Patience and Fortitude

This took me several years to read, but once I finally committed to reading it, I found it very interesting, if dense. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of book culture, from collectors of antiquities to library design. As a bibliophile, I enjoyed learning more about these various facets of the literary world.

I liked the content of this book, but the way the information is presented is very poor. The author jumps from discussions of one institution or person to another with little more than a double-space to let you know a change in course is taking place. It felt disjointed and abrupt, and did not make for a pleasurable reading experience. The topics that the author covered were interesting, and the sections on book collectors and sellers were particularly fun. Given that the material was good, I wish that the author had done a better job of presenting it to the reader.