Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by itsbobbielee
Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman
4.0
I think I most appreciate this book because Anne Fadiman is an unapologetic lover of books and words. I definitely had to use the dictionary at several points and learned a few new words along the way. I really enjoyed the first essay about marrying her library to her husband's and the argumentation behind organizing a library in various ways. I currently follow more of George (her husband's) style due to a lack of space on my part but I would love to have the space to try out various styles.
I also found the distinction between carnal and courtly book lovers intriguing. I find myself to be a blend of the two. In some cases my books are pristine new editions with no earmarked pages, annotations, or broken spines, but in other cases my books are barely holding together and have nearly as much marginalia as they do printed text.
The essay "Nothing New Under the Sun" made me laugh, especially once I realized why it was the only essay in the book with foot notes. And overall, I found the book to be charmingly written with very funny grammatical one-liners and call backs.
I also found the distinction between carnal and courtly book lovers intriguing. I find myself to be a blend of the two. In some cases my books are pristine new editions with no earmarked pages, annotations, or broken spines, but in other cases my books are barely holding together and have nearly as much marginalia as they do printed text.
The essay "Nothing New Under the Sun" made me laugh, especially once I realized why it was the only essay in the book with foot notes. And overall, I found the book to be charmingly written with very funny grammatical one-liners and call backs.