Book Review: Portable Magic

Emma Smith, Portable Magic: a History of Books and Their Readers. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2022. ISBN: 9781524749095.

Genre: book history

Subgenre: world history, trivia

Format: hardcover

Source: Berea branch, Madison County (KY) Public Library

 

The book is a history of books looking at the book as powerful and influential object. The author looks at books as an artifact as well as a text. After the introduction, the book offers 16 chapters. Each chapter tells a story about books, their power, and impact on culture and society. From Gutenberg to books in war to trying to define what a book is, we get a history of books over time. Rather than just giving a chronological study, we get a series of thematic chapters. The author offers a suggestion for reading the book: 

"As it is organized neither chronologically nor geographically but by theme, I hope that the chapters can be read in any order, depending on whether you think interested in Madame de Pompadour or the Gutenberg Bible, school library censorship or queer collage, diaspora or design" (17). 

Some chapters are more interesting than others. You can read the book cover to cover or browse and read the parts you find interesting. In addition, there are some issues I do not agree with the author such as her soft stance on book thieves. I could not care less if their lives "were ruined" by being arrested. They should've thought of that before becoming thieves. Despite some small issues, the stories overall are interesting, and they often dispel myths about books. Among the stories are the Titanic and the book trade, the armed services book editions, and the Mein Kampf chapter.

Overall, I liked the book even if it could be a bit inconsistent. I think many book fans will enjoy this one. If you enjoy books like Nicholas Basbanes' works, you'll probably enjoy. 

3 out of 5 stars. 

Additional reading notes: 

Books listed in the end notes I am adding to my TBR list: 

• Kenneth C. Davis, Two-Bit Culture: the Paperbacking of America.
• Fraces Stonor Saunders, Who Paid the Piper? The CIA and the Cultural Cold War. 
• Janice Radway, A Feeling for Books: the Book-of-the-Month Club, Literary Taste and Middle-Class Desire. This one I've mentioned before. I may need to pick it up sooner rather than later.