The Anatomy of Bibliomania

University of Illinois Press, 2001 - Bibliomania - 668 pages

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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.

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The anatomy of bibliomania

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A British "bookman," Jackson (1874-1948) here offers historical and cultural paeans to the book and to reading. The love of books is something nearly universal, though books have been reviled by ... Read full review

Selected pages

Title Page

Index

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

Other editions - View all

The Anatomy of Bibliomania
Holbrook Jackson
Limited preview - 2001

The Anatomy of Bibliomania
Holbrook Jackson
Snippet view - 1981

The Anatomy of Bibliomania, Volume 1
Holbrook Jackson
Snippet view - 1930

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References to this book

Collecting in a Consumer Society
Russell W. Belk
Limited preview - 1995

Books: Their History, Art, Power, Glory, Infamy and Suffering According to ...
Gerald Donaldson
Snippet view - 1981

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About the author (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.

Bibliographic information

Title	The Anatomy of Bibliomania
Author	Holbrook Jackson
Edition	reprint
Publisher	University of Illinois Press, 2001
ISBN	0252070437, 9780252070433
Length	668 pages

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