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Golfhotelromeofoxtrot · 10/06/2015 18:34

Is binning it/free cycling more acceptable than unfolding it and reading it?

OP posts:
Original poster
Golfhotelromeofoxtrot · 10/06/2015 18:36

Oh- and drip feed, I bought her a really cool gift a few years ago that she kept shoved down the side of her hallway and now has disappeared altogether. Really brazen rejection of my gift, so clearly not bothered if gifts aren't used?

OP posts:
MrsSeanBean · 10/06/2015 18:43

Good grief never seen anything like that, it's hideous. Ywnbu to read it.

ToGrapefruit · 10/06/2015 18:47

I would definitely unfold and read it, then send to a charity shop/recycle. I have a tiny house and find it impossible to stay on top of clutter if I keep everything I'm ever given. There's simply no room.

Those book things catch so much dust too! Just thank her, say it's lovely, and 'enjoy' it in its state for a few days- as you would a bunch of flowers. Then unfold, read and dispose of! Bam!

If she ever asks about it again, tell her that you loved looking at it for a while as a sculpture thingy, but then your curiosity got the better of you and you read it too- so it was like 2 presents in one! or lie and blame a cat/baby/thieves etc

MegCleary · 10/06/2015 18:48

That is wrong on the amount of levels I cannot count.

TelephoneIgnoringMachine · 10/06/2015 19:02

Why would anyone do this? Or want such a dust trap in their house?

BankWadger · 10/06/2015 19:06

Put the poor book out of it's misery. Unfold and read it!!

Your SIL has been VUR!

Coincidenceschmoincidence · 10/06/2015 19:08

Sad oh my god. Murdered books is exactly what they are.
What a bloody odd concept.

firesidechat · 10/06/2015 19:19

I quite like the folded paper art.

BUT NOT THE PEPPA PIG ONE!!!

The practical part of me thinks they must be awful dust traps though.

ImCatbug · 10/06/2015 19:20

That sounds awful. I would absolutely unfold it, I can't stand books that have been destroyed or damaged (I count folded pages as damage) for art.

SoupDragon · 11/06/2015 06:14

Better to be folded than pulped.

PurpleSwift · 11/06/2015 08:49

It's not supposed to be read, it's a decorative item. Unfold it if you wish but I wouldn't. I don't get the "wasteful" comments either. Thousands of books end up in landfill every year and charity shops struggle to sell them. This is a form of recycling.

F475LAG · 11/06/2015 08:59

I'm going against the grain here. You SIL isn't bothered about pretending that gifts are used, you hate the murdered book but would actually like to read it as a proper book. I think you should unfold away and resurrect this poor book.

pigsDOfly · 11/06/2015 09:13

Never heard of this so have googled it.

Not sure how readable the book would be after it's been buggered about with like.

This is definitely one gift that would be put at the back of a cupboard only to be allowed out when SIL visited.

Nothing against well read scruffy books - I have loads of them - but this is book abuse, imo.

It's a book, books are made to be read, they're not there to be used as naff decorations. Poor book.

GloGirl · 11/06/2015 09:13

Keep it for a year in a drawer then charity shop.

What did you buy her? I need to know how tasteless she is Grin

ghostyslovesheep · 11/06/2015 09:26

horrid things - this year glittery cheap glass / tree made out of lollies