Over the course of a year, the bestselling author of a history of reading spends a month with each of his 12 favourite books. Alberto manguel has 160 books on goodreads with 108877 ratings. The argentinian bibliophile alberto manguel, whose books include a history of reading, is an expert on this snugly closed circle, symbolised by the private library he has installed in a 15th. Alberto manguel was born in argentina and lives in canada. This is written more in the pursuit of learned pleasure than of pedantic knowledge, by a man plainly in love with books and reading. He was born in buenos aires, moved to canada in 1982, and now lives in france, where more about alberto manguel. I left my books behind when i set off for europe in 1969, some time before the military dictatorship. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers all about a reading diary.
Perhaps these subjects come naturally to someone with a 30,000 volume library, located at his home just south of the loire and made of a reconstructed and expanded. He is the author of numerous nonfiction books such as the dictionary of imaginary places, a history of reading, the library at night and homers iliad and odyssey. Alberto manguel is a writer, a translator, and an editor of international reputation. May 15, 2018 this spring, for instance, brought at least four excellent books about books. Alberto manguel s recommended reading page 4 show list info here is a list of recommended reads made by alberto manguel anthologist, translator, essayist, novelist, editor, director of the national library of argentina and a wellknown bookworm like no other, taken from his own website. Manguel expounds with thoughtfulness and humor on the lessons learned from some of his favorite literary characters in this insightrich collection. Ive just finished alberto manguel s the library at night, a fine, anecdotally rich collection of essays on reading and readers, libraries and librarians, collections and collectors, and now that its night and im sitting in my library a mere few thousand books, it hardly compares with manguel s obsessive 30,000, ten thousand more than even susan sontag was able to amass, i feel compelled. Alberto manguel audio books, best sellers, author bio. Though almost all of manguel s books were written in english, two of his novels were written in spanish, an. Alberto manguel books list of books by author alberto manguel. Books best sellers new releases childrens books textbooks australian authors kindle books audiobooks. Alberto manguel is the acclaimed author of several awardwinning books, including a dictionary of imaginary places and a history of reading, which was an international bestseller, a new york times notable book, a times literary supplement international book of the year, and winner of frances prix medicis.
His previous books include the library at night and packing my library. Alberto manguel is a writer, translator, editor, and critic, but would rather define himself as a reader. Packing my library alternates intimate chapters that make up an elegy for his library with 10 masterly digressions on his life as. From june 2002 to may 2003, alberto manguel set out to reread twelve of the books he likes best, and to share with us, his gentle readers, his impressions and experiences in doing so. The prolific anthologist and writer alberto manguel has become, since the publication in 1996 of a history of reading, one of the foremost gentleman scholars of books and the act of consuming them. One of the characters that terradillos interviews is named alberto manguel, and this fictional manguel is denounced by other characters as a liar and charlatan. Hes not just the director of the national library of argentina, but also a writer and worldrenowned bibliophile who owns more than 40. Internationally acclaimed as an anthologist, translator, essayist, novelist, and editor, alberto manguel is the bestselling author of several awardwinning books, including a dictionary of imaginary places and a history of reading. A 30,000volume window on the world the new york times. Aug 31, 2006 a reading diary is a walk through a years worth of best beloved books in the company of an eclectically learned friend. Alberto manguel has enchanted hundreds of thousands of readers with his bestselling books, including the dictionary of imaginary places.
Born in buenos aires, he has since resided in israel, argentina, europe, the south pacific. Mar 23, 2006 alberto manguel was born in buenos aires in 1948, was educated there, and was a friend of jorge luis borges late in borgess life. From argentina to canada to france, alberto manguel crossed a planet of stories, a world champion of books. A year of favourite books by alberto manguel 20060831 on. As an anecdotal and highly personal history, the work celebrates the joys, delights, and endless quirky details of reading, writing, and books. Manguel points out that a book, unlike life, can be reread and relived. The following is the foreword to a reading diary by alberto manguel, forthcoming from farrar, straus and giroux in october 2004. Bbc radio 4 book of the week a best selling author and worldrenowned bibliophile meditates on his vast personal library and champions the vital role of all libraries. With borges by alberto manguel abebooks passion for books. The house of twenty thousand books by sasha abramsky. Writers celebrate their favorite places to browse, read, and shop by ronald rice. The handmaids tale by margaret atwood, the sound and the fury by william faulkner, jacques the fatalist by. In alberto manguel s most personal book to date, the author tracks his own life of curiosity through the reading that has mapped his way. A year of favourite books by alberto manguel paperback 9781841958217 published by canongate 31 august 2006.
