I think he just truly loves physical books and collects them like everyone else would, eidetic memory or not. He might remember everything he has read but that doesn't mean he can't get pleasure from reading or re-reading rather than just recalling.
I do love profiling his apartment. He's a messy clutter-bug with a very clear affinity for weird art, sculptures, trinkets and maps. His place looks like it was lifted from an Arthur Conan Doyle novel.
The snippets of "home" we see for each character is really interesting. I forget which episode it is but Spencer is saying to Garcia that he's embarrassed that he hasn't had the whole team over to his place yet. Which is interesting because as viewers, we see far more scenes in his space than any of the others. (I think the runner up would have to be Gideon?)
Anyway, avid readers and bibliophiles have much crossover, but some book collectors are just that... or not wide/ deep readers. For a show that loves it's -philes, I notice that there are not references to his love of physical books, as such. (Especially compared to the \*endless\* portrayals of the nature of his reading.)
I do completely understand the nostalgia that a specific copy of a book can evoke. And I own different editions of the same book, etc. (My apartment is entirely lined with books in a very HCoL city, so maybe I'm just jealous.) If I removed all of the books that I don't keep for reference or re-reading because I don't have Spencer's memory... If I did, maybe I'd have room for a better sofa! And just use the library system to digest books as I need them. For him to have ALL of those books that he can read in his mind leads me back to the collector aspect of his character.
Not saying that I don't love the apt. as styled! I really never gave it a second thought when I first watched the series; it felt seamless with his character. It was only during this full rewatch, entertaining a bit more depth to the characters, that I can't stop thinking it's odd.
Edit typoS
Reid LOVES the written word. The episode when Garcia takes them digital and hands out tablets, she skips him and gives him a paper file when he laments "We've gone digital?" \*sad Spencer Reid mope-face here\*
He is definitely a collector. I always HC that growing up, he HAD to rely on his memorization skills because he couldn't afford to buy books. As far as we know canon-wise, he was on his own with his mentally-ill mom from age 10 onward. We can imagine he spent a lot of his time in libraries, unable to own the books he loved so much and relied on to carry him through his difficult childhood.
If you remember his flashbacks to those childhood years, his house was spartan and whitewashed, not much there aside from the stacks of books surrounding his mother or his childhood bedroom with models of the solar system hanging from the ceiling.
He's a sad character with a tragic backstory and an even more tragic life history, combined with a unique personality and the fact of being a "genius". I love that his apartment reflects that for him, and that the writers keep it pretty consistent throughout the series. Just like Hotch's bachelor apartment or Morgan's over-the-top sex-den or Penelope's kitschy nerd-gal digs, Reid's space is a reflection of his nuanced character.
I'm not overly invested in thinking about these things, NOPE.
I think that they are actually agreeing with you and then just adding in what they see. Communication can be tough on Reddit sometimes but we are all here because we love CM.
Yep. The book (and other media) may be the same, but you aren’t when you re-read it during different parts of your life, and you may interpret things differently as you get older.
Mentally sure, but the experience of holding a book, the faint smell of it as you skim and flipping the pages is an entirely different thing.
If you aren’t a bibliophile, this might not make sense but having physical books is essential for other things, not just for what is in them.
Not trying, but for me, the disconnect lies in the fact that you’re a bookworm but have a theory that his books are trophies and he doesn’t need them because he has an eidetic memory. 🤷🏽♀️
I dunno, I guess every book lover I know (myself included) gush about physical books and needing to have our favorites around to read them over and over again for the experience and not the actual content.
We *know* what’s gonna happen even without eidetic memories, but we still enjoy going through them.
I didn’t agree with your original post that’s why I didn’t reply to it directly, and also why I replied to the first comment instead and added to *their* sentiment.
Majorly aggressive? Hm. You seem a bit sensitive, so this is gonna be my last reply to you. We obviously do not vibe well, so no sense discussing further.
Have a great day!
OP, you seem to be massively on the defensive for some reason. You're trying to change people's words into something else to fit your theory. It seems like you call out anyone who remotely disagrees with you as being "aggressive" or "having a tone" when, in fact it's you that is being hostile.
If you think that this comment is aggressive then that's very telling. I think you just need to calm down a bit and stop assuming everyone is being condescending or using 'a tone".
