Book Review: "A Passion for Books" ed. by Harold Rabinowitz and Rob Kaplan

I was going on a train journey and so, I needed something to read. A book called A Passion for Books seemed like the perfect train-read (if you've read my poem 'Observations on a Train' then you probably know what the journey was like). I was quite engrossed in the book for a long while before noises brought me out of it. I read it over lunch and then, when I got to where I was going. It wasn't too long but I will admit, whoever thought of putting this together did a really good job of choosing people who have very different ideas on what it means to have a passion for books.

This photo above is how the anthology opens. We are invited into a second-hand bookshop and a passionate narrator's story. It is a beautiful opening where old books are considered (something that other essays by other people will argue later on). It opens up the book in an incredible way as it prepares us for the steps we will take into the question of: how passionate are these people? Honestly, I have to say if every anthology about books opened with a little appreciative poem I'd be a lot happier. Also, for a note, this isn't really going to go in order of how they appear in the book, this is more of a stream of consciousness thing. Some of them will be in order but others won't.

The Ritual is an essay by Rob Kaplan, one of the editors of the book. It gives a look into how he has curated his personal library and how important it was for him to do so. From the thrill of bookstore visits to the careful inspection and cataloging of each acquisition, his routine shows the deep emotional connection collectors have with their books. I can definitely relate as someone who likes to collect books everywhere; whether it be physical, Kindle or even on my phone and my laptop, I like to see them everywhere. (Also, I have my iPad now, so be aware for I may be small but I am fierce). I like the fact that he basically admits that book collecting serves absolutely no purpose other than personal pleasure and, even though others might think ill of us when we do it, we need to find small pleasures where we can.

Unpacking My Library by Walter Benjamin is a bit different though it covers the same topic of book collecting. Instead of stating that there is no actual purpose, Benjamin instead states that the process explores the relationship between a collector and their collection. He looks at the memories and stories attached to each book, suggesting that the act of collecting is as much about personal history as it is about the items themselves. Honestly, I think I agree with this one more. Since I was about 12, I have been collecting different copies of my favourite book and I have garnered perhaps some two hundred copies of it. They are all a part of me. Every single one.

Bibliomania is another story, this time by Gustav Flaubert. The narrative serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of allowing one's passion to turn into compulsion in a kind of fable method. The main character wishes to possess rare books and it ultimately leads to his downfall. It's very obsessive and has all the markings of a Flaubert story. I quite enjoyed this because it wasn't an essay and so, it wasn't directly arguing anything. Instead, it allowed the reader to infer things from what the language implied. It was a short, fun read.

I was honestly surprised by this list of books that were rejected so many times by publishers. It sort of made me feel better about the fact that my short story anthology is going nowhere. I was probably most surprised by Dune because of the fact it literally came out during the Sci-Fi age. But then again, it is a pretty long book for very little reward. I personally don't like the story of Dune, but I know a lot of people who do.

There's like three or four pages of this in which the book tells us about all the different kinds of readers using the prefix 'biblio'. I think I would suit the term 'bibliomaniac' or even 'bibliophage' but, I think many would probably argue that I am a 'bibliodemon'. Just to read this list properly made me laugh and, as you can tell from the background, I am on the train. So I looked probably looked very strange laughing to myself over a book.

There are many other essays and writings in this book. One is by a great writer called Anatole Broyard. If you've heard that name before, you might have seen me mention him writing one of my favourite books ever - Kafka was the Rage. Umberto Eco has some great things to say about book collection and why we do it. There are some lovely poems along the way and if you love books too, then this is really the perfect book for you. There are so many things I have to say, but I'm afraid it's getting too long. Just take my word and read it.