Packing away my 35,000 books was like writing my own obituary it was a huge wrench for alberto manguel to leave his spacious house in france and downsize to a. He is the author of numerous nonfiction books such as the dictionary of imaginary places cowritten with gianni guadalupi in 1980 and a history of reading 1996 the library at night 2007 and homers iliad and odyssey. Heres a link to the continuation of the list as i cant add more than 100 books to this one. Alberto manguel wrote a book about how his favourite. A browsers delight, it can also be devoured in a single sitting guilty. A chronicle of ones reading is quickly becoming a popular subgenre among memoirists, and manguel s entry reflects his multilingual capabilities as well. But he prefers to be known as a reader one who once boasted a personal home library of more than 35,000 books. A chronicle of ones reading is quickly becoming a popular subgenre among memoirists, and manguels entry reflects his multilingual capabilities as well as his eclectic interests.
A reading diary is a walk through a years worth of best beloved books in the company of an eclectically learned friend. Alberto manguel is one of those writers you will eventually encounter if you like books about books, the history of libraries, and the sociology and culture of reading in general. Alberto manguel is a writer, critic and translator. Alberto manguel born 1948 in buenos aires is an argentineborn writer, translator, and editor. In june 2015 alberto manguel prepared to leave his centuriesold village home in frances loire valley and reestablish himself in a onebedroom apartment on manhattans upper west side. Alberto manguel is a kind of global reader laureate. For casual readers, the brief personal passages may provide welcome pauses in what is a highly literate and demanding text perhaps best appreciated by followers of manguel s previous works. A history of reading by alberto manguel is my fourth book recommendation. Touching on themes of home and wandering, memory and loss, alberto manguel perfectly traces the threads between our reading and our lived experience.
Download read all men are liars 2008 by alberto manguel. Reading diaryyear of favourite books alberto manguel on. Alberto manguel is an internationally acclaimed anthologist, translator, editor, and bestselling writer of several awardwinning books, including a dictionary of imaginary places and a history of reading. I was 21 years old and wanted to see the world i had read about, the. From 2015 to 2018 he was the director of the national library of argentina. Here is a list of recommended reads made by alberto manguel anthologist, translator, essayist, novelist, editor, director of the. Alberto manguel is a wanderer among books, immensely curious in such an intriguing way that he lets his readers easily discover the fruits of his curiosity. Manguel shows his love of reading and wideranging erudition. Peter conrad, the observer manguel is a true polymath, and a reader on reading is a kind of a primer, or perhaps a masterclass. In a manner of speaking, alberto manguel once brought me face to face.
Alberto manguel legend has it that proteus was a sea god, shepherd of the water flocks, capable of seeing the future and of constantly changing his appearance. He was raised in israel where his father was the argentine ambassador, and in 1984 he became a canadian citizen. The library at night by alberto manguel booksamillion. In 1982 manguel moved to toronto, canada and lived there with a brief european period until 2000. In a visceral way, he was conscious of continuing a dialogue begun thousands of years before and which he believed would never end. Packing away my 35,000 books was like writing my own. Manguel chooses as his guides a selection of writers who sparked his imagination. Alberto manguel is a writer, translator, editor, and critic, but would rather define himself as a reader and a lover of books. Alberto manguel books list of books by author alberto. Books jump out of their jackets when manguel opens them and dance in delight as they make contact with his ingenious, voluminous brain. Alberto manguels favourite books part i 95 books goodreads. He is a writer, translator, editor and critic whose books include a history of reading and curiosity yale, a memoir of a reading life. Mar 30, 2018 in this episode of a phone call from paul, paul holdengraber talks to argentinecanadian translator and essayist alberto manguel. Alberto manguel in search of libraries past literary.
