Alberto Manguel Finkelstein (Books)

Alberto Manguel Finkelstein Books

Alberto Manguel is a writer, translator, and editor who delves into the profound significance of books and reading within human society. He posits that libraries, as repositories of collective memory, should serve as our essential societal symbols, eclipsing financial institutions. Manguel views humans as inherently reading animals, driven by an innate need to decipher the world and their own existence. His work champions the enduring intellectual value of the written word in an increasingly digitized age.

Packing My Library

160 pages
6 hours of reading

A best-selling author and world-renowned bibliophile meditates on his vast personal library and champions the vital role of all libraries. "The author brings a fresh hopefulness to the enterprise of books and reading. Vintage Manguel--a pleasure for his many readers and admirers."--Kirkus Reviews In June 2015 Alberto Manguel prepared to leave his centuries-old village home in France's Loire Valley and reestablish himself in a one-bedroom apartment on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Packing up his enormous, 35,000-volume personal library, choosing which books to keep, store, or cast out, Manguel found himself in deep reverie on the nature of relationships between books and readers, books and collectors, order and disorder, memory and reading. In this poignant and personal reevaluation of his life as a reader, the author illuminates the highly personal art of reading and affirms the vital role of public libraries. Manguel's musings range widely, from delightful reflections on the idiosyncrasies of book lovers to deeper analyses of historic and catastrophic book events, including the burning of ancient Alexandria's library and contemporary library lootings at the hands of ISIS. With insight and passion, the author underscores the universal centrality of books and their unique importance to a democratic, civilized, and engaged society.

3.9