As words and stories are increasingly disseminated through digital means, the significance of the book as object - whether pristine collectible or battered relic - is growing as well. 'Unpacking My Library: Writers and Their Books' spotlights the personal libraries of thirteen favourite novelists who share their collections with readers. Stunning photographs provide full views of the libraries and close-ups of individual volumes: first editions, worn textbooks, pristine hardcovers, and childhood companions. In her introduction, Leah Price muses on the history and future of the bookshelf, asking what books can tell us about their owners and what readers can tell us about their collections. Supplementing the photographs are Price's interviews with each author, which probe the relation of writing to reading, collecting, and arranging books. Each writer provides a list of top ten favourite titles, offering unique personal histories along with suggestions for every bibliophile. 'Unpacking My Library: Writers and Their Books' features the personal libraries of Alison Bechdel, Stephen Carter, Junot Diaz, Rebecca Goldstein and Stephen Pinker, Lev Grossman and Sophie Gee, Jonathan Lethem, Claire Messud and James Wood, Philip Pullman, Gary Shteyngart and Edmund White.
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"[A] sensual pleasure for the eyes, and a book fans of the writers, and of books and libraries, will enjoy."--Jeff Bursey, "Rain Taxi"--Jeff Bursey "Rain Taxi "
About the Author
Leah Price is professor of English at Harvard University. She is the author of 'The Anthology and the Rise of the Novel', 'Literary Secretaries/Secretarial Culture', and 'Reader's Block: The Uses of Books in Nineteenth-Century Britain'. She writes on old and new media for the New York Times Book Review, the London Review of Books, and the Boston Globe.
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Amazon.com:
3.9 out of 5 stars
8 reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A BOOK ON PERSONAL LIBRARIES THAT IS A TREAT TO LOOK AT AND READ
19 Jan 2012
By ireadabookaday
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
I am a big fan of books about books, living with books, really anything book related, and found this to be a beautifully designed and interesting look at personal book collections.
I was not aware of the dimensions of the book before reading it. I assumed it would be a bigger coffee table type book, but is is surprisingly compact.
Each author's personal library is photographed- though not necessarily in its entirety- folowed by closeups of selected shelves so you get an idea of the space
(you may develop bookcase envy), quantity, and organizational scheme . The author selects 10 books to feature, which are photographed separately. The photographs are accompanied by fairly brief but compelling interviews.
It is a small disappointment that the complete collections weren't photographed . ( What was omitted is addressed in a few of the interviews). I'd like have seen an estimate of the number of volumes in each collection.
This is an interesting and timely book given that physical book collections are probably beginning a decline, even among book lovers. Add this one to your physical collection today.
I was not aware of the dimensions of the book before reading it. I assumed it would be a bigger coffee table type book, but is is surprisingly compact.
Each author's personal library is photographed- though not necessarily in its entirety- folowed by closeups of selected shelves so you get an idea of the space
(you may develop bookcase envy), quantity, and organizational scheme . The author selects 10 books to feature, which are photographed separately. The photographs are accompanied by fairly brief but compelling interviews.
It is a small disappointment that the complete collections weren't photographed . ( What was omitted is addressed in a few of the interviews). I'd like have seen an estimate of the number of volumes in each collection.
This is an interesting and timely book given that physical book collections are probably beginning a decline, even among book lovers. Add this one to your physical collection today.
17 of 22 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A delightful look into personal libraries
26 Nov 2011
By Kari Sullivan
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
A great little book for anyone who still loves to treasure hunt in used bookstores. If you have an emotional relationship with your paper books that your friends don't understand, then you'll find kindred spirits in the interviewees.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
I enjoyed seeing the writers' libraries, but
19 Feb 2013
By Denise Fayne
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
The narrative that accompanied each writer's library photos was repetitive and often too obscure to be of much use to the general reader. I appreciated that most of them were extreme collectors who loved their books, but, like many book collectors, their reasons for their selections were elusive. I would have liked to know more about which books actually aided them in their own writing.
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3.9 out of 5 stars
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