Caroline SeebohmRecensioni

Never get tired looking through these great photos of book lovers' libraries, many grand places, unique private book havens

At Home with Books is a visual delight, a helpful resource, and an inspiration for every bibliophile with a growing home library. Includes professional advice on editing and categorizing your library; caring for your books; preserving, restoring, and storing rare books; finding out-of-print books; and choosing furniture, lighting, and shelving.

Seems logical that I should have this book. I keep telling myself: It's not hoarding; it's books.

Mildly entertaining, interesting secondary characters.

This is a biography of Addison Mizner, whose most notable achievement was the designing of a number of buildings in South Florida in the 1920s, especially in the area of Palm Beach. He did many other things (including panning for gold in the Yukon), and traveled extensively in his youth. He was also an elder brother of Wilson Mizner, who by turns was a playwright and crook, and is really the central villain of this biography, since it was his actions (in relation to an extravagant project in Boca Raton) that ultimately ruined Addison Mizner. Addison Mizner, in this book and unlike other accounts, is treated sympathetically and seriously as an architect. Rather an interesting read.½

Mérite bien son qualificatif de "beau livre" : papiers bien choisis, maquette traditionnelle mais au service du sujet, photos de qualité mais sans afféterie, texte plein d'enseignements sur la vie dans la campagne anglaise en des temps cléments.

A casa con i libri" è il titolo di questo volume, uno dei tanti nella mia cospicua biblioteca di famiglia. Libri che parlano dei libri e dei luoghi dove essi abitano. Biblioteche private o pubbliche, un altro post in tema, ma questa volta desidero affrontarlo dal punto di vista di chi le biblioteche le crea, le inventa, le alimenta, le cura, ne parla e ne scrive, oltre che gestirle.

In questo libro, un fotografo e scrittore, insieme a due signore scrittrici, hanno curato uno straordinario volume sull'arte di far vivere una biblioteca in maniera creativa ed intelligente. Non importa se la biblioteca sia piccola o grande, personale o pubblica, un bibliotecario, uomo o donna che sia, deve seguire un canone ben preciso sul quale si costruisce tutta la sua personalità. Un'arte, appunto.

Partiamo innanzitutto dalla considerazione che ci porta a chiedere perché ci si appassiona tanto ai libri, non tanto e non solo per amore della lettura, quanto sopratutto anche a quella passione che può diventare addirittura bizzarra, quella di collezionare libri, raccoglierli e sistemarli in una certa maniera.

Lasciamo per ora da parte le deviazioni di questa passione, occupiamoci di quella che è anche un lavoro. Pensiamo ad esempio, alla bibliofilia che sfocia poi in bibliomania. Restiamone fuori, per ora. Avrò modo di parlarne in altra occasione. Già l'ho fatto in passato su questo blog, ora mi piace affrontare questa passione in maniera leggera e appassionata, come hanno fatto gli autori di questo volume.

Le biblioteche pubbliche o private, grandi o piccole, esprimono qualcosa che va al di là della semplice lettura, del puro apprendimento. Una biblioteca è un legame con il passato, il presente ed il futuro. Le biblioteche accolgono nei loro spazi un "mezzo" che è anche il "messaggio", è il caso di dire con McLuhan e questo è il libro.

Senza i libri la storia sarebbe silente, la letteratura muta, la scienza azzoppata, il pensiero e la ricerca immobili. E cosa sarebbe oggi, nell'era della comunicazione, l'informazione senza i libri, anche se questi oggi possono presentarsi in veste diversa da quella tradizionale? Cartaceo o digitale che sia, il "mezzo" così chiamato continua ad esercitare il suo mestiere antico, trovandosi un posto ovunque e comunque sia possibile.

I libri si ammucchiano alla meglio, uno sull'altro su per le scale, nei corridoi, negli studi, in camera da letto, in cucina, nelle mansarde, nei ripostigli, non solo negli armadi, ma sopra, sotto e anche dentro, al posto della biancheria, nei ripostigli, negli scantinati, nelle cantine ed anche nei garage. Possono fare anche da muri divisori, finiscono accatastati anche nei bagni.