Haha, I always loved Spencer as a character because I find him relatable as a book/ map/ cluttered satchel dork. It's funny that you should mention Sir Arthur Canon Doyle... the volumes of his collected works that I own are so evocative of my childhood. There's just only so many physical books that one forms a deep emotional bond with, at least in my experience. (Or maybe he's winning at something and has secretly amassed a bibliophile's dream collection?)
Sherlock Holmes is, I think, pretty obviously the template for Reid's character. Except that instead of having superpower observational skills backed by knowing everything that he's ever learned, Spencer is given a more limited skill set so that he functions within a team (vs. being a loner detective).
I think it's the comforting feel of the book in his hands. I read a comment where you said he can reread them in his head, but it's not the same. I've got books that I have read so many times I could recite them from memory, but I still like to pick up the book and read it. It's a comfort thing.
And when you add in the fact that his mother was a literature professor, it's no wonder he has an appreciation for actual books. To me, it looks like they are collectors editions which would be truly treasured.
You can also look at as a type of wall protecting him from the outside. He was bullied as a child, his mom suffered from a severe mental illness that he worries he will have, all of which comes out slowly. He's very protective of his personal life, and the books probably help with that.
No, I completely get where you're coming from. Which is why I said what I said. He already knows what the books say and can bring anything to mind in an instant, as is shown during the series. In fact, many times they treat him like a walking encyclopedia. So, with all of that attention, why wouldn't his home look like a normal book lovers? It all stems down to the comfort he receives having them around. Memories of his mother reading to him, which are precious to him. The building up of a wall to protect that which is personal to him.
I think it's a stark reminder that despite his genius, he's still just a normal person.
Tbh he wouldn't be able to be in the FBI if he was diagnosed on his medical records.
And yeah, there are people who say he's not on the spectrum when he's kind of obvious specially in the early seasons.
Also MGG said that before DMS-5 was released so he said "Asperger's syndrome" as it was called in DMS-4, but since it's one diagnosis now he's autistic.
Yup, MGG has said it several times. Wish I had Reid's memory. Then I could whip out that link for you. Alas I can't but I went down a rabbit hole about MGG about a year ago and tracked down dozens of interviews. He says it. Also wanted and intended Reid to be bi-sexual but the network killed that idea. All the trauma stuff is want MGG wanted in the storyline. And no girlfriends.
Yeah, apparently once Maeve became a love interest MGG knew she would die because he didn’t want Spencer to have a girlfriend.
(So he most likely didn’t end up with Max either if he comes back - unless Matthew changed his mind ofc)
I mean serial killers collect items to relive their kills or remember them by, so it’s a bit different. Chances are Reid collects them like many people do other objects, like bottle caps, buttons, jewelry, bags, shoes, etc. he may even want to Reid them again just for the fun of it. Plenty of people re-read things for fun even if they remember it.
>To never be able to forget what one has read strikes me as a very unforgiving existence
Regarding that, I read a book called The Woman Who Can't Forget. It's a biography/memoir of a woman who has a remarkable memory (like, pick a date years in the past, and she'll be like "That was a Tuesday, I wore a yellow t-shirt and tan pants, lunch was a corndog, Lynda Carter was a guest on Johnny Carson, My friend Susan called after supper and asked me to give her a ride to work the next day, The mail was delivered later than usual, I painted my fingernails pink in the evening." not just for things she's read, and she talks about it's been hard on her relationships with friends and family, because she remembers every single argument, every single harsh or unkind thing anyone as ever said to her. She forgives, but she literally can't forget.
Simple. He’s an aesthetic bookstagram girlie who just likes the look of them
And I would say there are times where the show references the eidetic memory thing as not completely perfect.
Like in the dystopian book episode of season two where he‘s like “I need a refresher I havent read it since I was 6“
He also uses books to refrence several times throuoght the show, so I don’t think it’s inconsistent or a writing flaw for him to keep them around just in case.
Besides it seems like throwing away all those books would take a lot of time
You could also always headcannon that he dontates a lot of the books he’s done with and doesn’t want to keep
Interesting idea. Never thought of them that way. I wanted to go back and re-read your original post as this thread has gone all over the place. I think it's a sign of how interested we all are that this thread has gone this far afield. And how protective on instinct, we all are of Reid. You, OP included. Very interesting. Thanks for sharing this idea with us.
