Boken: En hyllest

by Burkhard Spinnen, Per Qvale (Translator), Line Hoven (Illustrator)

German author Burkhard Spinnen revisits moments of bibliophilia mixed with anguish through a personal and historical journey of the books we encounter and the places we meet them. With anecdotes of serendipitously finding vintage copies of literary classics and bemoaning the loaned book you'll never get back, Spinnen reminds us that even if the eBook has made reading during a commute easier, it will never bring us as much pride as a well-stocked shelf. Or recover the smell of ink on paper, or the pleasure of good margins and letter-spaced capitals. For those wanting to keep their hard copies close and chat with friends about the joy books have brought into their lives, "The Book" offers up a kindred spirit. There's a hole in the heart of humanity that only books like "The Book" can fill. This condensed history of the printed word along with the dashing and mildly provocative line-cut illustrations of Line Hoven will embolden you to speak out and insure its future.

Genres: Nonfiction, Essays, Books About Books

157 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2016

Reviews

[nettebuecherkiste · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sympathische, amüsante Liebeserklärung an das gedruckte Buch

[Steffi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meine erste Begegnung mit Burkhard Spinnen (ich muss bei diesem Autor immer den Vornamen dazu schreiben, denn Spinnen bin ich schon begegnet und das nie mit großer Freude, eher mit großer Hysterie), aber sicher nicht meine letzte. Nicht weil dieses Buch so brillant wäre, sondern weil BS schon länger auf meiner Liste steht.

Dieses Buch hält für mich leider kaum Neues bereit, denn was wurde über die Liebe zu Büchern noch nicht gesagt. Wenn man Alberto Manguels Eine Geschichte des Lesens kennt (oder eines der vielen anderen Sachbücher Manguels), oder Anne Fadimans Ex Libris: Bekenntnisse einer Bibliomanin, um nur einige zu nennen, hat man sich als begeisterter Leser schon oft in einem dieser Werke wiedergefunden. Spinnen fügt diesem „Genre“ seine subjektive Note zu – das ist nett, aber mehr auch nicht.

Nein, nicht ganz. Ein Hinweis war neu: Man kann schwere Bücher nutzen, um ein Überbein zu bekämpfen. Der Autor rät aber, aus Respekt vor dem Buch, davon ab.

[Dianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every page was a pleasure. The short, bite-sized essays make you think, but not too hard. Highly recommended to everyone who loves books, especially those who love owning them.

[Theresa Connors · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the honesty with which the author confesses his obsession with books. I could see myself among the pages.

[Mark Fallon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I may be tilting at windmills with my rejection of Kindles, Nooks and other readers. Yet not one of those could compare to this wonderful love letter to the invention known as "the book".

[D · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this little volume (translated from German), the author shares his thoughts on all things "book" and wonders if like the horse, the book will disappear from our daily lives.

[phil breidenbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done, I could see myself in much of what he writes. This book will be added to the others which line my shelves, to be read again at another time.

[William Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Book — An Homage is a pleasant read.

It's a collection of very short essays, each three pages or less, about different aspects of books — new, old, damaged, incomplete, annotated, gifted, signed, etc.

It's not terribly insightful and actually documents the reflections of just a single book lover and collector. If you take the time to read it in the voice of its older German author sitting back in his chair reminiscing slowly about his experiences with books, it takes on a slight charm too.

He had a couple of comments that I appreciated. The first in regard to burned books and a short discussion of Fahrenheit 451:

Wherever books are burnt,
When all is said and done,
Men burn as well.

The second toward the end of the book about why we keep books after reading them:

I believe that the read book maintains its value because it's a visible, tangible document of one's life as a reader.

Sometimes, you just want to read something that's comfortable without a commitment to deep thought. This book in the evening next to a fireplace with some tea might do well.

[Helen Stafseth]

Ei fantastisk lita bok som er nettopp det – ein hyllest til bøker. Proppfull av nostalgi og kjærleik for den litterære verda, Spinnen fargar også eit bilete av ein oppvekst i Vest-Tyskland hjå byens bibliotek. Språket er varmt og ærverdig – det kjennest nesten ut som ein har lese ei bok publisert for hundre år sidan. Så utan å ha lese noko av Spinnen frå før av kan ein undrast om det verkeleg er hans stemme som skin gjennom omsetjinga eller om det er det gamle tyske språket som gjer det. Uansett, ei fin bok som varmar om bokhjartet.

3.5 stjerner.
☆☆☆

[Walter Ponath · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the breakdown of the chapters into 1-4 pages usually and each about a different book topic.
This is my second reading and because of the topic structure, it seems fresh each time I read it. You might say this makes it unmemorable. I feel that while I might have forgotten certain content between readings, it is enjoyable. If you love books, I think you would like this book.

[Elina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fint om selve bokas betydning og karakter, og jeg liker den strenge inndelingen av kapitler som hver tar for seg forskjellige aspekter ved boka. Vektingen av innhold i disse kapitlene er derimot litt mer ujevn, og jeg hadde for eksempel likt om forfatteren delte mer av sine personlige bokopplevelser.

[Kylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone who loves books.

[Immortals · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of nostalgia. I think everyone who loves book would have a feeling about this book and the words written by the author.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fellow bibliophile shares his obsessions with books. Originally published in Germany.

[tired fish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely should read this in an interesting small bookstore

[Kay Robart · Rating 3 out of 5]

See my review here:

https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2019...

[Amanda]

"No matter how ancient the text, or how many times it has been reprinted, a new book presents itself in a state of virginity. If anything, it makes us feel that the whole previous history of its reading has been annulled, that we can begin again from scratch. As if even today we could open a copy of Shakespeare, Goethe, Zola, Joyce, etc., and return to the moment just after the author has laid down the quill or stepped away from the typewriter." (28)

"The physicality of books leads to problems of transportation and furnishing that one is hard-put to solve. Beyond that, the book as a physical object stands as a symbol for the somber fact that we can read only a circumscribed number to books. Our lives, like our bookshelves, have a limited capacity. There are ways of attempting to calculate that capacity; they level out at an upper limit of around five thousand books, which you'll certainly only reach if you're a dedicated glutton for reading. Allowing for a book per week (and that isn't an insignificant amount!) sixty years of active reading would only amount to about three thousand books. Thus, what we'd be able to read if we really pushed ourselves could be accommodated on the walls of an average-sized room." (48-49)