This Is Not the End of the Book

Reading ‘This Is Not the End of the Book’ is an experience akin to sitting in an armchair tucked away in the corner of a drawing room lined with books, eavesdropping on two elderly, erudite authors' conversations. The authors in question are Umberto Eco and Jean-Claude Carrière. Although the slip cover states that the two of them are discussing ‘our digital future’, this is wholly inaccurate. Although the two do touch on how the internet is changing censorship, publishing, etc, they have no great insights to offer on this score. As they admit, such technology is more familiar to and well-understood by younger generations. Instead, their digressive conversation spends most of its time on the history of books and their show more significance to society, religion, and politics, as well as language more generally. On these subjects they are both full of original insight and amusing anecdote.

I was delighted to discover that Umberto Eco collects books on humanity’s many stupidities, surely an inspired concept for a book collection. Carrière also collects books, whilst admitting that he has a looser library theme of ‘books that I like’. The two compare their early experiences with books and note that their book-collecting began much later, at the age of fifty or so. This exemplifies a particular point I took from the book; that current technologies have widened access to the words within books, whilst reducing the importance of books as material objects. To continue this generalisation, younger generations cannot be said to read less - although they probably read fewer bound paper books and have less appreciation for antique volumes than Eco & Carrière’s cohort. Personally, my current attitude to books is that I want to read but not own them. Upon finishing a book, my first thought is either to return it to the library or choose a friend or relative to pass it on to. Whilst part of the impetus behind this is to free up space on my library card/bookshelves, my main sentiment is dislike of books sitting on a shelf unread. Books aren't mere decorative objects, they live when someone is reading them. Better still, if I pass on a book to a friend or relative I’ll be able to discuss it with them! When I’m fifty, though, perhaps I’ll be more inclined to surround myself with nice editions of my favourite books. Or perhaps I’ll be too busy subsistence-farming alpacas because civilisation has collapsed, who knows.

As the above demonstrates, if you love books then reading this will inspire many thoughts regarding your own attitudes to and beliefs about them. The conversation is really a series of philosophical dialogues about the definition and significance of the book across history. It’s absolutely fascinating. If you enjoy this sort of thing, I must recommend all the non-fiction works of [a:Alberto Manguel|3602|Alberto Manguel|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1227041892p2/3602.jpg] who writes my favourite books-about-books. show less

Книгата представлява записаният разговор на титаните на литературата, относно литературата. От който останах върло и тежко разочарован.

Разговорът е изключително плитък и елементарен, като авторите разискват (и явно виждат) понятието "книга" единствено в неговия хартиен, подвързан вариант. Вместо да се занимаят изобщо с литературата, с бъдещата съдба на романи и новели и изобщо на по-обемната show more литературна форма в епохата на 5-секундното потребителско внимание, вместо да обърнат поглед към новите медии и как книгите (като текст, а не като хартиени томове) ще се интегрират в тях, те обсъждат със смехотворна наивност как видите ли дискетите били изместени от CD, те пък от DVD и затова на модерните технологии не може да се има вяра.

Без изобщо да се доближат до идеята за книгата като текст, преминаващ през различни технически носители от хилядолетия насам, но оставаща неизменен носител на идеи, тримата демонстрират вместо това завидно познаване на класическата и модерна литература с множество референции към автори и произведения (обясненията под линия за които заемат може би 2/3 от обема на тази книга), но освен да се похвалят с тия си познания не виждам защо го правят, след като не успяват да кажат на читателя нищо с тях. show less

When I picked up the book, I was not sure what to expect exactly. There is a lot that can be said about the books and reading and the digital era but at the same time it had been said again and again and rehashing the same information even when done by someone famous is a recipe for a disaster. Nevertheless I picked up the book - mainly from curiosity than anything else - ready to dismiss it as the book that got published only because anything with the name Eco on it will sell. Fortunately this turned out to be away from the truth.

I should also admit that I had never heard the name of Jean-Claude Carriere before; or Jean-Phillipe de Tonnac. So with very low expectations, I opened the book... and closed it a few hours later simply show more because it finished. The whole book is a prolonged conversation between Eco and Carriere, with de Tonnac trying to play a host and steer them back on topic (and failing for the most part - he always tries, they always try to keep to the topic and then the conversation goes somewhere; these occasional redirections back on topic actually help the book to become almost a cohesive narrative so maybe he does the work so good that it appears that he fails). And this conversation goes through books, book history, collecting, good books, bad books, early Italian and French cinema (it is connected to books actually), incunabulum (had no idea that books printed before 31 Dec 1500 are called like that), stupidity and culture filtering. Add a hefty dose of stories about collecting, printing in the early days (how a book had been translated faster in the past than these days or the guy that wrote and printed the next chapter every night); add a lot of musing on the quality of books and the fact that there is no way to know if what we call masterpieces today had not been the trash of their respective periods, discussions on fires and books burning, self publishing and the truth.

