The Library at Night

Once again brother Tadhg has treated us with an insightful view of the value of literature, this time through his review of The Library at Night, which is a fascinating work by Alberto Manguel of his thoughts on libraries and literature in general. Enjoy!

The Library at Night

Tadhg Mac an Bhaird

In the spirit of what Literary Corner is all about, I want to share my review of a book that was a wonderful gift from my lovely cousin, Kathy Bates Johnson of Ft. Worth, Texas. The Library at Night is more than just a fascinating book; for me it captures so much of what is magical about literature.

Anyone who’s ever found themself with a pile of books to read, who’s mused about “putting up a couple of shelves for these books,” who’s walked into a room, large or small, public or private, and been awed by the sudden expanse of glorious books in every direction, will love this book. The author, Alberto Manguel, seems to have read everything—no subject escapes his reader’s eye.

He frequently wanders into his home library at night. As the owner and creator of a humble little library of my own, I, too, find myself night after night, slipping into my library to savor the silent cacophony of books haphazardly packed into shelves in a room with too little space, where I can read, contemplate and mull over the next round of books I’ll add to my bulging collection. I’ll choose a history of the Druids, perhaps, or maybe an old Celtic history by Zimmer, or a Jon Hassler novel, the foundation author of our Minnesota Authors Book Club.

For others, you may bask in the soft glow of a Nicholas Sparks romance, or become enthralled in a John Grisham legal thriller, or possibly become inspired by a story of a sports hero. Regardless of your favorite genre, stories captivate all of us, and Manguel’s relationship with books and libraries often mirrors my vision of the same.

It is a profound book, a gem, glittering with musings and thoughts from librarians, readers and collectors spanning 3,000 years. I’ve given it its own place in the middle of my writing desk—the only book permanently stationed there—where, perhaps, a friend or relative may one day pick it up and read a page or two and suddenly exclaim, “I think I’m standing in the room this guy’s talking about.” The publisher of The Library at Night informs us that, “Inspired by the process of creating a library for his fifteenth-century home near the Loire, in France, Alberto Manguel, the acclaimed writer on books and reading, has taken up the subject of libraries. ‘Libraries,’ he says, ‘have always seemed to me pleasantly mad places, and for as long as I can remember I’ve been seduced by their labyrinthine logic.’

In this personal, deliberately unsystematic, and wide-ranging book, he offers a captivating meditation on the meaning of libraries. Manguel, a guide of irrepressible enthusiasm, conducts a unique library tour that extends from his childhood bookshelves to the ‘complete’ libraries of the Internet, from Ancient Egypt and Greece to the Arab world, from China and Rome to Google. He ponders the doomed library of Alexandria as well as the personal libraries of Charles Dickens, Jorge Luis Borges, and others. He recounts stories of people who have struggled against tyranny to preserve freedom of thought—the Polish librarian who smuggled books to safety as the Nazis began their destruction of Jewish libraries; the Afghani bookseller who kept his store open through decades of unrest. Oral ‘memory libraries’ kept alive by prisoners, libraries of banned books, the imaginary library of Count Dracula, the library of books never written—Manguel illuminates the mysteries of libraries as no other writer could.

With scores of wonderful images throughout, ‘The Library at Night’ is a fascinating voyage through Manguel’s mind, memory, and vast knowledge of books and civilizations.” Michael Dirda wrote in his editorial review in the Washington Post: “‘The Library at Night’―a series of essays on what one might call the Platonic idea of a library―reveals some of its author’s intellectual range and magpie learning … [It] is an elegant volume, in both its design and its text … Alberto Manguel has brought out a richly enjoyable book, absolutely enthralling for anyone who loves to read and an inspiration for anybody who has ever dreamed of building a library of his or her own.”