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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
This is a smart and witty collection of essays about reading and all the peculiarities that being a bibliophile can bring. My favorite essay is probably the one about 'marrying' libraries. I read this book for the first time about 8 years ago and the essays have lost none of their charm or insight over the years. It's something I think I'll pick up again and again throughout my reading life.
3 STARS
"Anne Fadiman is--by her own admission--the sort of person who learned about sex from her father's copy of Fanny Hill , whose husband buys her 19 pounds of dusty books for her birthday, and who once found herself poring over her roommate's 1974 Toyota Corolla manual because it was the only written material in the apartment that she had not read at least twice. This witty collection of essays recounts a lifelong love affair with books and language. For Fadiman, as for many passionate readers, the books she loves have become chapters in her own life story. Writing with remarkable grace, she revives the tradition of the well-crafted personal essay, moving easily from anecdotes about Coleridge and Orwell to tales of her own pathologically literary family. As someone who played at blocks with her father's 22-volume set of Trollope ("My Ancestral Castles") and who only really considered herself married when she and her husband had merged collections ("Marrying Libraries"), she is exquisitely well equipped to expand upon the art of inscriptions, the perverse pleasures of compulsive proof-reading, the allure of long words, and the satisfactions of reading out loud. There is even a foray into pure literary gluttony--Charles Lamb liked buttered muffin crumbs between the leaves, and Fadiman knows of more than one reader who literally consumes page corners. " (From Amazon)
A great reference book on reading and love of books and literature. Fadiman's essays from her columnist are funny and smart.
"Anne Fadiman is--by her own admission--the sort of person who learned about sex from her father's copy of Fanny Hill , whose husband buys her 19 pounds of dusty books for her birthday, and who once found herself poring over her roommate's 1974 Toyota Corolla manual because it was the only written material in the apartment that she had not read at least twice. This witty collection of essays recounts a lifelong love affair with books and language. For Fadiman, as for many passionate readers, the books she loves have become chapters in her own life story. Writing with remarkable grace, she revives the tradition of the well-crafted personal essay, moving easily from anecdotes about Coleridge and Orwell to tales of her own pathologically literary family. As someone who played at blocks with her father's 22-volume set of Trollope ("My Ancestral Castles") and who only really considered herself married when she and her husband had merged collections ("Marrying Libraries"), she is exquisitely well equipped to expand upon the art of inscriptions, the perverse pleasures of compulsive proof-reading, the allure of long words, and the satisfactions of reading out loud. There is even a foray into pure literary gluttony--Charles Lamb liked buttered muffin crumbs between the leaves, and Fadiman knows of more than one reader who literally consumes page corners. " (From Amazon)
A great reference book on reading and love of books and literature. Fadiman's essays from her columnist are funny and smart.
funny
reflective
fast-paced
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Wow! I can honestly say that Anne Fadiman is one of the most outstanding writers I have ever read. I am jealous of her extensive vocabulary! At times, it seemed like she was reading my mind.
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
She’s slightly obnoxious, but in such a way that feels #relatable
I already read quite often, but this book about books made me want to read even more!!! It was clever and informative and each essay felt like a love letter to reading!
An enjoyable collection of essays on a variety of topics, most of which tie back to reading and the love of it all.
While the essays were enjoyable, they conveyed relatable topics, however, this is not a book that I will think about again. Although, I did love the idea of just reading with my future significant other.
While the essays were enjoyable, they conveyed relatable topics, however, this is not a book that I will think about again. Although, I did love the idea of just reading with my future significant other.
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced