“Our society accepts the book as a given, but the act of reading -- once considered useful and important, as well as potentially dangerous and subversive -- is now condescendingly accepted as a pastime, a slow pastime that lacks efficiency and does not contribute to the common good.”
This work delves into the nature of libraries as places of refuge, memory, and human ingenuity. Through personal reflection and cultural history, the author examines how libraries have shaped human thought across civilizations, addressing their architectural forms, their role in preserving forbidden or endangered texts, and the intimate act of reading within their walls. The book traverses different cultures and eras, considering both ancient accumulations of clay tablets and modern digital archives, to presents libraries not merely as repositories of printed matter but as living institutions that reflect the values and aspirations of the societies that create them. more
Alberto Manguel, born in 1948, is a renowned writer from Argentina. His works span various literary forms, including novels, essays, and translations, and are known for their unique style and profound insights into human culture. more
“If justice takes place, there may be hope, even in the face of a seemingly capricious divinity.”
“In the light, we read the inventions of others; in the darkness we invent our own stories.”
“Who wants to feel everything everyone else feels all the time?”