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The Gifts of Reading
From the bestselling author of UNDERLAND, THE OLD WAYS and THE LOST WORDS - an essay on the joy of reading, for anyone who has ever loved a book
Every book is a kind of gift to its reader, and the act of giving books is charged with a special emotional resonance. It is a meeting of three minds (the giver, the author, the recipient), an exchange of intellectual and psychological currency, that leaves each participant enriched. Here Robert Macfarlane recounts the story of a book he was given as a young man, and how he managed eventually to return the favour, though never repay the debt.
From one of the most lyrical writers of our time comes a perfectly formed gem, a lyrical celebration of the transcendent power and humanity of the given book.
Every book is a kind of gift to its reader, and the act of giving books is charged with a special emotional resonance. It is a meeting of three minds (the giver, the author, the recipient), an exchange of intellectual and psychological currency, that leaves each participant enriched. Here Robert Macfarlane recounts the story of a book he was given as a young man, and how he managed eventually to return the favour, though never repay the debt.
From one of the most lyrical writers of our time comes a perfectly formed gem, a lyrical celebration of the transcendent power and humanity of the given book.
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First published June 16, 2016
114 people are currently reading
3389 people want to read
About the author
Robert Macfarlane
111 books4,472 followersRobert Macfarlane is a British nature writer and literary critic.
Educated at Nottingham High School, Pembroke College, Cambridge and Magdalen College, Oxford, he is currently a Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and teaches in the Faculty of English at Cambridge.
Robert Macfarlane is the author of prize-winning and bestselling books about landscape, nature, people and place, including Mountains of the Mind: A History of a Fascination (2003), The Wild Places (2007), The Old Ways (2012), Holloway (2013, with Stanley Donwood and Dan Richards), Landmarks (2015), The Lost Words: A Spell Book (with the artist Jackie Morris, 2017) and Underland: A Deep Time Journey (2019). His work has been translated into many languages, won prizes around the world, and his books have been widely adapted for film, television, stage and radio. He has collaborated with artists, film-makers, actors, photographers and musicians, including Hauschka, Willem Dafoe, Karine Polwart and Stanley Donwood. In 2017 he was awarded the EM Forster Prize for Literature by the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Educated at Nottingham High School, Pembroke College, Cambridge and Magdalen College, Oxford, he is currently a Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and teaches in the Faculty of English at Cambridge.
Robert Macfarlane is the author of prize-winning and bestselling books about landscape, nature, people and place, including Mountains of the Mind: A History of a Fascination (2003), The Wild Places (2007), The Old Ways (2012), Holloway (2013, with Stanley Donwood and Dan Richards), Landmarks (2015), The Lost Words: A Spell Book (with the artist Jackie Morris, 2017) and Underland: A Deep Time Journey (2019). His work has been translated into many languages, won prizes around the world, and his books have been widely adapted for film, television, stage and radio. He has collaborated with artists, film-makers, actors, photographers and musicians, including Hauschka, Willem Dafoe, Karine Polwart and Stanley Donwood. In 2017 he was awarded the EM Forster Prize for Literature by the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 387 reviews
August 19, 2021
The way I was introduced to this lovely brief essay on friendship and the art of gifting – and of gifting books in particular - now feels the only right way: it was given to me by a fellow book loving friend. Nothing would illustrate the meaning of this essay more eloquently than the act of passing it on to another book lover.
Robert Macfarlane ‘s approach is one of generosity and modesty. Reflecting on what it might mean to give without expectation of recompense he put books in the limelight which have been significant to him rather than pitching his own work. He mentions five books he has been giving away again and again, one of which I have read (Lolita) and two books I now consider reading as they have become classics in the genre: The Living Mountain by Nan Shepherd and A Time of Gifts by Patrick Leigh Fermor. Having little experience with the Literature of Walking (the closest I came were Robert Walser’s The Walk and Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Reveries of the Solitary Walker, the whining of the latter bored me stiff) I profoundly appreciate Macfarlane’s guidance - and thank my thoughtful friend for the enriching gift.
