Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
A rich, wide-ranging look at the importance of books and libraries in the ancient world that highlights how humanity's obsession with the printed word has echoed throughout the ages--from one of Spain's most celebrated authors Long before books were mass-produced, those hand-copied on reeds taken from the Nile were the treasures of the ancient world. Throughout the classical world, books were valued and protected. Alexander the Great and the Ptolemies of Egypt scoured the empire for books to preserve in the Great Library. The last person alive to see the scrolls of Piso's library in Vesuvius may have been trying to rescue them from the volcano's downpour. In Rome, the great patricians donated their fortunes to public libraries, while their wives and daughters surreptitiously hid banned books so they wouldn't disappear. But books have also had a complex journey through history. Written texts corseted the endlessly inventive oral tradition of ancient Greece into fixed lines, but they also enabled more people than ever before to participate in literary culture. They codified oppressive ideas about women and noncitizens, but they also brought new and important perspectives. Studying the diverse and endlessly fascinating literary culture of the ancient world, award-winning author Irene Vallejo underscores just how important books were to our forebears, and how important they remain for us now.
With a luminous and roving intellect, Vallejo weaves a marvelous tapestry of our culture's foundations, and along the way identifies the profound, humanist tendencies that make us who we are today, from Herodotus's boundless curiosity and Hypatia's remarkable tolerance to Martial's wry social critique. In so doing, she illuminates the connections between ancient literature and our own, and deepens our appreciation for the long, exciting, and perilous history of books. A passionate and evocate storyteller, Vallejo takes readers on a journey across the centuries to discover how a simple reed along the Nile came to uphold our rich and cherished culture.
Synopsis
A rich exploration of the importance of books and libraries in the ancient world that highlights how humanity's obsession with the printed word has echoed throughout the ages Long before books were mass-produced, scrolls hand copied on reeds pulled from the Nile were the treasures of the ancient world. Emperors and Pharaohs were so determined to possess them that they dispatched emissaries to the edges of earth to bring them back. When Mark Antony wanted to impress Cleopatra, he knew that gold and priceless jewels would mean nothing to her. So, what did her give her? Books for her library--two hundred thousand, in fact. The long and eventful history of the written word shows that books have always been and will always be a precious--and precarious--vehicle for civilization.
Papyrus is the story of the book's journey from oral tradition to scrolls to codices, and how that transition laid the very foundation of Western culture. Award-winning author Irene Vallejo evokes the great mosaic of literature in the ancient world from Greece's itinerant bards to Rome's multimillionaire philosophers, from opportunistic forgers to cruel teachers, erudite librarians to defiant women, all the while illuminating how ancient ideas about education, censorship, authority, and identity still resonate today. Crucially, Vallejo also draws connections to our own time, from the library in war-torn Sarajevo to Oxford's underground labyrinth, underscoring how words have persisted as our most valuable creations.
Through nimble interpretations of the classics, playful and moving anecdotes about her own encounters with the written word, and fascinating stories from history, Vallejo weaves a marvelous tapestry of Western culture's foundations and identifies the humanist values that helped make us who we are today. At its heart a spirited love letter to language itself, Papyrus takes readers on a journey across the centuries to discover how a simple reed grown along the banks of the Nile would give birth to a rich and cherished culture.
Synopsis
A rich exploration of the importance of books and libraries in the ancient world that highlights how humanity's obsession with the printed word has echoed throughout the ages - "Accessible and entertaining." --The Wall Street Journal Long before books were mass-produced, scrolls hand copied on reeds pulled from the Nile were the treasures of the ancient world. Emperors and Pharaohs were so determined to possess them that they dispatched emissaries to the edges of earth to bring them back. When Mark Antony wanted to impress Cleopatra, he knew that gold and priceless jewels would mean nothing to her. So, what did her give her? Books for her library--two hundred thousand, in fact. The long and eventful history of the written word shows that books have always been and will always be a precious--and precarious--vehicle for civilization.
Papyrus is the story of the book's journey from oral tradition to scrolls to codices, and how that transition laid the very foundation of Western culture. Award-winning author Irene Vallejo evokes the great mosaic of literature in the ancient world from Greece's itinerant bards to Rome's multimillionaire philosophers, from opportunistic forgers to cruel teachers, erudite librarians to defiant women, all the while illuminating how ancient ideas about education, censorship, authority, and identity still resonate today. Crucially, Vallejo also draws connections to our own time, from the library in war-torn Sarajevo to Oxford's underground labyrinth, underscoring how words have persisted as our most valuable creations.
Through nimble interpretations of the classics, playful and moving anecdotes about her own encounters with the written word, and fascinating stories from history, Vallejo weaves a marvelous tapestry of Western culture's foundations and identifies the humanist values that helped make us who we are today. At its heart a spirited love letter to language itself, Papyrus takes readers on a journey across the centuries to discover how a simple reed grown along the banks of the Nile would give birth to a rich and cherished culture.