Alberto manguel is an author that i hadnt read, or even perhaps shamefully. We travel with him as he leaves canada to set up house in a medieval presbytery in france, visits his childhood home in argentina and embarks on trips to. The library at night a celebration of reading, of libraries, and of the mysterious human desire to give order to the universe inspired by the process of creating a library for his fifteenthcentury home near the loire, in france, alberto manguel, the acclaimed writer on books and reading, has taken up the subject of libraries. Alberto manguel was born in buenos aires in 1948, was educated there, and was a friend of jorge luis borges late in borgess life. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Fabulous monsters alberto manguel 9780300247381 netgalley. In packing my library, manguel continues his celebration of the book as object, conduit, and talisman. The two discuss writing about imaginary places, being a reader to jorge luis borges, and manguels most recent book, packing my library. A biography books that changed the world by alberto manguel 20090303 by alberto manguel 1 january 2009.
More tales of the fantastic by alberto manguel and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. With borges by manguel, alberto and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The enviably multilingual alberto manguel author of the sweeping a history of reading reflects on his. Apr 26, 2008 the argentinian bibliophile alberto manguel, whose books include a history of reading, is an expert on this snugly closed circle, symbolised by the private library he has installed in a 15th. Alberto manguels the library at night and the city of words. Books by alberto manguel author of a history of reading. Alberto manguel s recommended reading show list info here is a list of recommended reads made by alberto manguel anthologist, translator, essayist, novelist, editor, director of the national library of argentina and a wellknown bookworm like no other, taken from his own website. Alberto manguel on reading aloud to borges literary hub. Author of the awardwinning a history of reading, news from a foreign country came and stevenson under the palm trees, his most recent book. An intimate and exhilarating journey through the world of books by the internationally celebrated author in this major collection of his essays, alberto manguel, whom george steiner has called the casanova of reading, argues that the activity.
Sep 24, 2019 an original look at how literary characters can transcend their books to guide our lives, by one of the worlds most eminent bibliophiles alberto manguel, in a style both charming and erudite, examines how literary characters live with us from childhood on. Globetrotting polyglot manguel reading pictures, 2001, etc. Little of it has been better than this wonderful account, a history of reading, by alberto manguel, a judicious magpie of a literatus who has collected a trove of fascinations on the subject, and arranged them brilliantly. Alberto manguels favourite books part ii 100 books goodreads. A history of reading is an eclectic collection of essays on books, bibliophiles, bibliophobes, bibliokleptomanes, printing, translation, censorship, reading glasses and the heian period in japan. This premise has great dramatic potential, much of which remains unfulfilled. Alberto manguel born 1948 in buenos aires is a canadian argentineborn writer, translator, and editor. A year of favourite books by alberto manguel 20060831 alberto manguel on. Internationally acclaimed as an anthologist, translator, essayist, novelist, and editor, alberto manguel is the author of several awardwinning books, including the dictionary of imaginary places, a history of reading, and with borges. This spring, for instance, brought at least four excellent books about books. Now he has assembled a personal collection of his own essays that will enchant anyone interested in reading, writing, or the world. Yet in his midfifties alberto manguel, bibliophile author of a history of reading, is wary of unfamiliar texts. Alberto manguel oc frsl born march, 1948 in buenos aires is an argentinecanadian anthologist, translator, essayist, novelist, editor, and a former director of the national library of argentina.
An erudite analysis and exploration of curiosity through the authors own works and those of countless others. Alberto manguels recommended reading list challenges. Alberto manguel oc frsl is an argentinecanadian anthologist, translator, essayist, novelist, editor, and a former director of the national library of argentina. Discover book depositorys huge selection of alberto manguel books online. Alberto manguel internationally acclaimed as an essayist and novelist, alberto manguel is also a prizewinning translator and has edited ten anthologies. Alberto manguels most popular book is a history of reading. A year of favourite books main by alberto manguel isbn. The urbane argentinian grumpily boxes up his 35000 books and writes a jekyll and hyde set of reflections on libraries and the power of. See all books authored by alberto manguel, including the dictionary of imaginary places, and the library at night, and more on.
1134 1011 1377 99 553 1435 233 988 179 1609 643 1066 614 620 1363 1190 667 136 1068 1189 1060 971 1018 1529 1481 1143 821 779 1502 369 1578 420 332 1122 1291 679 654 878 882 784 505 763 58