The Gifts of Reading is a delicacy to bestow on anyone who likely would agree that among the important things in life are books and friendship, and the knowledge how to connect both in the art of giving. Reading might in this respect resemble art as it ’enlarges our repertoire for being, it further enables a giving onwards of that enriched utterance, that broadened perception’. As readers it is up to us to keep this gift moving, to give it onwards.
The trompe d’oeuil picture was another gift, sent to me by a brother-in-law from Boulogne-sur-Mer.
Robert Macfarlane ‘s approach is one of generosity and modesty. Reflecting on what it might mean to give without expectation of recompense he put books in the limelight which have been significant to him rather than pitching his own work. He mentions five books he has been giving away again and again, one of which I have read (Lolita) and two books I now consider reading as they have become classics in the genre: The Living Mountain by Nan Shepherd and A Time of Gifts by Patrick Leigh Fermor. Having little experience with the Literature of Walking (the closest I came were Robert Walser’s The Walk and Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Reveries of the Solitary Walker, the whining of the latter bored me stiff) I profoundly appreciate Macfarlane’s guidance - and thank my thoughtful friend for the enriching gift.
The Gifts of Reading is a delicacy to bestow on anyone who likely would agree that among the important things in life are books and friendship, and the knowledge how to connect both in the art of giving. Reading might in this respect resemble art as it ’enlarges our repertoire for being, it further enables a giving onwards of that enriched utterance, that broadened perception’. As readers it is up to us to keep this gift moving, to give it onwards.
The trompe d’oeuil picture was another gift, sent to me by a brother-in-law from Boulogne-sur-Mer.
March 29, 2022
"Reading kept him alive right till the end"
Reading is a gift and words are a gift. We should never underestimate their power and we should never underestimate their ability to alter our lives. Reading is so vital, and I feel like this book understands this crucial point perfectly because reading can sustain us.
There's something extra special about a book given or received as a gift because they are the ones that truly stand out. I have books on my shelf given to me by people I care about. They are the ones that really matter and the ones that have their own separate stories and histories beyond simply purchasing it yourself. Those words are even more of a gift because they were given by someone else. They stay with us.
This brief essay so very firmly cements an idea that exists in the heart of every reader: books are life. We should never forget this. And we should always give them as gifts to our friends and loved ones.
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October 2, 2017
It’s taken me far too long to write a simple review for this short but enjoyable essay. It’s about the friendships we make through books and how books can transport us. It speaks about reading as a gift and there’s even a few good recommendations from the author.
Did it really have to take me that long to write that? Of course not! I was just overthinking it as usual! Anyway, I’d highly recommend anyone who likes to read (aka, you) to give this a go.
Did it really have to take me that long to write that? Of course not! I was just overthinking it as usual! Anyway, I’d highly recommend anyone who likes to read (aka, you) to give this a go.
October 7, 2022
I would try to find a free version of this long article as it is hardly a book.
That said, it will increase your TBR pile and hit on a few crucial ideas about gifts and ideas.
“Gifts give on, says Hyde, this is their logic. They are generous acts that incite generosity. He contrasts two kinds of ‘property’: the commodity and the gift. The commodity is acquired and then hoarded, or resold. But the gift is kept moving, given onwards in a new form.”
“…the act of giving encourages the onwards circulation of generosity.”
That said, it will increase your TBR pile and hit on a few crucial ideas about gifts and ideas.
“Gifts give on, says Hyde, this is their logic. They are generous acts that incite generosity. He contrasts two kinds of ‘property’: the commodity and the gift. The commodity is acquired and then hoarded, or resold. But the gift is kept moving, given onwards in a new form.”
“…the act of giving encourages the onwards circulation of generosity.”
December 31, 2018
This story, like so many stories, begins with a gift. The gift, like so many gifts, was a book...
