Book Review-A History of Reading By Alberto Manguel

I was encouraged to jump into this book on the history of reading after having read Alberto Manguel’s short book Packing My Library (https://polymathtobe.blogspot.com/2023/03/book-review-packing-my-library-by.html), on his elegy to his library in France, it was the library that he had wanted for all of his life but one that he had to give it up for unspecified reason. This book on the history of reading had also been cited by Maryanne Wolf in her book Proust and the Squid (https://polymathtobe.blogspot.com/2023/10/book-review-proust-and-squid-by.html) as a source of her research on reading. It was a serendipitous discovery for me as I would not have consciously sought out a history of reading.

The book comprises of 22 essays, with ten essays collected under the section titled Acts of Reading, and ten essays collected under the section titled Powers of the Reader. A leading section and essay titled The Last Page  led off the book and an ending section and essay titled  Endpaper Pages. What happened between The Last Page and Endpaper Pages was sheer reading pleasure about reading.

Manguel is erudite and a thorough researcher, more importantly, he is an excellent storyteller, never straying too far into pedantisms yet also digging into the granularities deep enough to satisfy the reader’s curiosity. The subject of the book may seem to be a topic that could be a snoozer; I must admit that I am one of the select many who find the subject more than a little interesting, but I am the kind of geek that this book was written for. \

Where else does one find out that it was the norm in the time of St. Augustine for readers read loudly and in public, whereas our habits are that such that reading is done silently. Or having the history of language, writing, and reading explained in an erudite and clear fashion. Or having the neurological theories of how humans developed the ability to create and  decipher written language and develop the ability to suss out the different meaning that are imbued in the words, albeit his explanations are not at the levels of neuroscientific depth as a textbook but it is clear and delivered in a concise manner.

Far be it for me to recite the content of the book in a book review, because the surprise to the reader comes from the unexpectedness of the topic and the histories in the form of the stories woven into the essays are not only informational but completely entertaining.

Manguel writes with the rigorousness and discipline of a literary scholar that he is. He has also selected the subject of each essay with foresight and structure that gives the reader sufficient guidance to accumulate the facts through the stories and references that he cited. The book is an interesting conglomeration of genres: as a serious history book and as an informative tome to be read for pleasure.

It is my habit to set aside time at the end of the day for relaxing reading. The books that I read are usually some mindless fictions, mostly mysteries, so that my mind can be relaxed in order to prepare for sleep; or a book of essays that are short enough to be consumed pre-slumber while also interesting enough to give my mind a gentle workout, to exhaust it enough to make it welcome the advancing sandman. This book fits the bill on many occasions. I did not read it with a set of expectations, I read it as a source of pleasure and  knowledge. The essays consistently drew in my interest, and I gained knowledge with every essay.

I would suggest reading this book with the same easy and unhurried approach. The beauty of this subject is that I plan on returning to the book as a reference on the history of language in general as well as a handy book of essays, to be re-read and enjoyed.

I so enjoyed this book that I had sought our other books written by Alberto Manguel before I had finished this one so that I can have the books in my possession so that I can reach for them when the mood strikes.

 

Book Review-Packing My Library By Alberto Manguel

The subtitle of this book is: an Elegy and Ten Digressions. The book is written by the very erudite Alberto Manguel, who is presently the Director of the National Library of Argentina. Prior to that he was a member of the literati having written a number of books about books and reading. The foremost title amongst them is A History of Reading (Manguel 1996). This book is about his library, a library that he had when he lived in a farmhouse in France. It was a very large space where he stored his carefully curated book collection. It was a situation that he had always dreamt about.  

But an opportunity came, and he very reluctantly packed up his library. Unfortunately, he had not had an opportunity to restore his dream library in all of its former glory. The book is an extended essay on how he came to be where he is and how he came to be such a bibliophile. The central essay, his elegy,  is interspersed with ten digressions. The alternation of continuing his thoughts about his library and the digressions gives us a glimpse at how a scholar’s mind  of this caliber works. The digressions incorporate historical and cultural analysis along with his personal ruminations centered about books. While they are supplemental to the main essay itself, they reveal much of what made him who he is and how he came to collect and curate his library.

He traces his scholarly history from when he was very young and gives us a small look at his journey to becoming a bibliophile. The bibliophile vibe resonated with me, because it gave me a connection with the author even though I exist in a completely difference milieu than he does, the love of books and reading ties us together as sympathetic kindred spirit.

It is a short but dense read, covering  a fascinating and panoramic group of subjects. The prose elicited emotions and consonance with the author’s thoughts. The tangential digressions that are structurally separate from the main essay treat the reader to nonlinear paths of exploration  through many different subjects. This is the best kind of reading possible, it entertains, provokes, inspires, and fascinates.

In the end. We find out how the author came to being the director of the National Library of Argentina, and why all his books are still in pieces all around the world. It was sad for a fellow bibliophile like me to find out how the books are scattered. At the same time, it is a fitting tribute to his library and to his love of his books.

It is a short book. It's not expansive nor granular in its scope. For the expansive exposition on reading, I procured his A History of Reading.  This will be one of those slim volumes that I will keep next to my reading chair, always available for a revisit and reread so that I can rekindle that feeling of warmth and comfort that can come from reminiscing about books, whether they have been read, or not.

References

Manguel, Alberto. A History of Reading. New York City: Penguin Putnam Inc., 1996.