Point Books In Pursuance Of A History of Reading
| Original Title: | A History of Reading |
| ISBN: | 0140166548 (ISBN13: 9780140166545) |
| Edition Language: | English |
Alberto Manguel
Paperback | Pages: 372 pages Rating: 3.98 | 4052 Users | 590 Reviews
Specify Based On Books A History of Reading
| Title | : | A History of Reading |
| Author | : | Alberto Manguel |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | First Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 372 pages |
| Published | : | October 1st 1997 by Penguin Books (first published October 1st 1996) |
| Categories | : | Nonfiction. History. Writing. Books About Books. Essays. Literature. Philosophy. Language |
Ilustration As Books A History of Reading
At one magical instant in your early childhood, the page of a book—that string of confused, alien ciphers—shivered into meaning. Words spoke to you, gave up their secrets; at that moment, whole universes opened. You became, irrevocably, a reader. Noted essayist Alberto Manguel moves from this essential moment to explore the 6000-year-old conversation between words and that magician without whom the book would be a lifeless object: the reader. Manguel lingers over reading as seduction, as rebellion, as obsession, and goes on to trace the never-before-told story of the reader's progress from clay tablet to scroll, codex to CD-ROM.Rating Based On Books A History of Reading
Ratings: 3.98 From 4052 Users | 590 ReviewsEvaluation Based On Books A History of Reading
Though this is not a comprehensive history of reading, being only 319 pages of text excluding notes and index, it certainly feels like it is. Dense with information, weighty with erudition, wordy with words, it covers the history of reading lying down, sitting up, in one's bedchamber, with and without eyeglasses, through translation, silently and aloud, alone and in groups. The history of tablets, scrolls, and codices is covered. The development of libraries and cataloging gets ample shrift. TheA History of Reading is a rich and wonderful book - a treasury of knowledge, stories and illustrations - that takes us on an unforgettable journey. Infinitely engaging and amusing, a sweeping exploration of what it means to be a reader of books, A History of Reading is a brilliant reminder of why we cherish the act of reading - despite distractions from the Inquisition to the lures of cyberspace.Alberto Manguel reminds us that readers live in books as well as among them: we find our own stories
The first half of this mediation about reading is good, nice and strong. Yet the book feels as if it has gone for a tad bit too long. There are some interesting facts and stories crammed into this mediation about reading. The Library at Night, however, was a stronger book.
Im half ashamed of enjoying Manguel as much as I do. I cringe at movies about movies, and (for the most part) cant stand listening to artists talk about art. To read with pleasure about the pleasures of reading, therefore, makes me feel a bit dirty, like Im indulging in something vaguely illicit. Most of the time (when hes not reminiscing about reading to the blind Borges as an adolescent) Manguel is smart enough to make you feel that youre at least being educated. A History of Reading is
Reading is, and has been for a long time, a vital part of my life. As Manguel points out, it is a skill that once learned can't be unlearned. And, even more dangerously, it rapidly becomes automatic. When you can read, you just do it. Your brain translates those symbols - the letters - into meanings in an unavoidable process. That is, you can't stop yourself from reading (if you know the language, of course) anymore you can't stop yourself from hearing. Manguel is brilliant at ascribing deepfelt
Though this is not a comprehensive history of reading, being only 319 pages of text excluding notes and index, it certainly feels like it is. Dense with information, weighty with erudition, wordy with words, it covers the history of reading lying down, sitting up, in one's bedchamber, with and without eyeglasses, through translation, silently and aloud, alone and in groups. The history of tablets, scrolls, and codices is covered. The development of libraries and cataloging gets ample shrift. The
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