Library Journal has a short article on Bibliocentric Fiction. Of course Byatt’s Possession and Eco’s Name of the Rose are on the list. But there are a few books I had not heard of that I think I am going to have to look up. Like Peter Ackroyd’s Chatterton and Dorothy Sayers’s The Documents in the Case. I’m always eager to hear about books like these.
I was going to suggest you mention what your favorite bibliocentric book of fiction is but then when I tried to think of my own I got a little panicked. Do I say M.K. Wren’s Gift Upon the Shore? Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451? Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon? What about the Thursday Next books by Jasper Fforde? If I can’t land on one how can I demand a favorite from anyone else?
So, in order to swell my TBR piles (and yours too), what are some of your favorite bibliocentric books?
A wonderful example of a bibliocentric book is “The Elegance of the Hedgehog” by Muriel Barbery. Another 21th century selection would be “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak which has one dozens of awards and has gotten all sorts of praise on a lot of blogs.
I was fascinated by Zafon’s books! I really love to read bibliocentric books, or should I say, books about books? Great example is John Dunning and his novels about Cliff Janeway, antique books collector. Don’t miss Perez Reverte and Club Dumas. Also, Ink heart is children book but I enjoyed it. And Zuzak’s Book thief is really amazing.
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I think my favorite is probably Possession. So well done! But I haven’t read many of those you mention.
I think I’d have to go with Umberto Eco as well…I think of it as the quintessential bibliocentric book!
I really enjoyed Codex, by Lev Grossman, and Pérez-Reverte’s Club Dumas already mentioned above. Also, The Gold Bug Variations by Richard Powers — maybe not bibliocentric, but certainly biblio-related.
Oh, and! The Messiah of Stockholm by Cynthia Ozick! in which a manuscript allegedly penned by Bruno Schulz turns up in a Swedich bookstore.
Hello Stefanie! First, let me tell you that I really enjoy reading your blog.
When it comes to books about books, there are some that I really like: The Secret of Lost Things by Sheridan Hay, The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon and The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. There is also Ross King’s Ex-Libris, but I must say that I didn’t really like it.
I am looking forward to reading The Haunted Bookshop by Christopher Morley and Time Was Soft There: A Paris Sojourn at Shakespeare & Co. by Jeremy Mercer.
Thank you for the reading ideas you have given me, especially for The Enchanted April. I am currently reading it and really like it.
Have a nice day,
A.G.
How about The Salamander by Thomas Wharton?
Actually, no “the,” just Salamander. I also really loved The Book Thief by Zusak.
What about the recent NYT bestseller The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society? I’ve just finished it and have posted a review on it a few days ago. It’s a bittersweet celebration of books, letters, and friendship in one of the most difficult times of modern history. A delight to read.
I loved Possession… on a lighter note, I also recently enjoyed The Jane Austen Book Club… not as fluffy as I’d feared. Rather enjoyable summer read.
Not sure if Helen Hanff ’84 Charing Cross Road’ does count. However, I liked it as I did the movie.
The Book Thief would top my list but that list would also include A Gift Upon the Shore. I read that book thanks to you Stefanie. It was wonderful… Scary civilization but wonderful how someone would want to be a keeper of books.
About the new A S Byatt’s “The Children’s Book”. “The Book Thief” of course remains one of my favorite.
Mel, I loved The Book Thief. I have heard good things about The Elegance of the Hedgehog and plan on reading it eventually.
Iva, isn’t Zafon fun? I have Angel’s Game awaiting its turn. I’ve been holding off on reading it because I wanted to savor the anticipation a bit. I will be sure to look into John Dunning and Club Dumas. I wish I could read Croation!
Rebecca, Possession is well done, isn’t it? I really enjoyed that one.
Verbivore, hope you are enjoying your blogging break! I really enjoyed the Eco, a good and suspenseful mystery not like any other.
Isabella, oh I’m adding all those to my TBR list! The Ozick one sounds especially interesting.
A.G., hi! Thank you so much for your kind words and lovely comment. I forgot about The Thirteenth Tale. My husband read it when it first came out and pushed it my way and it got buried somewhere, must dig it out. You are going to love The Haunted Bookshop! And I am glad you are enjoying Enchanted April.
Grad, I’ve heard about Salamander from someone a few years ago. She raved about it. I tried to find a copy right after but it seems it was out of print. I must investigate further on that one.
