Scan barcode
A review by portybelle
The Secret Life of Books: Why They Mean More Than Words by Tom Mole
5.0
Now what book-lover can resist a book all about books and which promises to unlock some of their secrets? Not this one anyway! Unusually, this book isn't actually about reading but focuses on concepts such as how physical books have developed over time, what the books we choose to keep on our bookshelves say about us (who among us doesn't like a look at other people's bookshelves?), how books are viewed in cultural terms and what the future may hold for books in the digital age. There was so much I enjoyed in this book and I'm just going to pick out a few parts to give you a flavour.
The author talks about the way a physical book imprints on your memory contrasted with ebooks. This is so true. When I came to write up my thoughts, I could easily visualise whereabouts in the book I had read certain passages - near the beginning, left hand page, near the top etc. Reading an ebook (and I do also love my Kindle) does not give that same reading experience, it does not imprint on the memory in the same way.
The author spoke about the way books connect people but can also separate them. This isn't just about the way reading a book cuts you off from people. As he points out: "Don't try snuggling up to your partner in bed when he or she is just getting to the last pages of a murder mystery. Not even the most ardent lover is more interesting that finding out whodunnit." When I read on the bus, as well as actually wanting to read, it is also a sign that I don't want someone to talk me, a physical barrier. But then there are book groups, growing in number, which bring people together to share their thoughts on a particular book, the reading of which has of course been an individual activity.
I was fascinated to read about what could be regarded as the first book groups. When books were an expensive luxury in the 19th century, and indeed many people were still illiterate, people came together to share the books they had bought. One copy could be purchased through shared funds and then passed around many people. Benjamin Franklin helped set up a group like this in the late 18th century. His group evolved into a public library and where would we be without our wonderful public libraries offering access to countless books to everyone, regardless of means?
Alexander McCall Smith has described the book as ‘A real treasure trove for book lovers’ and I would definitely agree. If you are looking for a gift for the bibliophile in your life, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book. One final thought I'd like to leave you with is this. When you look at your own bookshelves and think about why you have kept these particular books, the memories they bring back of where you were when you read them, what was happening in your life or what feelings they evoked, I am sure you will agree with the author who says, "Every volume is a remembrance of things past."
The author talks about the way a physical book imprints on your memory contrasted with ebooks. This is so true. When I came to write up my thoughts, I could easily visualise whereabouts in the book I had read certain passages - near the beginning, left hand page, near the top etc. Reading an ebook (and I do also love my Kindle) does not give that same reading experience, it does not imprint on the memory in the same way.
The author spoke about the way books connect people but can also separate them. This isn't just about the way reading a book cuts you off from people. As he points out: "Don't try snuggling up to your partner in bed when he or she is just getting to the last pages of a murder mystery. Not even the most ardent lover is more interesting that finding out whodunnit." When I read on the bus, as well as actually wanting to read, it is also a sign that I don't want someone to talk me, a physical barrier. But then there are book groups, growing in number, which bring people together to share their thoughts on a particular book, the reading of which has of course been an individual activity.
I was fascinated to read about what could be regarded as the first book groups. When books were an expensive luxury in the 19th century, and indeed many people were still illiterate, people came together to share the books they had bought. One copy could be purchased through shared funds and then passed around many people. Benjamin Franklin helped set up a group like this in the late 18th century. His group evolved into a public library and where would we be without our wonderful public libraries offering access to countless books to everyone, regardless of means?
Alexander McCall Smith has described the book as ‘A real treasure trove for book lovers’ and I would definitely agree. If you are looking for a gift for the bibliophile in your life, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book. One final thought I'd like to leave you with is this. When you look at your own bookshelves and think about why you have kept these particular books, the memories they bring back of where you were when you read them, what was happening in your life or what feelings they evoked, I am sure you will agree with the author who says, "Every volume is a remembrance of things past."