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. 

 

 

Booknote: The Prophet

Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2008 (original date: 1923). ISBN: 9780394404288.

Genre: poetry
Subgenre: mysticism
Format: paperback
Source: Berea branch of the Madison County (KY) Public Library

This is one of those books you see in every other fancy list of books you should read. When I found a copy in the public library's returns shelf, I saw it was pretty short, so I took a chance and picked it up. If nothing else, I can now say that I have read it.

To be honest, I do not see the big deal many people see in this book. Yes, it can be very poetic. The book is basically a series of poems where the Prophet speaks on various topics to answer questions from people he meets. Topics include:

• On love
• On marriage
• On houses
• On laws
• On time

The book can be a nice reading that invites reflection. However, it can also be seriously preachy, like reading a religious sermon at times. It seems more like a sermon on morality, and not in a good way. In fact, it reminded me at times of other overly moralistic religious texts. Certainly not what I expected given how highly some people rate this book.

In the end, I thought it was just OK. As I said, if nothing else, I can now say I read it.

2 out of 5 stars.