I'm baffled at how quotable this tiny little book is!
I don't usually read essays. They're as far from my normal reading tastes as you can get. But my friend TS fired straight and couldn't have chosen a better initiation! :)
The act of giving encourages the onwards circulation of generosity.
This book was very special in more than one way and deeply moved me. For one, I received it (thank you TS!) at a time when I was struggling with reading and writing slumps and trying to find again the sparks of wonder and awe and pleasure I once found only between the pages of a book. This book talks about the impacts of book gifts, on both the giver and the receiver. For me, there are rarer pleasures than receiving books and than gifts freely given and the smile they put on the faces of those who receive them. You can say therefore that The Gifts of Reading was spot on!
January 12, 2019
Very short essay. About the value of gifts, especially when it comes to books about walking. I did not know Robert Macfarlane, but when I noticed that he was a walking fanatic, I immediately put his other works on my To-read list. This book just is a charming, short read.
October 17, 2017
This brief essay was printed as a stand-alone pamphlet in aid of the Migrant Offshore Aid Station. Macfarlane begins by remembering Don, a fellow English teacher he met in China in 2000 who plied him with books by some of the authors who would later serve as models for his own lyrical nature/travel writing, including Annie Dillard and Patrick Leigh Fermor. Fermor’s
A Time of Gifts
is now one of the five books he gives most often as presents. Don’s friendship, the love of literature they shared, and the books he passes on to students and the new generation of nature writers are the main themes of this compact and wholly pleasant piece of writing. Slip this in any reader’s Christmas stocking.
September 17, 2020
‘The gift that, when it comes, speaks commandingly to the soul and irresistibly moves us’.
Not what I expected. A tale of friendships, all over the giving and receiving of books.
As if I needed an excuse to give books :0)
Not what I expected. A tale of friendships, all over the giving and receiving of books.
As if I needed an excuse to give books :0)
March 29, 2019
A nice read, though low-impact. Mostly it's given me a few more suggestions to add to my TBR.
October 15, 2017
My daughter picked up this short and sweet essay when we visited the “Shakespeare and Company” bookstore in Paris.
It’s a small booklet that was sold near the cashier, the sort of booklet that you pick up on a whim. The beautiful cover artwork caught our eye as well. This touching book is something that almost any book lover already knows: how lovely it is to give books as gifts and to receive them also.
It’s a small booklet that was sold near the cashier, the sort of booklet that you pick up on a whim. The beautiful cover artwork caught our eye as well. This touching book is something that almost any book lover already knows: how lovely it is to give books as gifts and to receive them also.
October 19, 2019
"Reading kept him alive right till the end"
September 10, 2020
A wonderfully poignant essay about the importance of books and the natural world.
5 stars.
5 stars.
June 15, 2021
This story, like so many stories, begins with a gift. That gift, like so many gifts, was a book…
Most people love receiving presents, but for me the best present to receive is a book. A well-chosen book opens up a world of possibilities, it is something that can be treasured for ages and can have a resonance between giver and receiver. In this essay, Macfarlane extolls the deep significance of giving and receiving books as he recalls receiving The Time of Gifts by Patrick Leigh Fermor from Don, a close friend and past colleague. This simple gift of this book, was what drove him to walk the hills and mountains and in turn has given us, the reader, his own wonderful books.
This short, intense, espresso like book is a little gem that will continue to provide insight and delight every time I give or receive a book. This is only available from Independent Bookshops, and monies go towards Migrant Offshore Aid Station.
Most people love receiving presents, but for me the best present to receive is a book. A well-chosen book opens up a world of possibilities, it is something that can be treasured for ages and can have a resonance between giver and receiver. In this essay, Macfarlane extolls the deep significance of giving and receiving books as he recalls receiving The Time of Gifts by Patrick Leigh Fermor from Don, a close friend and past colleague. This simple gift of this book, was what drove him to walk the hills and mountains and in turn has given us, the reader, his own wonderful books.
