What do you think?
Rate this book
The love affairs of a Bibliomaniac
Originally published in 1895, this early works is a fascinating novel of the period and still an interesting read today. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900's and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.
First published January 1, 1896
15 people are currently reading
270 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
September 20, 2016
I wanted to like this book. I expected to like this book. And I ended up being bored enough to merely skim through most of this book.
This is the final work by author and poet Eugene Field, best known for his children's rhymes such as Winken, Blinken, and Nod; The Duel (between the Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat); Little Boy Blue; and others.
According to the introduction, written by the author's brother, Field was in poor health while working on the book and used all his energy to finish, dying of a heart attack at the age of 45 on November 4, 1895, just a couple of days after writing the last lines of Love Affairs.
I thought at first the book was about himself and the books he had loved over his own lifetime. But I soon figured out that this was more of a satire, supposedly written by a 70-something gentleman looking back over his life collecting books. How did he get started on the hobby, what had he learned about people (specifically booksellers) during that time, why is being bald a sign of superb intelligence, the usual topics an old man thinks about. LOL
The first few chapters were alright, but once the narrator grows up and leaves for Europe after his grandmother dies, I simply could not keep interested. He went from describing such things as his first book love (a New England Primer when he was seven) and his second love (Robinson Crusoe at age thirteen) to fishing (by way of the Walton book on the topic) and also explaining the reasons why his sister thought he was losing his hair.
Perhaps Field himself realized how dull the book was becoming because he begins Chapter 10 (of 19) with this:
"The garden in which I am straying has so many diversions to catch my eye, to engage my attention and to inspire reminiscence that I find it hard to treat of its beauties methodically. I find myself wandering up and down, hither and thither, in so irresponsible a fashion that I marvel you have not abandoned me as the most irrational of madmen."
My thought at that point was 'Dude, you are closer to the truth than you even realize!" I merely skimmed from around Chapter eight to the end. And I don't feel that I missed much by doing so. I made up for it a little bit by finding and reading a few of his children's poems here http://www.poemhunter.com/eugene-field/ and that little trip down a very ancient memory lane helped clear my head of the weird old bibliomaniac in this book.
This is the final work by author and poet Eugene Field, best known for his children's rhymes such as Winken, Blinken, and Nod; The Duel (between the Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat); Little Boy Blue; and others.
According to the introduction, written by the author's brother, Field was in poor health while working on the book and used all his energy to finish, dying of a heart attack at the age of 45 on November 4, 1895, just a couple of days after writing the last lines of Love Affairs.
I thought at first the book was about himself and the books he had loved over his own lifetime. But I soon figured out that this was more of a satire, supposedly written by a 70-something gentleman looking back over his life collecting books. How did he get started on the hobby, what had he learned about people (specifically booksellers) during that time, why is being bald a sign of superb intelligence, the usual topics an old man thinks about. LOL
The first few chapters were alright, but once the narrator grows up and leaves for Europe after his grandmother dies, I simply could not keep interested. He went from describing such things as his first book love (a New England Primer when he was seven) and his second love (Robinson Crusoe at age thirteen) to fishing (by way of the Walton book on the topic) and also explaining the reasons why his sister thought he was losing his hair.
Perhaps Field himself realized how dull the book was becoming because he begins Chapter 10 (of 19) with this:
"The garden in which I am straying has so many diversions to catch my eye, to engage my attention and to inspire reminiscence that I find it hard to treat of its beauties methodically. I find myself wandering up and down, hither and thither, in so irresponsible a fashion that I marvel you have not abandoned me as the most irrational of madmen."
My thought at that point was 'Dude, you are closer to the truth than you even realize!" I merely skimmed from around Chapter eight to the end. And I don't feel that I missed much by doing so. I made up for it a little bit by finding and reading a few of his children's poems here http://www.poemhunter.com/eugene-field/ and that little trip down a very ancient memory lane helped clear my head of the weird old bibliomaniac in this book.
December 20, 2017
"Para ser feliz, tienes que aprender a reírte de ti mismo", me dijo mi abuelo una vez, hace mucho, mucho tiempo; y este librito, de escasas 200 páginas, es el perfecto ejemplo literario de dicha máxima.
Puede parecer que Fiel nos muestra, de forma socarrona, hiriente e irónica, las vicisitudes y amoríos (literarios) de un apasionado, hasta el punto de enfermar en ocasiones, por los libros. Pero, a la mínima que escarbamos un poco, y pasamos la fina ironía que desprenden sus páginas, no es muy difícil darnos cuenta de la profunda pasión por los libros y la literatura que también poseía al autor, ahora si, trasunto del peculiar narrador de esta historia.
