The Anatomy of Bibliomania

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University of Illinois Press, 2001 - 668 páginas
An unmitigated delight for any bibliophile, Holbrook Jackson's Anatomy of Bibliomania is the cornerstone of his indispensable trio of books on "the usefulness, purpose, and pleasures that proceed from books."

The Anatomy of Bibliomania begins at the beginning, when books first started to appear, and gives book lovers the solace and company of book lovers from ancient Rome, the Renaissance, and the Romantics. Jackson inspects the allure of books, their curative and restorative properties, and the passion for them that leads to bibliomania ("a genial mania, less harmful than the sanity of the sane"). With deliciously understated wit, he comments on why we read, where we read--on journeys, at mealtimes, on the toilet (this has "a long but mostly unrecorded history"), in bed, and in prison--and what happens to us when we read. He touches on bindings, bookworms, libraries, and the sport of book hunting, as well as the behavior of borrowers, embezzlers, thieves, and collectors. Francis Bacon, Anatole France, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Leigh Hunt, Marcel Proust, Ralph Waldo Emerson, William Shakespeare, and scores of other luminaries chime in on books and their love for them.

Unlike most manias, bibliomania is an ennobling affliction, worth cultivating, improving, and enjoying to its heights and depths.
Entertaining as well as instructive, The Anatomy of Bibliomania is a book no book lover--and certainly no bibliomaniac--can afford to be without.

Dentro del libro

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Contenido

I OF BOOKS AND THEIR MOST EXCELLENT QUALITIES
25
II THE PRAISE OF BOOKS
26
III A CATALOGUE OF FOND SIMILITUDES
27
IV OF BOOKREVERENCE
29
V OF BIBLIANTHROPOMORPHISM Books are anthropomorphized by many observers they
30
VI MICROCOSMS THAT OUTLIVE MONUMENTS
31
VII THEY ARE GODLIKE AND IMMORTAL
33
VIII THE BIBLIOMANIA OR MADNESS THEY ENGENDER
35
ISLAND
343
V LIBRARIES THE IMAGE OF ONESELF
345
I THE BOOKBORROWER
347
II OF LENDERS OF BOOKS
350
III THE BOOK THIEF
354
IV ALL MANNER OF BIBLIOKLEPTS
357
V ANTIBIBLIOKLEPTIC MEASURES
361
VI BOOKS IN CHAINS
363

