A Book Review - Shelf Life: writers on books and reading

A little collection of the thoughts of some giants of world literature on the subject of books and reading over the last 400 years (Johnson 2018: 2). Alternating between essays and commentaries, each author makes known their thoughts on the different aspects of the world of books and reading.

Author: Alex Johnson

Publisher: The British Library

I’ll be real, not every chapter was to my liking, but that is expected with all authors, some you can simply relate to better. But it was interesting that the love of books and the collecting of books is a phenomenon that has stayed in western society for at least 400 years, with some references to the legendary Great Library of Alexandria. The book spoke on, as a whole, the value in which books hold in society and the lives of many great intellectuals (or those considered to be). In a sense, as I read it I was encouraged to keep fanning the flame for my love for literary works, and exploring as diverse as I can the works I choose to read.

There were elements I enjoyed while reading this book. I found amusing William Blades’ opinion on letting children near books. It reminded me of my own mistreatments of many of my childhood storybooks, and my regrets of my actions when I revisited the same books a few years wiser in search for some nostalgia. My favourite chapter was Rudyard Kipling’s on why books are necessary for leading a good life. It hit home that it is through reading that one can really expand their perceptions of life, enhancing their understandings and knowledge of the world through reading other people’s realisations which took lifetimes to realise.

Another feature I particularly enjoyed was the Johnson’s introductions to the different writers. Giving a brief intro the writers was most helpful, especially since I was largely unfamiliar with the majority of the figures (or had only heard their names here and there).

I personally feel it’s not a book to read in one sitting, but looking back on it I doubt it was made for such a purpose. Read and cherish each chapter one at a time. The format of the book was elegant and easy to read. Being someone who doesn’t read non-fiction very much, this was actually a nice read.