Puede parecer que Fiel nos muestra, de forma socarrona, hiriente e irónica, las vicisitudes y amoríos (literarios) de un apasionado, hasta el punto de enfermar en ocasiones, por los libros. Pero, a la mínima que escarbamos un poco, y pasamos la fina ironía que desprenden sus páginas, no es muy difícil darnos cuenta de la profunda pasión por los libros y la literatura que también poseía al autor, ahora si, trasunto del peculiar narrador de esta historia.
November 29, 2018
Four stars for Eugene Field’s The Love Affairs of a Bibliomaniac because I certainly liked it, not five because I was entertained rather than more than just entertained.
According to Wiki Eugene Field was widely known as a writer of children’s poems. Among those best known to me was Wynken, Blynken and Nod. He has also been a newspaper man and given to adding satires about citizens about the town. He was widely popular during his relatively short 45 years of life. His home has been preserved and there is at least one commemorative statue for his poetry.
The Love Affairs of a Bibliomaniac is a series of essays particularizing aspects of his love of books as literature and as objects that represent the art of book making. Given the gentle humor of the book it is argued, at least by his brother who wrote its introduction that Eugene did not see himself as a true bibliomaniac. That is this book is best understood to be the last of Eugene Field’s satires. And last it was. Chapter 19 which was intended to be the penultimate chapter was finished two days before Mr. Field, as his brother phrased it:” Passed upward”.
The Love Affairs is a pleasant read. The author freely targets not just the dedicated book lover but the obvious salesmanship of the book dealer and the like foibles of the binders and others in the business of bringing books to print and returning them much later to the market as collector’s editions. Satire tends to mean, a certain meanness. There is none of that in this book. Human foibles are just that and our author never sneers nor belittles. It is possible to gain some instructive insights into the factual details of book collecting and a careful reader can note a fair number of worthy books to add to their list of to be reads.
The writing style can be a little stogy. Even so I was interested enough to attempt to research some of the friends Mr. Fields referenced in The Love Affairs. If anyone know who was, or who the model was for Judge Methuen; he seemed like a good man to know.
The Love Affairs of a Bibliomaniac has much in common with another charming book, 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff. Both are about book lovers. Book lovers for whom the physical edition should somehow enhance or represent its contents. I can recommend both more readily that which to pick over the other. Perhaps as a compromise one could watch the lovely movie based upon Ms Hanff’s book staring Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins.
I have only recently begun to pay attention to the match of the physical book and its text. Usually I only notice when the edition appeals to me as better than merely covers for text. The irony being that I read this as a Kindle editions.
According to Wiki Eugene Field was widely known as a writer of children’s poems. Among those best known to me was Wynken, Blynken and Nod. He has also been a newspaper man and given to adding satires about citizens about the town. He was widely popular during his relatively short 45 years of life. His home has been preserved and there is at least one commemorative statue for his poetry.
The Love Affairs of a Bibliomaniac is a series of essays particularizing aspects of his love of books as literature and as objects that represent the art of book making. Given the gentle humor of the book it is argued, at least by his brother who wrote its introduction that Eugene did not see himself as a true bibliomaniac. That is this book is best understood to be the last of Eugene Field’s satires. And last it was. Chapter 19 which was intended to be the penultimate chapter was finished two days before Mr. Field, as his brother phrased it:” Passed upward”.
The Love Affairs is a pleasant read. The author freely targets not just the dedicated book lover but the obvious salesmanship of the book dealer and the like foibles of the binders and others in the business of bringing books to print and returning them much later to the market as collector’s editions. Satire tends to mean, a certain meanness. There is none of that in this book. Human foibles are just that and our author never sneers nor belittles. It is possible to gain some instructive insights into the factual details of book collecting and a careful reader can note a fair number of worthy books to add to their list of to be reads.
The writing style can be a little stogy. Even so I was interested enough to attempt to research some of the friends Mr. Fields referenced in The Love Affairs. If anyone know who was, or who the model was for Judge Methuen; he seemed like a good man to know.
The Love Affairs of a Bibliomaniac has much in common with another charming book, 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff. Both are about book lovers. Book lovers for whom the physical edition should somehow enhance or represent its contents. I can recommend both more readily that which to pick over the other. Perhaps as a compromise one could watch the lovely movie based upon Ms Hanff’s book staring Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins.