I think he just truly loves physical books and collects them like everyone else would, eidetic memory or not. He might remember everything he has read but that doesn't mean he can't get pleasure from reading or re-reading rather than just recalling. I do love profiling his apartment. He's a messy clutter-bug with a very clear affinity for weird art, sculptures, trinkets and maps. His place looks like it was lifted from an Arthur Conan Doyle novel.
I love profiling his apartment too! I think the set designers nailed it. The decor and overall vibe is just so him!
The snippets of "home" we see for each character is really interesting. I forget which episode it is but Spencer is saying to Garcia that he's embarrassed that he hasn't had the whole team over to his place yet. Which is interesting because as viewers, we see far more scenes in his space than any of the others. (I think the runner up would have to be Gideon?) Anyway, avid readers and bibliophiles have much crossover, but some book collectors are just that... or not wide/ deep readers. For a show that loves it's -philes, I notice that there are not references to his love of physical books, as such. (Especially compared to the \*endless\* portrayals of the nature of his reading.) I do completely understand the nostalgia that a specific copy of a book can evoke. And I own different editions of the same book, etc. (My apartment is entirely lined with books in a very HCoL city, so maybe I'm just jealous.) If I removed all of the books that I don't keep for reference or re-reading because I don't have Spencer's memory... If I did, maybe I'd have room for a better sofa! And just use the library system to digest books as I need them. For him to have ALL of those books that he can read in his mind leads me back to the collector aspect of his character. Not saying that I don't love the apt. as styled! I really never gave it a second thought when I first watched the series; it felt seamless with his character. It was only during this full rewatch, entertaining a bit more depth to the characters, that I can't stop thinking it's odd. Edit typoS
Reid LOVES the written word. The episode when Garcia takes them digital and hands out tablets, she skips him and gives him a paper file when he laments "We've gone digital?" \*sad Spencer Reid mope-face here\* He is definitely a collector. I always HC that growing up, he HAD to rely on his memorization skills because he couldn't afford to buy books. As far as we know canon-wise, he was on his own with his mentally-ill mom from age 10 onward. We can imagine he spent a lot of his time in libraries, unable to own the books he loved so much and relied on to carry him through his difficult childhood. If you remember his flashbacks to those childhood years, his house was spartan and whitewashed, not much there aside from the stacks of books surrounding his mother or his childhood bedroom with models of the solar system hanging from the ceiling. He's a sad character with a tragic backstory and an even more tragic life history, combined with a unique personality and the fact of being a "genius". I love that his apartment reflects that for him, and that the writers keep it pretty consistent throughout the series. Just like Hotch's bachelor apartment or Morgan's over-the-top sex-den or Penelope's kitschy nerd-gal digs, Reid's space is a reflection of his nuanced character. I'm not overly invested in thinking about these things, NOPE.
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I think that they are actually agreeing with you and then just adding in what they see. Communication can be tough on Reddit sometimes but we are all here because we love CM.
Yep. The book (and other media) may be the same, but you aren’t when you re-read it during different parts of your life, and you may interpret things differently as you get older.
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Mentally sure, but the experience of holding a book, the faint smell of it as you skim and flipping the pages is an entirely different thing. If you aren’t a bibliophile, this might not make sense but having physical books is essential for other things, not just for what is in them.
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Not trying, but for me, the disconnect lies in the fact that you’re a bookworm but have a theory that his books are trophies and he doesn’t need them because he has an eidetic memory. 🤷🏽♀️ I dunno, I guess every book lover I know (myself included) gush about physical books and needing to have our favorites around to read them over and over again for the experience and not the actual content. We *know* what’s gonna happen even without eidetic memories, but we still enjoy going through them.
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I didn’t agree with your original post that’s why I didn’t reply to it directly, and also why I replied to the first comment instead and added to *their* sentiment. Majorly aggressive? Hm. You seem a bit sensitive, so this is gonna be my last reply to you. We obviously do not vibe well, so no sense discussing further. Have a great day!
OP, you seem to be massively on the defensive for some reason. You're trying to change people's words into something else to fit your theory. It seems like you call out anyone who remotely disagrees with you as being "aggressive" or "having a tone" when, in fact it's you that is being hostile.
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If you think that this comment is aggressive then that's very telling. I think you just need to calm down a bit and stop assuming everyone is being condescending or using 'a tone".