It's a conversation between book collectors (although Carriere makes a point that he is not a proper collector because he buys only books that he likes) who just happen to be related to books in a different way as well (although they do explore this as well). So of course it touches the scarcity of some books, the demand and the prices, the goals and the achievements. And of course the inevitable question comes - is it ok to collect books you had not read. The answer is predictable -- of course it is ok but only if you have plans to eventually read them. Because books are to be read and not to be treated as objects.

Overall one of the great surprises in my reading year so far - I really enjoy a book that I do not expect much of to end up being a nice one. show less

If culture is an extended process of selection and filtering, then are the books which can be thought of cultural vehicles - the one in our hands so to speak - the best or worst representation of times gone by? Are the ancient classics we indulge in are truly the best cultural products of their times? Are books the best possible means of expression since antiquity? What about the prehistoric times? Can all the modern wonders of technology, the ever evolving digital media formats, can surpass the reliability of book in preservation and transmission of information? Does the authorial function as well as reader experience essentially undergo any change when we read on-screen? How to decide what to read and what to leave in an age when show more millions of books are published each year? What does memory mean when we can access anything about everything unfiltered? How about the unique filtering mechanisms of past and present, that is, burning or banning books? Is it possible that most of our knowledge of the past comes from dimwits, fools and people with grudge? What about the books on our shelves which we would not be able to read in our lifetime and what would happen to those collections when we die?

In this book, which is a unique piece of art in itself, two tenacious bibliophiles and biggest book collectors of our times converse about many of these question with profound philosophical and cultural insight. Its a great experience to get to know about such admirable collections of ancient as well as modern books. Among them such eclectic collections such as 'Persian Journeys' or original myths and legends of each country of the world collected by Jean-Claude Carriere and unique collections of Umberto Eco who can be called the only passionate connoisseur of human stupidity the world has ever seen.

One can only feel sad as all good conversations have to finally come to an end. show less

Umberto Eco and film-maker Jean-Claude Carriere, both inveterate bibliophiles and book-collectors, discuss all things bookish – the history of the book, the book as medium and artifact, contents of books (knowledge and literature) and activities and habits connected with books. Author Jean-Philippe de Tonnac acts as an unobtrusive curator, prodding on the protagonists with a few well-judged questions. At its best this book makes one feel as if one is eavesdropping on the conversation of two impossibly erudite friends. At its worst, it risks becoming an exercise in showing off – Eco in particular has a rather irritating habit of using his own works as examples. What redeems this project is the enthusiasm which the protagonists show more clearly have for books and reading. Polly MacLean’s translation is fluent and idiomatic. As befits the subject, the book is presented as an attractive hardback which is a pleasure to hold and behold.
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Umberto Eco and film-maker Jean-Claude Carriere, both inveterate bibliophiles and book-collectors, discuss all things bookish – the history of the book, the book as medium and artifact, contents of books (knowledge and literature) and activities and habits connected with books. Author Jean-Philippe de Tonnac acts as an unobtrusive curator, prodding on the protagonists with a few well-judged questions. At its best this book makes one feel as if one is eavesdropping on the conversation of two impossibly erudite friends. At its worst, it risks becoming an exercise in showing off – Eco in particular has a rather irritating habit of using his own works as examples. What redeems this project is the enthusiasm which the protagonists show more clearly have for books and reading. Polly MacLean’s translation is fluent and idiomatic. As befits the subject, the book is presented as an attractive hardback which is a pleasure to hold and behold.
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The only reason I am not rating it higher is because the two authors-- Carriere and Eco-- do have moments when they just ramble on and on. After a while, you might want to skim some parts. But that aside, the book is set up as a conversation between the two authors moderated by Jean-Philippe de Tonnac, and it is worth reading. The two have great insights on all sorts of topics related to books, and even on some topics that may barely touch on books. They talk about books, the Internet, libraries (personal and institutional), censors, antiquities, privacy, etc. They cover a lot of ground in this book. I would say it is not a book to rush through. Take your time with it. Brew yourself some coffee or tea, and read a bit here and there. show more Book lovers definitely owe it to themselves to read this book. Librarians will probably enjoy it as well. If nothing else, the two authors do prove convincingly that the book is not going away any time soon, no matter what any naysayer predicts. show less