I A GLANCE AT THEIR ANATOMY
37
II OF SIZE AND CONVENIENCE
38
III OF LITERARY DIMENSIONS
42
II PLEASURE A CONDITION BOTH PROFITABLE AND HONEST
48
III DELIGHT THAT VARIES WITH TIME AND PLACE
50
IV POVERTY NO HINDRANCE RICHES NO HELP
52
V TREASURIES OF HAPPINESS NEVER EXHAUSTED
53
VI THE GOLDEN RULE FOR READERS
55
I STHETICAL CONSIDERATIONS
58
II METHODS OF FAMOUS BOOKMEN
60
III WHETHER TO READ QUICKLY OR SLOWLY
63
IV OF ASSIMILATION
66
V A DIGRESSION OF READING ALOUD
68
I THEY ARE THE BEST COMPANY
77
II CONVERSING WITH BOOKS
80
III FRIENDS THAT CHANGE NOT YET ARE EVER NEW
81
I READING WITH PURPOSE
86
II BOOKS MORALLY APPROACHED
87
III OF EPHEMERAL AND SHALLOW WORKS
89
IV AGAINST IDLE AND DESULTORY READING
94
V VAIN AND PEDANTIC READING CONDEMNED
97
VI OLD v NEW BOOKS
101
VII SUBSTITUTES FOR LIFE
106
I THE FASCINATION OF STUDY
110
II WHAT SEEK THESE STUDIOUS ONES?
113
III STUDIES AND OLD AGE
116
IV A DIGRESSION OF CAPACIOUS MEMORIES
118
V OF LETTER FERITS AND BOOK SOTS
120
VI A CURE FOR PEDANTRY
122
I SOME ADVENTITIOUS USES
125
II BOOKS AS FURNITURE
127
III A DIGRESSION OF DUMMY BOOKS
130
IV THEIR USE AS TOOLS ETC
132
V THEIR BELLIGERENT USEFULNESS
133
VI CHARMS AMULETS AND FORTUNETELLERS
135
VII HOW PANTAGRUEL EXPLORES THE SORTES VIRGILIANAE
140
VIII OF THE SORTES IN ANCIENT AND MODERN TIMES
143
I A DIET OF BOOKS CONSIDERED
150
II VARIETIES OF BOOKEATERS
154
HI THE PHYSIOLOGY OF BOOKEATING GOURMETS v GOURMANDS
157
IV A DISSERTATION UPON APPETITE
161
V OF CUISINE
163
VI DISHES AND TASTES PARTICULARISED
166
I OF THEIR LIQUEFACTION AND PROPENSITIES PROPER TO DRINKING
170
II THEY RAISE AND QUENCH THIRST AND ARE POTENT BEVERAGES
172
III BIBLIOBIBACITY WITH A DIGRESSION OF ECSTASY
174
I BOOKFOLK DEFINED
181
II MONTAIGNE AND PETRARCH AS TYPES OF GOOD BOOKMEN
182
III VARIOUS TASTES OUTLINED
184
IV OF BIBLIA ABIBLIA
189
V BOOKS PREFERRED ABOVE ALL THINGS
194
VI THE GENESIS OF BOOKMEN
197
VII READERS WHO NEVER WEARY
206
VIII SINGLE BOOK DEVOTEES
209
IX READING MANY BOOKS AT ONCE
213
X PREFERENCES NO BAR TO FURTHER ADVENTURES
214
XI IN THE GARDEN OF EPICURUS
217
XII THE TWILIGHT OF THE BIBLIOPHILE
224
I THE PROPER TIME FOR READING
228
II OF READING PLACES
232
III THE ASSOCIATION OF BOOK AND PLACE
235
IV VARIOUS READERS AND THEIR READING PLACES
237
V BOOKS ON BATTLEFIELDS
243
VI BOOKS IN PRISON
245
VII READING ON A JOURNEY
248
VIII READING AT THE TOILET
252
IX READING AT MEALTIMES
254
X READING IN BED
256
I GENERAL INFLUENCES CONSIDERED
262
II THE MIGHT OF WORDS
267
III LIBERATING THE SOUL OF MAN
270
IV HOW THEY TEACH THE ART OF LIVING
272
V WHERE BOOKS HAVE FAILED
275
VI A BRIEF CATALOGUE OF ADVANTAGES
277
VII LACHRYMAE MUSARUM
279
VIII CONSOLERS AND REFUGES
281
I THEIR MEDICINAL PROPERTIES GENERALLY CONSIDERED
284
II PRESERVATIVES AND PROPHYLACTICS
286
III THE CLAIM THAT THEY ARE CUREALLS DISCUSSED
289
IV RANGE OF THEIR MEDICINAL PROPERTIES
293
V A DIVERSITY OF CURES
295
VI THE CURE OF MEGRIMS MELANCHOLY AND LIKE DISTEMPERS
297
VII SPECIFIC FOR TEDIUM VITAE
301
VIII BOOKS AS SOPORIFICS
302
I TRANSMUTATION
305
II HOW BOOKS HAVE MADE AND CHANGED CHARACTER
307
III THE POWER OF THE POET
313
IV LIFE IMITATES LETTERS
318
BIBLIANTHROPUS DEFINED
322
I THE PRAISE OF LIBRARIES
330
II THEIR SIZE AND EXTENT
335
III BOOKMEN AND THEIR LITTLE LIBRARIES
