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tasmanian_bibliophile's review
4.0
‘For readers, books are familiar objects.’
Indeed, they are. I write this in a room surrounded by books. Many of my earliest memories are about books: as possessions, as paths to escape, and routes to knowledge. Some books are mere acquaintances while others become lifelong friends.
But, as Mr Mole writes, books are not static. Their form has changed, and function often evolves through a lifetime.
I enjoyed reading about the history of books, about the different forms they take. I thought about the joy I have when I pick up a new book, about that moment when the book itself is just a potential adventure or experience. What will happen once I open the cover?
I have physical books and electronic books. The electronic books are great travelling companions, while the physical books are much more comfortable friends. I have some old books that belonged to my grandmother over a hundred years ago, and multiple copies of a few very special books.
This book contains both memories and promises.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Indeed, they are. I write this in a room surrounded by books. Many of my earliest memories are about books: as possessions, as paths to escape, and routes to knowledge. Some books are mere acquaintances while others become lifelong friends.
But, as Mr Mole writes, books are not static. Their form has changed, and function often evolves through a lifetime.
I enjoyed reading about the history of books, about the different forms they take. I thought about the joy I have when I pick up a new book, about that moment when the book itself is just a potential adventure or experience. What will happen once I open the cover?
I have physical books and electronic books. The electronic books are great travelling companions, while the physical books are much more comfortable friends. I have some old books that belonged to my grandmother over a hundred years ago, and multiple copies of a few very special books.
This book contains both memories and promises.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
georgewhatup's review
4.0
No one is looking at this book who isn't going to like it.
That said, he does manage to get a lot out of the topic and provide some interesting takes on the physicality and history of books.
I was definitely more aware of the next book I held. It felt good in my hand.
That said, he does manage to get a lot out of the topic and provide some interesting takes on the physicality and history of books.
I was definitely more aware of the next book I held. It felt good in my hand.
kchulhu's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
A beautiful love note from a reader to books. Admit it, most people don’t really pay attention to the materiality of a book – in short, the cover, paper, or binding. I mean, many readers are strong believers of “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover”, right?
Then again, when talking about books, we tend to focus on the content, from the story, plot, then immediately skip to the author. There are many pieces raving about certain writer’s techniques, approaches, and ideation. Almost none about the “book” itself; an exquisite object comprises printed pages. Or maybe the bytes displayed on your e-reader.
Moles scrutinised the social threads branched from a book. What does it symbolise? What kind of social interactions formed surrounding it? Maybe you have started a book club, build a mini-library, or opened a bookstore. Books gave birth to social spaces.
Books also played parts in strengthening relationships, Moles continues to muse. In Alejandro Zambra’s Bonsai, the two protagonists exchanged passages from a book, taking them out of context to express the sexual tension between them. Well, books could also ruin a relationship, mostly when you lend one to an acquaintance and they fail to return it; or bring back a ruined book (scratched, folded, torn).
The most interesting part, for me, is when he explores the relationship between books and tech. Like it or not, digitalisation has always been positioned as the executor for antiques. Perhaps that’s because inherently, digital things are never made to last; they are easy to replace anytime an updated version is released.
Books, in a way or two, are designed to last, perhaps even bequeathed to the next generation (hence, hardcovers). I mean, the act of writing itself can be considered as an attempt to immortalise a part of us. Anyway, enough with the rambling.
The media tend to say that one day e-book will obliterate physical book. But Moles disagreed. He analysed other cases of digital vs. analogue and decided that instead of “replacing”, digitalisation gives analogues new meaning.
When buying a printed book becomes a choice, rather than simply a matter of accepting the default option, it takes on a new meaning.
This book offers a point of view that some readers might never think of. Short and entertaining, might work as light reading to pass some time.
susannes_pagesofcrime's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting look at what books as objects mean to us throughout our lives. It is a little repetitive but thought provoking nonetheless.