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Original Essays | June 12, 2013
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Phantoms on the Bookshelvesby Jacques Bonnet
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:The enthralling memoir on the art of living with books Phantoms on the Bookshelves considers how our personal libraries reveal our true natures: far more than merely crowded shelves, they are living labyrinths of our innermost feelings. The author, a lifelong accumulator of books ancient and modern, lives in a house large enough to accommodate his many thousands of volumes, as well as overspill from the libraries of his friends. While his musings on the habits of collectors from the earliest known libraries are learned, amusing, and instructive, his advice on cataloguing may even save lives. Phantoms on the Bookshelves ranges from classical Greece to contemporary Iceland, from Balzac to Moby-Dick and Google. Rich in wit and wisdom, it will be a lasting delight for all who treasure books. Review:"In this slim but charming volume, with an introduction by novelist James Salter, French art historian, editor, and novelist Bonnet describes his obsession with books, which has yielded a library of more than 40,000 volumes. In chapters such as 'Organizing the Bookshelves' and 'Where do they all come from?' Bonnet ponders the pitfalls of various organizational systems, the practice and art of reading, the intricacies of bookstores, buying new versus used books, and the effects of the Internet and electronic books on a physical library. Identity and books are closely intertwined. As Bonnet writes: 'The fundamental character of the librarian will emerge as one's eye travels along the bookshelves.' While ostensibly about Bonnet's library, the volume also illustrates the intensely symbiotic relationship between reader and writer, a book and its recipients. Agent: Jane Dystel, Dystel & Goderich Literary Management. (July)" Publishers Weekly Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
About the AuthorJacques Bonnet is a publisher, translator and the author of novels and works of art history, including a monograph on the artist. James Salter is an American novelist and short story writer whose work includes the classic A Sport and A Pastime. He has won the PEN/Faulkner award, and who was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2000. What Our Readers Are SayingBe the first to add a comment for a chance to win!Product Details
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