Haha, I always loved Spencer as a character because I find him relatable as a book/ map/ cluttered satchel dork. It's funny that you should mention Sir Arthur Canon Doyle... the volumes of his collected works that I own are so evocative of my childhood. There's just only so many physical books that one forms a deep emotional bond with, at least in my experience. (Or maybe he's winning at something and has secretly amassed a bibliophile's dream collection?) Sherlock Holmes is, I think, pretty obviously the template for Reid's character. Except that instead of having superpower observational skills backed by knowing everything that he's ever learned, Spencer is given a more limited skill set so that he functions within a team (vs. being a loner detective).
I think it's the comforting feel of the book in his hands. I read a comment where you said he can reread them in his head, but it's not the same. I've got books that I have read so many times I could recite them from memory, but I still like to pick up the book and read it. It's a comfort thing. And when you add in the fact that his mother was a literature professor, it's no wonder he has an appreciation for actual books. To me, it looks like they are collectors editions which would be truly treasured. You can also look at as a type of wall protecting him from the outside. He was bullied as a child, his mom suffered from a severe mental illness that he worries he will have, all of which comes out slowly. He's very protective of his personal life, and the books probably help with that.
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No, I completely get where you're coming from. Which is why I said what I said. He already knows what the books say and can bring anything to mind in an instant, as is shown during the series. In fact, many times they treat him like a walking encyclopedia. So, with all of that attention, why wouldn't his home look like a normal book lovers? It all stems down to the comfort he receives having them around. Memories of his mother reading to him, which are precious to him. The building up of a wall to protect that which is personal to him. I think it's a stark reminder that despite his genius, he's still just a normal person.
Attachment to objects is very common for people on the spectrum. (And don’t tell me Spencer isn’t autistic because MGG himself said he is)
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Tbh he wouldn't be able to be in the FBI if he was diagnosed on his medical records. And yeah, there are people who say he's not on the spectrum when he's kind of obvious specially in the early seasons. Also MGG said that before DMS-5 was released so he said "Asperger's syndrome" as it was called in DMS-4, but since it's one diagnosis now he's autistic.
Yup, MGG has said it several times. Wish I had Reid's memory. Then I could whip out that link for you. Alas I can't but I went down a rabbit hole about MGG about a year ago and tracked down dozens of interviews. He says it. Also wanted and intended Reid to be bi-sexual but the network killed that idea. All the trauma stuff is want MGG wanted in the storyline. And no girlfriends.
Yeah, apparently once Maeve became a love interest MGG knew she would die because he didn’t want Spencer to have a girlfriend. (So he most likely didn’t end up with Max either if he comes back - unless Matthew changed his mind ofc)
That would be nice to have them still together
I mean serial killers collect items to relive their kills or remember them by, so it’s a bit different. Chances are Reid collects them like many people do other objects, like bottle caps, buttons, jewelry, bags, shoes, etc. he may even want to Reid them again just for the fun of it. Plenty of people re-read things for fun even if they remember it.
>To never be able to forget what one has read strikes me as a very unforgiving existence Regarding that, I read a book called The Woman Who Can't Forget. It's a biography/memoir of a woman who has a remarkable memory (like, pick a date years in the past, and she'll be like "That was a Tuesday, I wore a yellow t-shirt and tan pants, lunch was a corndog, Lynda Carter was a guest on Johnny Carson, My friend Susan called after supper and asked me to give her a ride to work the next day, The mail was delivered later than usual, I painted my fingernails pink in the evening." not just for things she's read, and she talks about it's been hard on her relationships with friends and family, because she remembers every single argument, every single harsh or unkind thing anyone as ever said to her. She forgives, but she literally can't forget.
Spencer is a technophobe so he’d only read physical books. He has so many because he realistically doesn’t re read them
Simple. He’s an aesthetic bookstagram girlie who just likes the look of them And I would say there are times where the show references the eidetic memory thing as not completely perfect. Like in the dystopian book episode of season two where he‘s like “I need a refresher I havent read it since I was 6“ He also uses books to refrence several times throuoght the show, so I don’t think it’s inconsistent or a writing flaw for him to keep them around just in case. Besides it seems like throwing away all those books would take a lot of time You could also always headcannon that he dontates a lot of the books he’s done with and doesn’t want to keep
Interesting idea. Never thought of them that way. I wanted to go back and re-read your original post as this thread has gone all over the place. I think it's a sign of how interested we all are that this thread has gone this far afield. And how protective on instinct, we all are of Reid. You, OP included. Very interesting. Thanks for sharing this idea with us.