I have only recently begun to pay attention to the match of the physical book and its text. Usually I only notice when the edition appeals to me as better than merely covers for text. The irony being that I read this as a Kindle editions.
October 27, 2018
An 1896 volume of this book called to me. The word "Bibliomaniac" was in the title; and it only cost a quarter, both of which were selling points. It didn't hurt that the book is in splendid condition, and "feels good" to hold. Plus, I'd never read anything by Field but I've wanted to do so.
At first, I thought this was autobiographical, but on Wikipedia, I learned that after the death of his mother when he was six years old, Eugene Field was raised by a cousin in Massachusetts. The narrator in the story was also orphaned at age six, but he was sent to New Hampshire where he lived with his grandmother. Unlike his character who never married, Field did marry and he had eight children.
According to the book's intro, Field was "an indefatigable collector of books, the possessor of a library as valuable as it was interesting ..." So, I imagine he was a victim of the "disease called bibliomania." I enjoyed the story even though the language was pompous (maybe that's a symptom of said disease), and I wasn't familiar with most of the books he mentioned (which says something about my shelves).
I will read "The House", which is supposed to be semi-autobiographical, but if it too is pompous, I probably won't finish it.
At first, I thought this was autobiographical, but on Wikipedia, I learned that after the death of his mother when he was six years old, Eugene Field was raised by a cousin in Massachusetts. The narrator in the story was also orphaned at age six, but he was sent to New Hampshire where he lived with his grandmother. Unlike his character who never married, Field did marry and he had eight children.
According to the book's intro, Field was "an indefatigable collector of books, the possessor of a library as valuable as it was interesting ..." So, I imagine he was a victim of the "disease called bibliomania." I enjoyed the story even though the language was pompous (maybe that's a symptom of said disease), and I wasn't familiar with most of the books he mentioned (which says something about my shelves).
I will read "The House", which is supposed to be semi-autobiographical, but if it too is pompous, I probably won't finish it.
July 1, 2012
A delightful book written on Field's deathbed. He is a book lover in the truest sense; he loves reading them, he loves the entertainment, information, adventure, romance and travels which they provide, but more than all this, he adores his books, the touch, the smell, the feel and the luxury of them. In this little book we meet his 'lovers' and the friends who had the same propensity for books he had. Fields' first 'love', around age 6, was The New England Primer. From this little gem, he harvested a verse which would accompany him through all his 'affairs' and, indeed, through life:
"My book and heart must never part."
This is a book I believe only a true book lover could appreciate. One other quote sums it up nicely:
"As for myself, I verily believe that, if by fire or by water my library should be destroyed this night, I should start in again tomorrow upon the collection of another library. Or if I did not do this, I should lay myself down to die, for how could I live without the companionship to which I have ever been accustomed, and which have grown as dear to me as life itself?"
"My book and heart must never part."
This is a book I believe only a true book lover could appreciate. One other quote sums it up nicely:
"As for myself, I verily believe that, if by fire or by water my library should be destroyed this night, I should start in again tomorrow upon the collection of another library. Or if I did not do this, I should lay myself down to die, for how could I live without the companionship to which I have ever been accustomed, and which have grown as dear to me as life itself?"
March 24, 2010
This is the history of a true book lover. In each chapter, Field describes a moment in his life when he fell in love with a specific book and how it affected his life. He also blamed his love of books for his baldness.
"I would rather be a poor man in a garret with plenty of books than a king who did not love reading."
"I would rather be a poor man in a garret with plenty of books than a king who did not love reading."
October 10, 2017
This is a difficult book for me to rate. I was unaware when I began reading that it was a satire, and that the author and the narrator were different people. In fact I knew very little of Eugene Field, aside from a few of his poems that I have read.
The book itself was a fanciful rambling account of the narrator's experiences with books. Despite moments of enchantment, I was frequently bored and distracted. Occasionally the author made odd comments about women, which I overlooked as I was unsure whether he was serious or joking. And then I came to the opening line of the penultimate chapter:
"The women-folk are few up there,
For ’t were not fair, you know,
That they our heavenly bliss should share
Who vex us here below!
The few are those who have been kind
To husbands such as we:
They knew our fads and didn’t mind—
Says Dibdin’s ghost to me."
He then goes on to say, "It has never been explained to my satisfaction why women, as a class, are the enemies of books, and are particularly hostile to bibliomania."
The chapter went on to describe in more detail and with a jocular tone the obstacles women create in the enjoyment of books.