337
VII HOW THE ANCIENTS PROTECTED THEIR BOOKS
364
VIII OF GIVING BOOKS
368
I THE PRAISE OF GOOD BINDING
372
II BEAUTY COMPOSED OF MANY QUALITIES
374
III VARIETY OF STYLE AND MATERIALS
379
IV FITNESS FOR PURPOSE
384
V DEFENCE OF FINE BINDINGS
388
VI CHARACTER AND SYMBOLISM
390
VII BIBLIOPEGIC DANDYISM
395
VIII BOOKS BOUND IN HUMAN SKIN
398
I TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS
403
II BOOKS LOST AND FOUND
409
III NEGLECT AND MISUSAGE
413
IV PERILS OF FIRE AND WATER
422
I A COMMON ENEMY IN EVERY AGE
426
II THE LEGENDARY BOOKWORM
428
III THE BOOKWORM AND HIS SEVERAL VARIETIES
429
IV NOMENCLATURE AND CLASSIFICATION
432
V HOW THE BOOKWORM DISCOVERED AMERICA
434
VI TASTES AND HABITS
435
VII PROPER MEASURES CONDUCIVE TO HIS DEFEAT
438
I A REVIEW OF THE CHASE
440
II COLLECTIONS REFLECT THE COLLECTOR
445
III THE JOY OF BOOKHUNTING
446
IV THE TECHNIQUE OF THE CHASE
449
V THE OPULENT HUNTER
451
VI THE HAPPY HUNTER
454
VII FEARS AND TREPIDATIONS
456
VIII OF HUNTING GROUNDS
459
IX HUNTING BY CATALOGUE
460
X OF BOOKSTALLING
462
XI OF BOOKSHOPPING
464
XII OF AUCTIONS
466
XIII A DIGRESSION OF BUYING BOOKS
468
XIV THE BOOKHUNTER ANATOMIZED
472
I THE KINDS OF BOOKS THAT ARE HUNTED
476
II OF RARE BOOKS
482
III BOOKS ARTIFICIALLY RAREFIED
484
IV OF FIRST EDITIONS
490
V UNIQUE COPIES
493
VI OF PEDIGREE COPIES
495
VII THE MOST DESIRABLE ASSOCIATION COPIES
500
VIII A POSY OF FRAGRANT VOLUMES
504
I DEFINITION AND DIFFERENTIATION
507
II WHETHER IT IS ACQUIRED OR HEREDITARY
512
III OBSCURANTIST AUTHORITIES
513
IV EARLY HISTORY OF THE MALADY
516
I THE SYMPTOMS INTRODUCED
518
II WHEREIN THE MADNESS LIES
521
III ITS MAIN CHARACTER AN OBSESSION
523
IV OF HOARDING
525
V BIBLIOTAPHS AND BOOK MISERS
529
VI OF PLURALISTS
534
VII THE MANIA FOR RARITY
536
I ITS CAUSES IN GENERAL
540
II GREED A CAUSE
543
III SOME SECONDARY CAUSES
544
IV VANITY A CAUSE
546
V FASHION A CAUSE
549
I DOTING WITHOUT READING
553
II NONREADING NOT A SOLE SYMPTOM
555
III INORDINATE READING A SYMPTOM
557
I IT IS COMMON TO ALL BOOKMEN
561
II THE PRINCIPAL VARIETIES NAMED
562
III A VARIETY OF COLLECTOMANIA
564
IV OF BIBLIOCLASTS OR BOOK DESTROYERS
566
I GRANGERITIS DIAGNOSED
572
II LEGITIMATE GRANGERIZING
575
III BOOK GHOULS
576
I WHETHER IT IS CURABLE OR NOT
579
II VARIOUS CURES CONSIDERED
583
III BIBLIOPHILIA THE ONLY REMEDY
587
I BOOKLOVE A PROPER SUBJECT
590
II VARIETIES OF LOVE
592
III SYMPTOMS OF BIBLIOPHILY
594
IV THE QUALITY OF BOOKLOVE
597
I HEARING
604
II SEEING
605
III SMELLING
607
IV TASTING Taste is proper to lovers for love in itself is a kind of hunger
610
V TOUCHING
611
I WEDDED TO BOOKS
617
II OF BIBLIOPHILES
619
III THE UNDYING FLAME
621
IV THE JEALOUS BOOKMAN
622
V OF THE POLYBIBLOUS
628
VI HOW THEY WOULD DRESS THEM
631
VII THE WORLD WELL LOST FOR THEM
634
VIII ON PARTING WITH BOOKS
637
EPILOGUE
643
INDEX I TO AUTHORS AND WORKS CITED
645

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Acerca del autor (2001)

Holbrook Jackson (1874-1948) was an English writer and critic whose books include Platitudes Undone, Dreamers Of Dreams: The Rise and Fall of Nineteenth-Century Idealism, Great English Novelists, The Printing of Books, Bernard Shaw, and William Morris.

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