I absolutely adored this although at times the author and my principles didn't exactly coincide.
The main point being all the discussion about book burning, using them for art work and the fact books are replaceable hence less important than humans.
Hello, humans wrote them so it makes them important, plus as I'm anti social and my human contact is derived from book reading to me books are far more important in my life than people.
But semantics and differences of opinion aside this was an absolutely fascinating and exhaustively researched read.
I loved the author's, at times witty style and the epilogue and thank you to the reader for reading her work was quite emotive and nearly had me in tears, to think as she described my DNA is now embedded in her book purely by my touch and reading it, that is such an obvious and simple fact that I had just never thought of before but it's a beautiful idea, I am a part of every book I read and they are a part of me.
The historical aspect of this was incredible, such a wealth of detail from the first pamphlets, books and scrolls either written or printed, even a detailed analysis of the Gutenberg bible.
Even down to such modern day technology, kindle, audio, authors and books like Harry Potter, Fifty shades, all manner of reading and its ephemera are discussed, whether considered "trash" reading or high brow works of literature.
Then there was the chapters on art installations involving books, even books made of cheese, works of art depicting books, which of course sent this sad old bookworm down a rabbit hole of researching and googling!
This was just a pure delight to any bibliophile as all topics and areas of books, their history, their authors, their magic is explored, how can any true reader fail to be enchanted by this?
The main point being all the discussion about book burning, using them for art work and the fact books are replaceable hence less important than humans.
Hello, humans wrote them so it makes them important, plus as I'm anti social and my human contact is derived from book reading to me books are far more important in my life than people.
But semantics and differences of opinion aside this was an absolutely fascinating and exhaustively researched read.
I loved the author's, at times witty style and the epilogue and thank you to the reader for reading her work was quite emotive and nearly had me in tears, to think as she described my DNA is now embedded in her book purely by my touch and reading it, that is such an obvious and simple fact that I had just never thought of before but it's a beautiful idea, I am a part of every book I read and they are a part of me.
The historical aspect of this was incredible, such a wealth of detail from the first pamphlets, books and scrolls either written or printed, even a detailed analysis of the Gutenberg bible.
Even down to such modern day technology, kindle, audio, authors and books like Harry Potter, Fifty shades, all manner of reading and its ephemera are discussed, whether considered "trash" reading or high brow works of literature.
Then there was the chapters on art installations involving books, even books made of cheese, works of art depicting books, which of course sent this sad old bookworm down a rabbit hole of researching and googling!
This was just a pure delight to any bibliophile as all topics and areas of books, their history, their authors, their magic is explored, how can any true reader fail to be enchanted by this?