At this point I stopped reading and marked the book as DNF. However after doing so, I read some of the reviews of other readers and began to get an inkling that there was more to this book than I had realised.
Unfortunately I had been listening to the Librivox audiobook, which omitted the introduction. Reading this (luckily I happen to also own the ebook) and some further information on trusty Wikipedia prompted me to finish the book. I felt somehow that I owed it to Eugene Field to do so. This was his final book, written despite his very poor health. He died a week after its completion, still in his prime, with a large family.
I'll never be able to say I particularly liked this book. But at least I can say I made the effort to finish it.
The book itself was a fanciful rambling account of the narrator's experiences with books. Despite moments of enchantment, I was frequently bored and distracted. Occasionally the author made odd comments about women, which I overlooked as I was unsure whether he was serious or joking. And then I came to the opening line of the penultimate chapter:
"The women-folk are few up there,
For ’t were not fair, you know,
That they our heavenly bliss should share
Who vex us here below!
The few are those who have been kind
To husbands such as we:
They knew our fads and didn’t mind—
Says Dibdin’s ghost to me."
He then goes on to say, "It has never been explained to my satisfaction why women, as a class, are the enemies of books, and are particularly hostile to bibliomania."
The chapter went on to describe in more detail and with a jocular tone the obstacles women create in the enjoyment of books.
At this point I stopped reading and marked the book as DNF. However after doing so, I read some of the reviews of other readers and began to get an inkling that there was more to this book than I had realised.
Unfortunately I had been listening to the Librivox audiobook, which omitted the introduction. Reading this (luckily I happen to also own the ebook) and some further information on trusty Wikipedia prompted me to finish the book. I felt somehow that I owed it to Eugene Field to do so. This was his final book, written despite his very poor health. He died a week after its completion, still in his prime, with a large family.
I'll never be able to say I particularly liked this book. But at least I can say I made the effort to finish it.
February 11, 2014
Una obrita muy entretenida, especialmente para quienes también "padecemos" la enfermedad del libro.
El comienzo del libro es muy ameno, y es fácil reconocerse en la descripción del bibliómano, en la historia que Field nos narra sobre sus propios inicios como lector. Es la mejor parte de la obra, en mi opinión.
El resto de la obra, si bien tiene destellos ocasionales y muchas de sus frases merecen destacarse, presenta dos obstáculos para el lector, especialmente para el de lengua española:
- Hay numerosísimas citas y referencias a autores y obras del pasado que no es fácil que conozca el lector medio no anglosajón (y me atrevo a decir que los lectores en lengua inglesa no lo tienen mucho más fácil). Además se menciona a editores, encuadernadores, tipógrafos, etc. que, salvo a los más eruditos, resultan desconocidos, con lo que la lectura se ve obstaculizada, pese al buen trabajo de la traductora que, además de realizar una traducción excelente, ha añadido, cuando le ha sido posible, notas aclaratorias.
- La obra incluye numerosos poemas, la mayoría de ellos del autor o atribuídos por éste a amigos y conocidos suyos. Si bien la traducción es impecable en cuanto al contenido, el resultado no respeta la métrica, ritmo ni ninguna otra característica formal de los originales: se ha traducido, realmente, de poesía a prosa y, al no incluirse los versos originales, se pierde buena parte de la gracia del libro.
En suma, un libro que resulta muy agradable a ratos, pero al que el tiempo y la barrera del idioma y de unas referencias culturales inaccesibles para el lector medio han privado de parte de su atractivo. Con todo, recomendable y, sin duda, una oportunidad para el lector curioso que desee profundizar en el conocimiento de los personajes del mundo del libro que se mencionan aquí.
El comienzo del libro es muy ameno, y es fácil reconocerse en la descripción del bibliómano, en la historia que Field nos narra sobre sus propios inicios como lector. Es la mejor parte de la obra, en mi opinión.
El resto de la obra, si bien tiene destellos ocasionales y muchas de sus frases merecen destacarse, presenta dos obstáculos para el lector, especialmente para el de lengua española:
- Hay numerosísimas citas y referencias a autores y obras del pasado que no es fácil que conozca el lector medio no anglosajón (y me atrevo a decir que los lectores en lengua inglesa no lo tienen mucho más fácil). Además se menciona a editores, encuadernadores, tipógrafos, etc. que, salvo a los más eruditos, resultan desconocidos, con lo que la lectura se ve obstaculizada, pese al buen trabajo de la traductora que, además de realizar una traducción excelente, ha añadido, cuando le ha sido posible, notas aclaratorias.
