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roxymaybe's review against another edition
4.0
A solid, comprehensive tome. The audiobook stinks though - the narrator is so breathy it sounds like he's constantly telling you a secret.
sethsb's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
5.0
The authors of The Library go deep into the stacks to show the reader a history of books. From ancient papyrus to medieval parchment, they bring to light the people who have maintained, destroyed, and rebuilt collections of books. This compendium reflects the same order of those rooms upon rooms lost to time.
Parchment and paper decay, needing constant copying to keep a manuscript alive. The Library of Alexandria famously copied scrolls from visiting ships, a monumental undertaking, that would be matched for centuries afterward by individual copying of religious texts in monasteries. Much credit is given to the monks who preserved the written word for centuries, tedious and often grudging work. The flame of the Reformation was fueled by a developing print and pamphlet culture. The peasant’s revolt that followed saw many Catholic books desecrated, burned, or simply sold for scrap paper. Retaliation against heretic writings was equally severe.
As unforgiving as mold and moth and bookworm are, the greater threat has been at the hands of an attacking army. Wars are not always fought because of books, but libraries become strategic targets for political purposes. What does survive with some regularity are catalogues and records of book auctions, which can be used to re-create popular works of the time. Because of artillery, cities like Strasbourg—on contested ground between France and Germany—could be wiped out, and in the 20th century world wars, entire histories of targeted people came under fire.
Fiction, as a genre, was scorned by the wealthy magnates who held the reins of society. Sir Thomas Bodley instructed against keeping idle books in the library he generously built. Subscription libraries wanted to gain members, and so offered novels in small numbers. As circulating libraries became profitable, the books they carried trended toward entertainment. Should wealthy founders be able to say what future readers can borrow? Is the role of the librarian a gatekeeper of literary style and taste?
The Library poses many such thoughts on the different eras throughout history. The authors survey library collections extensively and point to their impact on society. This book, at over 400 pages, will be an inspiration to any bibliophile.
Parchment and paper decay, needing constant copying to keep a manuscript alive. The Library of Alexandria famously copied scrolls from visiting ships, a monumental undertaking, that would be matched for centuries afterward by individual copying of religious texts in monasteries. Much credit is given to the monks who preserved the written word for centuries, tedious and often grudging work. The flame of the Reformation was fueled by a developing print and pamphlet culture. The peasant’s revolt that followed saw many Catholic books desecrated, burned, or simply sold for scrap paper. Retaliation against heretic writings was equally severe.
As unforgiving as mold and moth and bookworm are, the greater threat has been at the hands of an attacking army. Wars are not always fought because of books, but libraries become strategic targets for political purposes. What does survive with some regularity are catalogues and records of book auctions, which can be used to re-create popular works of the time. Because of artillery, cities like Strasbourg—on contested ground between France and Germany—could be wiped out, and in the 20th century world wars, entire histories of targeted people came under fire.
Fiction, as a genre, was scorned by the wealthy magnates who held the reins of society. Sir Thomas Bodley instructed against keeping idle books in the library he generously built. Subscription libraries wanted to gain members, and so offered novels in small numbers. As circulating libraries became profitable, the books they carried trended toward entertainment. Should wealthy founders be able to say what future readers can borrow? Is the role of the librarian a gatekeeper of literary style and taste?
The Library poses many such thoughts on the different eras throughout history. The authors survey library collections extensively and point to their impact on society. This book, at over 400 pages, will be an inspiration to any bibliophile.
bluedaisygirl's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to love it, because I do love libraries, but I struggled getting through this one... Even on audio.
There were some really interesting things in this book, and I feel like I learned a lot, but some of the timeline was confusing, especially since I wasn't seeing it visually.
There were some really interesting things in this book, and I feel like I learned a lot, but some of the timeline was confusing, especially since I wasn't seeing it visually.