This short, intense, espresso like book is a little gem that will continue to provide insight and delight every time I give or receive a book. This is only available from Independent Bookshops, and monies go towards Migrant Offshore Aid Station.
July 22, 2018
Short and sweet, this essay will resonate with book lovers who have made friends through books, and who love to give and receive them. It also made me add A Time of Gifts and The Living Mountain into my want-to-read list.
October 18, 2018
This book is a little great gift. And now I have to go and buy some 20 of these to give out to some great people who love books and gifts, and especially - book gifts.
January 3, 2024
Found myself at the Turkish barbers today (not for me) with nothing to read but various men's magazines and a book on what we can learn from wolves. I remembered that a few weeks ago I slipped this thin little volume into my purse for this very kind of emergency. It took the length of two little boys' haircuts to read and kept me warmly engaged.
February 17, 2021
"...and it has almost always been the case that the gift which has spoken so ‘commandingly’ to my soul has been a printed book."
A moving and thoughtful essay on the pleasure and transformative power of reading and gifting books. Full of interesting reading suggestions (especially if you like poetry, travelogues and books on nature).
A moving and thoughtful essay on the pleasure and transformative power of reading and gifting books. Full of interesting reading suggestions (especially if you like poetry, travelogues and books on nature).
December 28, 2016
A lovely reflective read on reading. A homage to Patrick Leigh Fermor and in particular his book A Time of Gifts. An appreciation of the author's friend and mentor Don with whom he taught English Literature in Beijing, according to Mao. Thanks to Don, they survived to continue to enjoy reading and appreciate the gifts which books bring.
December 20, 2017
"This is a beautiful double-proposition: that art enlarges our repertoire for being, and that it further enables a giving onwards of that enriched utterance, that broadened perception"
Stunning lil pamphlet, made me feel so much! Reading is truly the most giving gift.
Stunning lil pamphlet, made me feel so much! Reading is truly the most giving gift.
January 9, 2018
small but lovely gift <3
August 25, 2021
A great essay about friendship, specifically between the writer and his friend Don who gifted him with a book that he’s cherished.. and whom he’s gifted with numerous books. It’s about their sharing of literature/reading.
It’s about reading and friendship and the sharing of books between folks.. which directly reminded me of the great people I’ve met on GR, whom I’ve shared numerous books with. It also reminded me of how the groups and book clubs that I’ve become apart of has improved my life through the tough times of this pandemic.
Don’s daughter eventually tells Robert how reading kept Don alive. It can never be overstated how much fun I’ve had reading and book clubbing through this pandemic. This essay was thoughtful and affirming.
It’s about reading and friendship and the sharing of books between folks.. which directly reminded me of the great people I’ve met on GR, whom I’ve shared numerous books with. It also reminded me of how the groups and book clubs that I’ve become apart of has improved my life through the tough times of this pandemic.
Don’s daughter eventually tells Robert how reading kept Don alive. It can never be overstated how much fun I’ve had reading and book clubbing through this pandemic. This essay was thoughtful and affirming.
June 2, 2018
This brief essay makes me rethink the acts of giving. I do think so hard when I want to give someone a book for (I hope) they’ll like it and stay forever with them. Such a lovely tiny book(let).
November 19, 2018
A simple but resonant anecdotal essay about the joy of books both given and received, and the power they have to inspire, transform, and perhaps even sustain lives.
January 16, 2019
Beautiful, heartfelt, and moving. Had this been an extended essay, and not such a short standalone piece, I probably would have given it 5 stars.
June 25, 2017
'... the gift can be transformative and {that} the act of giving encourages the onwards circulation of generosity.'
December 27, 2023
Beautiful essay ♡
Read
March 10, 2021Just õige asi ootamatult kingiks saada.
May 9, 2019
A small essay about the joy that giving and receiving books brings into our lives.