- La obra incluye numerosos poemas, la mayoría de ellos del autor o atribuídos por éste a amigos y conocidos suyos. Si bien la traducción es impecable en cuanto al contenido, el resultado no respeta la métrica, ritmo ni ninguna otra característica formal de los originales: se ha traducido, realmente, de poesía a prosa y, al no incluirse los versos originales, se pierde buena parte de la gracia del libro.
En suma, un libro que resulta muy agradable a ratos, pero al que el tiempo y la barrera del idioma y de unas referencias culturales inaccesibles para el lector medio han privado de parte de su atractivo. Con todo, recomendable y, sin duda, una oportunidad para el lector curioso que desee profundizar en el conocimiento de los personajes del mundo del libro que se mencionan aquí.
September 17, 2019
At first I enjoyed the witticisms and wry comments about being a bibliomaniac. The writer spoke about the first book he loved. It seemed then the premise was towards the end of relating some of the books he loved. But after a while, his writing seemed to be repeating the same thing over and over. It became tedious and I stopped listening for sometime. Eventually, I decided to give the rest another go. Again though, it became utterly boring! Not that there wasn’t the clever sentence or two which cause a smile. So, I sped up the recording so as to get on with it quickly.
I did enjoy the chapter about Pilgrim’s Progress, as Mr. Field spoke about the appeal of books with illustrations. Which then led to discussion about the libraries or attitude toward books by great men. But mostly the book wittered on to much to keep my attention.
I really wouldn’t recommend it. Perhaps for an aide to sleep? But that may be slightly too harsh.
The readers were good, especially the main reader. It couldn’t have been easy to read in any interesting way.
I did enjoy the chapter about Pilgrim’s Progress, as Mr. Field spoke about the appeal of books with illustrations. Which then led to discussion about the libraries or attitude toward books by great men. But mostly the book wittered on to much to keep my attention.
I really wouldn’t recommend it. Perhaps for an aide to sleep? But that may be slightly too harsh.
The readers were good, especially the main reader. It couldn’t have been easy to read in any interesting way.
Read
December 9, 2019I don’t usually write reviews on here, but I figured I should with this book after reading a few other reviews. Many people think this is an autobiography, in the sense, regarding Eugene Field’s life through his love of books. I thought that when I picked it up, as well, so I don’t blame them. However, after I started I quickly realized that this is not the case. This book is FICTION. It pokes fun at bibliomaniacs. If you don’t realize that by the time the doctor is injecting the cat with “bacilli librorum” (bibliomania), then you are very open minded, indeed.
While it was a little boring at times, it was also very funny, and a fairly quick read. I’m glad I picked it up.
While it was a little boring at times, it was also very funny, and a fairly quick read. I’m glad I picked it up.
January 12, 2018
El libro no es malo, pero quizás es de los que debes leer por bloques o termina siendo muy snob. Hay cosas interesantes; solo que si lees más de 50 páginas por día las sonrisas que te pido arrancar en algún punto se pierden.
September 8, 2020
A semi-fictional work about bibliophilia written on Field's deathbed, the Love Affairs is just too meandering to be excellent. And though I could have done with the "I Hate My Wife"™ chapter near the end, it was an enjoyable read.
Read
November 2, 2020Ya no recuerdo mucho de este libro, sé que escribí las frases que me gustaron en una ficha bibliográfica. La perdí. Tengo una imagen muy clara de yo sentada en la mesa verde de urba leyendo esto sola, tal vez en viernes o un día en que no teníamos clases temprano y yo estaba ahí.
June 25, 2024
Primera lectura del club 2 al que me he apuntado este curso...
Y no el mejor de los inicios. Se hace algo pesado, pero en momentos concretos me pareció divertido y da para hablar mucho de libros. Y eso es lo suyo. ;)
Y no el mejor de los inicios. Se hace algo pesado, pero en momentos concretos me pareció divertido y da para hablar mucho de libros. Y eso es lo suyo. ;)
September 25, 2025
This was a lovely surprise. Although some chapters I was not interested in, others I poured over, reread, and laughed and smiled through the pages. This was a very entertaining read! I especially loved the poetry scattered throughout and Field’s humorous antidotes.
November 9, 2020
“据说拿破仑的马车里有一个书架，他读完一本书后就从窗户把书扔出去。”
July 5, 2022
And Judge Methuen’s favorite quotation is from Babington Macaulay to this effect:
"I would rather be a poor man in a garret with plenty of books than a king who did not
love reading."
"I would rather be a poor man in a garret with plenty of books than a king who did not
love reading."
