A review by siria
The Clothing of Books by Jhumpa Lahiri

2.0

Surprisingly facile, with an argument that is neither developed nor consistent, and which relies on an almost wilful ignorance of the history of the book, past and present. (To give one brief example: Lahiri claims that Americans’ championing of individualism blocks any attempt of homogeneity in the covers of books produced in the U.S. Yet more romance novels are sold in the U.S. every year than any other genre, and the most cursory glance at the covers of the myriad Harlequin series would neatly disprove Lahiri’s point.)