September 14, 2018
This short essay -- just 34 pages of text in A6 format -- is a paean or hymn to reading, giving, and books. In fact, one book in particular which he was given as a present, Patrick Leigh Fermor's A Time of Gifts. Macfarlane then uses this as a springboard to discourse on what moves him: teaching, talking and travelling, companionship, landscape and nature.
I can't begin to grasp or comprehend all that the author has read, visited or achieved but there is no doubting that the writer of last year's unexpected bestseller The Lost Words (illustrated by Jackie Morris) is someone who lives life to the full and exults in all he puts his mind to. In describing Leigh Fermor's book he describes it thus:
It's clear that he finds so much of what he comes across in his reading as inspiring. He's not without humour; he declares that "not all books received as gifts are transformative, of course. Sometimes the only thing a book gives its reader is a paper cut." But from being given books that expand both his mind and his horizons he makes it his habit to do the same, in the hopes that recipients will likewise find inspiration.
The back cover of this slim booklet tells us that all proceeds from its sale are donated to Migrant Offshore Aid Station. The charity's mission is designed to provide desperately-needed search and rescue services to people attempting dangerous sea crossings while fleeing violence, poverty and persecution. Such migrants are travellers who don't have the liberty to journey for leisure or pleasure. The purchase of this publication may therefore in some small way help a few of those who are in most desperate need of aid, one of the many ways in which reading can prove to be a gift.
I can't begin to grasp or comprehend all that the author has read, visited or achieved but there is no doubting that the writer of last year's unexpected bestseller The Lost Words (illustrated by Jackie Morris) is someone who lives life to the full and exults in all he puts his mind to. In describing Leigh Fermor's book he describes it thus:
I felt it in my feet. It spoke to my soles. It rang with what in German is called Sehnsucht: a yearning or wistful longing for the unknown and the mysterious. It made me want to stand up and march out -- to walk into adventure.
It's clear that he finds so much of what he comes across in his reading as inspiring. He's not without humour; he declares that "not all books received as gifts are transformative, of course. Sometimes the only thing a book gives its reader is a paper cut." But from being given books that expand both his mind and his horizons he makes it his habit to do the same, in the hopes that recipients will likewise find inspiration.
The back cover of this slim booklet tells us that all proceeds from its sale are donated to Migrant Offshore Aid Station. The charity's mission is designed to provide desperately-needed search and rescue services to people attempting dangerous sea crossings while fleeing violence, poverty and persecution. Such migrants are travellers who don't have the liberty to journey for leisure or pleasure. The purchase of this publication may therefore in some small way help a few of those who are in most desperate need of aid, one of the many ways in which reading can prove to be a gift.
October 1, 2017
You know how you have these stories about what it means to be human? About looking at the smallest things in your life? By taking those into consideration...you just feel so utterly alive and become a better person?
This is such a story. This book isn't a work of fiction. It's a reflective essay about the meaning of gifts, specifically the gifts of reading.
What is a gift? How can reading and books bundle up into a gift? Is it just the act of giving someone a book, or is it that emotional connection that you offer?
There's so much thought put into this book, yet they are delivered quite simply and concisely. I also felt so many emotions while reading this book. It is a book you read parts of, and the words just tingle underneath your skin. The last few pages made me stop in awe, filling me with goosebumps. I had to stop and appreciate the words.
I recommend this book to everyone, especially if you're a book lover.
This is such a story. This book isn't a work of fiction. It's a reflective essay about the meaning of gifts, specifically the gifts of reading.
What is a gift? How can reading and books bundle up into a gift? Is it just the act of giving someone a book, or is it that emotional connection that you offer?
There's so much thought put into this book, yet they are delivered quite simply and concisely. I also felt so many emotions while reading this book. It is a book you read parts of, and the words just tingle underneath your skin. The last few pages made me stop in awe, filling me with goosebumps. I had to stop and appreciate the words.
I recommend this book to everyone, especially if you're a book lover.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 387 reviews