May 7, 2023
A book written by a bibliomaniac for bibliomaniacs. If you love books then this is for you.
July 19, 2010
There wasn't much new here (I think I may finally be reaching a saturation point in terms of reading these memoirs) but I found what it had to offer interesting and fun to read nonetheless. Field was one of the earlier book-lover/memoirists, and this recollection of his life of bookish pursuits was published posthumously. It's notable for a few things. First, he ties his lifelong obsession with books to a single volume (The New England Primer) from his youth. He brings the formative role of this book up throughout the memoir, to remind it of its importance even while he discusses his more valuable volumes. He also talks at length about how books have been his lifelong friends, substituting for relationships and offering companionship in all sorts of situations (he writes about the joys of reading in bed, for example, to excellent effect). His descriptions of both his own library and others' are also remarkable.
December 7, 2016
Quien está enamorado de los libros, quien puede tardar horas en una librería, quien disfruta más de comprar libros que ropa, disfrutará "Los amores de un bibliómano". El personaje principal, un coleccionista de libros del siglo XIX describe las razones para poner una librería, el valor estético y de conocimiento de los libros. Para muestra una cita, donde se intuye el tipo de vocabulario y la narrativa de tan lido libro:
"Peregrinantur? Desde luego lo libros comparten nuestras peregrinaciones, esas pesquisas literarias; nos acompañan. Si Thomas Hearne (anticuario inglés) viviera hoy, nos diría que siempre llevaba un libro consigo cuando salía a pasear, y que tenía la costumbre de leerlo mientras caminaba. En varias ocasiones (como nos cuenta en su diario) llegó a estar tan absorto en la lectura que se perdió y la noche cayó sobre él sin que se diera cuenta".
Una de las interesantes obras, con mucha propuesta, distribuida por Sexto Piso en México.
"Peregrinantur? Desde luego lo libros comparten nuestras peregrinaciones, esas pesquisas literarias; nos acompañan. Si Thomas Hearne (anticuario inglés) viviera hoy, nos diría que siempre llevaba un libro consigo cuando salía a pasear, y que tenía la costumbre de leerlo mientras caminaba. En varias ocasiones (como nos cuenta en su diario) llegó a estar tan absorto en la lectura que se perdió y la noche cayó sobre él sin que se diera cuenta".
Una de las interesantes obras, con mucha propuesta, distribuida por Sexto Piso en México.
August 24, 2017
A book for book lovers, by a book lover.
This is a wonderfully delightful book that lovingly needles the dedication, and foibles, of bibliomaniacs (and all that that name entails).
Humorous, amiable, exceedingly charming; many a "serious" book lover will see themselves dryly reflected in the chapters of this final work by the author/poet (written slightly before his death in 1895).
This is a wonderfully delightful book that lovingly needles the dedication, and foibles, of bibliomaniacs (and all that that name entails).
Humorous, amiable, exceedingly charming; many a "serious" book lover will see themselves dryly reflected in the chapters of this final work by the author/poet (written slightly before his death in 1895).
February 2, 2014
Some of the chapters I liked better then others because I knew the books Field was talking about, other chapters went over my head as I had no knowledge of the people or books but all and all it was an interesting, humorous and sometimes strangely familiar feeling to the way I feel about books. If you like "The Haunted Bookshop" I'm sure that you will find much to like here.
April 3, 2014
Saw this book while perusing Amazon and decided to buy it. The book is quite entertaining, has some wonderful poetry relating to books quoted in verse, and many interesting stories as told from a self professed bibliomaniac. Overall an enjoyable quick read.
April 25, 2021
Available at Project Gutenberg:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/443
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/443
August 30, 2012
Well, this is generally the sort of thing I like whether it's well-written or not, but I'm afraid I just found Mr. Field rather irritating and affected. :/
December 12, 2012
Perhaps I'm uncharacteristically susceptible right now because I'm hardly half way through this intoxicating assemblage of words and I'm in love.
April 3, 2015
Field waxes euphoric about his overwhelming passion for books and reading. Much of the 19th Century prose was too florid for my tastes, but the book still had some great moments.
October 13, 2015
delightful little whimsy from a writer of nonsense, about loving books. Has some of my favorite book quotes.
July 4, 2016
NEAR MISS
Field's sense of humor is partially buried beneath a welter of dropped names. Time has passed, and we no longer who some of these people were.
Field's sense of humor is partially buried beneath a welter of dropped names. Time has passed, and we no longer who some of these people were.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews