Biblioclasm: The Mythical Origins, Magic Powers and Perishability of the Written Word

by Marc Drogin

uthor Marc Drogin begins where both creation and destruction had their roots: with that most wonderful gift, the alphabet. He traces the mythic origins of the alphabet in ancient, classical and medieval cultures and relates how letters, words, and numbers had a magical significance in the past. After describing the divine origins of the alphabet, he offers a glimpse of some of the magic and miracles associated with the written word, and goes on to the adventures and vicissitudes of books down through the years.

224 pages, Hardcover

First published October 13, 1989

About the author

American writer, illustrator, and medieval calligraphy expert.

Reviews

[Anca Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the book.

[Bryn]

There are some cute anecdotes in here, but also a lot of random assertions and occasionally things that are simply provably wrong, which annoys me so much I can't enjoy the amusing bits. Not for me.