Collection
Publication
Harper Perennial (2006), Edition: First Thus, 384 pages
Description
In celebration of five eventful centuries of the printed word, Basbanes considers of writings that have "made things happen" in the world, works that have both nudged the course of history and fired the imagination of influential people. Basbanes asks what we can know about such figures as Milton, Gibbon, Locke, Newton, Coleridge, John Adams, Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, Henry James, Thomas Edison, Helen Keller--even the Marquis de Sade and Hitler--by knowing what they read. He shows how books that these people have consulted, in some cases annotated with their marginal notes, can offer clues to the development of their thought. He then profiles some of the most articulate readers of our time, who discuss such concepts as literary canons, classic works in translation, the timelessness of poetry, the formation of sacred texts, and the power of literature to train physicians, nurture children, and rehabilitate criminal offenders.--From publisher description.… (more)
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LibraryThing member Antheras
The announcement of a new book by Nicholas Basbanes is an occasion of joy for any devoted reader who loves reading about books. My copies of Basbanes’ works are the backbone of my collection of books about books and it is he who introduced me to the dazzling world of the “gently mad.�Â?
Since
In Every Books Its Reader, the social history of the book is explored from the perspective of the reader. Basbanes explores the meaning readers give to texts through their personal experiences, and how that experience helps connect with others - âÂÂWe are not only the product of what we read, we are in association with others who have read the same things.âÂ?
Early I discovered 84 Charing Cross Road, a book that became a dear friend to be revisited often. Helene Hanff showed what a love of reading can truly bring to a life, the journey one can take through books with a helpful guide. Nicholas Basbanes easily fills this role. His pages resonate with quotes and stories and his love of books fairly bursts off the page. He carries the reader to a new path that leads to books, âÂÂa book casually encountered by an imaginative mind, lighting a spark that ignites a flame of creativityâ¦âÂ?
At the start of Every Books Its Reader, Basbanes shares a story that ends âÂÂâ¦if ever I go to Heaven I know where to find her. I shall go straight over to the corner by the bookcases.âÂ? When I get there, I shall expect to find Nicholas Basbanes there holding court.
Since
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reading A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for Books, I eagerly await each installment to discover what secret corridors and unopened doors he will next open. Basbanesâ works act as a secret handshake that allows entry to a world any serious bibliophile longs to enter, a world devoted to the care, handling and love of the printed word.In Every Books Its Reader, the social history of the book is explored from the perspective of the reader. Basbanes explores the meaning readers give to texts through their personal experiences, and how that experience helps connect with others - âÂÂWe are not only the product of what we read, we are in association with others who have read the same things.âÂ?
Early I discovered 84 Charing Cross Road, a book that became a dear friend to be revisited often. Helene Hanff showed what a love of reading can truly bring to a life, the journey one can take through books with a helpful guide. Nicholas Basbanes easily fills this role. His pages resonate with quotes and stories and his love of books fairly bursts off the page. He carries the reader to a new path that leads to books, âÂÂa book casually encountered by an imaginative mind, lighting a spark that ignites a flame of creativityâ¦âÂ?
At the start of Every Books Its Reader, Basbanes shares a story that ends âÂÂâ¦if ever I go to Heaven I know where to find her. I shall go straight over to the corner by the bookcases.âÂ? When I get there, I shall expect to find Nicholas Basbanes there holding court.
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LibraryThing member amandabock
I picked this up on a whim at the Harvard Book Store sometime early last spring when I was feeling like I wasn't reading enough grown-up books. I read the first half and really enjoyed it, but then got distracted by some other book that needed to be read. I picked it up again when I needed
I particularly enjoyed the first few chapters, which discussed some of the earliest known literature and how our relationship to it changes over time. I made a lot of notes in the margins about the correlations to my own ideas about the cultural history of fairy tales.
This book made me even more aware of the gaping holes in my knowledge of literature. I wasn't an English major in college because I didn't want to have to read all those Dead White Males (and after reading chapter 10, I have a better understanding of where that came from), but now I realize how much I've missed out on. Of course, it would take most of a lifetime to get caught up, but I may have to try to tackle one each summer, or something like that.
I was really, genuinely sad when I reached the last chapter, and I wanted to immediately start it over again. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in cultural studies or the history of literature.
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something to read while I waited for the next group of requests from the library. I picked up where I left off a year ago, and slipped right back into it.I particularly enjoyed the first few chapters, which discussed some of the earliest known literature and how our relationship to it changes over time. I made a lot of notes in the margins about the correlations to my own ideas about the cultural history of fairy tales.
This book made me even more aware of the gaping holes in my knowledge of literature. I wasn't an English major in college because I didn't want to have to read all those Dead White Males (and after reading chapter 10, I have a better understanding of where that came from), but now I realize how much I've missed out on. Of course, it would take most of a lifetime to get caught up, but I may have to try to tackle one each summer, or something like that.
I was really, genuinely sad when I reached the last chapter, and I wanted to immediately start it over again. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in cultural studies or the history of literature.
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LibraryThing member Aetatis
Fabulous. I am a Nicholas Basbanes groupie! His writing style is succinct and entertaining, he knows books and libraries and he includes marvelous photographs of rare book libraries. Kudos again to Mr. Basbanes on a wonderful book.
LibraryThing member paleobibliomaniac
In interviews with dozens of authors, scholars, and readers in fields ranging from biblical history to medicine to literature, Basbanes makes clear how reading influences the worldview of the reader, which in turn influences what gets written and what gets read.
Another well researched, highly
Another well researched, highly
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readable, and inspiring book from Basbanes. Show Less
LibraryThing member kingcvcnc
A powerful study of the influence books, and the ideas they generate, to shape our world and how we view the world. Basbanes cannot write a bad book.
LibraryThing member MusicMom41
This was an impulse purchase because of the opening chapter that tells of the woman who wanted to buy 4 books but didn’t want to waste her money because she was poor. This inspiring story made me want this book—and it was a great choice for me. It is a book I will refer to often. It deals with
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many aspects of reading; many well known readers, authors and their libraries are discussed. Every chapter is fascinating and there are many ideas of authors to discover and books to peruse. This book started me on my McCullough “kick” (an author I have long thought about reading but never got around to) and there are many more authors to sample later. Every chapter covers a different aspect of books. One of my favorite chapters is on “marginalia”—what we can learn from the notes people leave behind in their books. I’ve left quite a bit of marginalia in this book thee first time through and I expect I will leave more through the years. Show Less
ISBN
0060593245 / 9780060593247