Arti, ah yes, I read your review and must admit I was surprised because I had thought it one of those wishy-washy bestsellers not to bother with. I will have to check it out.
Daphne, Jane Austen Book Club? I had thought it all fluff but I will have to add it to the TBR list now.
Catharina, loved 84 Charing Cross Road. There’s a plaque on the spot where the shop used to be and I have a photo of me standing next to it in the rain. It was a cafe when I was there nine years ago. And I loved the movie too!
Iliana, Book Thief was marvelous. And I am so glad you liked Gift Upon the Shore! It is a strange scary book but I found it hopeful too and I made a mental note about preserving books in tin foil just in case!
Roxanne, everyone is talking about The Children’s Book it seems. It isn’t out in the States yet so I am waiting impatiently!
I love this post and all the suggestions! I was pondering what to add but couldn’t seem to limit myself to just one or two. I’ve had to post a whole list over at my blog.
I also loved The Shadow of the Wind and The Angel’s Game. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to pick your own book from the Cemetery of Forgotten Books?
I haven’t seen People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks mentioned. It’s a great tale that jumps back and forth from the present to the past.
There’s also the Jasper Fforde series featuring Thursday Next, who jumps in and out of the great literary works of Kafka, Austen, Dickens and even Beatrix Potter. These books are a lot of fun and it’s a truly inventive concept.
Steve Berry writes a great thriller series about Cotton Malone, a antiquarian book dealer who used to be a US Justice Dept operative. The plots don’t always revolve around books per se but are still easy fun reads.
So many books, so little time!
Richmal Crompton’s Family Roundabout has an author in the story (sort of a funny send up) and her book Frost at Morning also has a female author–very scatterbrained and also funny. Does Pd James’ Dalgliesh count? He’s a poet. Alizabeth Taylor’s Angel, which I haven’t yet read, but another character as an author. I’m sure there are tons, but like you I started getting worried when nothing came immediately to mind!
My mind is going blank on this one! I think it’s because my mind immediately goes to nonfiction (Geoff Dyer’s book on D.H. Lawrence, for example), that I blank on the fiction. I do remember that Ackroyd has a book on the Lamb family, The Lambs of London, that is fun. And then there’s Colm Toibin’s book on Henry James, as well as David Lodge’s book on same. Then there’s Michael Frayn’s The Trick of It … okay, now they are coming back to me!
I got my copy of the “Children’s Book” from The Book Depository in the UK (already out since May 09). Free shipping anywhere in the World. It took about 4 days.
I really feel like there are tons of bibliocentric books and it sort of makes sense. It’s like how half of literature seems to be filled with reader/writer main characters. It’s logical: authors themselves are literary and it makes sense that their characters reflect some of this book love. The list would have to be incredibly long so better not to start it… let’s just enjoy thinking about the numerous excellent bookcentric books we’ve read.
In Carlos Maria Dominguez’s The Paper House a house gets built from, wait for it, books.
My favourite ones are Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury and Auto-da-Fé by Elias Canetti, although this last one is much more than a bibliocentric book…
The Book Thief is on my TBR pile, and I also want to read Buchmendel by Stefan Zweig
How about Alan Bennett’s The Uncommon Reader, where you get to see the Queen learn to love to read? Even as a child I loved books about people who loved reading. The Night They Stole the Alphabet, by Seysle Joslin, is a good example of that, or any of the Edward Eager books. The kids love to read and that’s where they get their imagination!
Melanie, isn’t fun that there is so much out there?
Jan, after I read Shadow of the Wind I had dreams of wandering the cemetery of forgotten books! Thursday Next is a hoot. I’ve got the Brooks book but haven’t read it yet, saving it for I’m not sure what! Steve Berry though I don’t know about so will have to investigate further!
Danielle, thanks for the additions! I think Dalgliesh most certainly counts!
Dorothy, you made me laugh. Your mind went blank wasn’t blank for long!
Roxane, I avoid the Book Depository because it is far too dangerous!
Bibliobio, you are right, the list of books would be impossibly long. It does make sense that there are so many. Writers love to write them and readers love to read them. A happy thing
Stewart, oh, thank you! I’ve heard of that book but lost the title and author and could only remember ‘paper.’
Marina, I read Zweig’s Post Office Girl not long ago and liked it. I will have to look for Buchmendel. It is sure to be good!