Non per essere usati come carta di servizio, ma come ore di attesa promettente per evasioni lente e sospirate. Finiscono, allora, per trasformarsi, durante una attenta lettura da chi parte di chi li ha tra le mani, in vere e proprie "evasioni" mentali. La "toilet" si rivela così essere il posto ideale per la migliore "consumazione" del sapere umano.

Ma qual è il modo migliore per ordinare una biblioteca? In ordine alfabetico, per argomenti, per soggetto, per autore, per colore, grandezza e formato? Oppure in maniera cronologica, per lingua, cultura, categoria? Chissà come vennero sistemati i primi libri, pardon! le prime "tavolette", nella biblioteca di Babilonia o in quella di Alessandria. Nel Tempio di Gerusalemme c'era una biblioteca sacra. Furono i Greci a dare inizio alle biblioteche private. Nel Medio Evo tutte le abbazie erano dotate di biblioteche. La prima università in Europa a dotarsi di una biblioteca fu la Sorbona di Parigi nel 1257.

Con l'invenzione della stampa la diffusione dei libri e delle biblioteche divenne un fatto naturale di democrazia e di conoscenza. Non più un fatto elitario, selettivo e gerarchico, bensì un fatto di vera e propria liberazione delle coscienze e delle menti fino ad allora legate a forme di pregiudizi, prevenzioni e preclusioni di vario genere che tutti conoscono. I libri si sono liberati e con essi le biblioteche. La gente vuole i libri e li vuole ovunque sia possibile tenerli e trovarli. I libri hanno una loro centralità per professione, cultura, arte, religione.

La potenza, la forza e il fascino del libro forse possono essere meglio espressi e compresi se pensiamo alle "sofferenze" che questo potente "mezzo" ha dovuto subire nel corso dei secoli. Non c'è bisogno di ricordare le vicende dei libri "proibiti" dalla religione, non solo da quella cristiana e cattolica, ma di tutte le religioni. Alle violenze subite dai tanti dittatori della storia umana, non ultimi i fuochi dei nazisti. Oggi si dice, da parte di chi crede di conoscere i libri, che il libro elettronico o digitale minaccia il libro cartaceo.

Affermazione questa che, a mio modesto parere, denota una grande e smaccata ignoranza della storia del libro e di come questo strumento, che è anche un "mezzo", spesso insostituibile, si sia evoluto e trasformato nel corso dei secoli. Una trasformazione ed evoluzione che è ancora "in progress" e che certamente darà sia ai libri che ai luoghi nel quali essi vengono accolti, raccolti e custoditi, le librerie e le biblioteche, una maniera del tutto nuova e diversa per vivere la biblioteca universale dell'universo.

I don't usually do coffee table books, but one about libraries, well, that's something else. Full of gorgeous photographs of private libraries to lust after. I particularly like that many of them have not been tidied specially - the Duke of Devonshire reclines with newspapers scattered on the floor, Keith Richards' shelves complete with apparently abandoned bottle of HP sauce.

A coffee-table book for any author, writer, reader, or general book lover. This is not a book talking about decorating with books; this is about living with books and how they shape your home. Well worth finding and purchasing.

Von Simon Weihnachten 2012

This is a beautiful book showing restored American gardens. The photos are bound to inspire a road trip or two. The gardens covered are:
• Middleton Place, Charleston, SC
• Moffatt-Ladd House Portsmouth, NH
• William Paca House, Annapolis
• Barnsley Gardens Adairsville, GA
• Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site, Cornish, NH
• Blithewold Gardens, Bristol, RI
• Florence Griswold Museum, Old Lyme, CT
• Cummer Museum of Art, Jacksonville, FL
• Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, Detroit
• The Fells, Newbury, NH
• Untermyer Park, Yonkers
• Filoli, Woodside, CA
• Greenwood Gardens, Short Hills, NJ
• Deepwood Estate, Salem, OR
• The Kampong. Miami
• Alcatraz, San Francisco
• Innisfree Garden, Millbrook, NY
• Anne Spencer Garden, Lynchburg, VA
• Ladew Topiary Garden, Monkton, MD
• Yew Dell Botanical Garden, Crestwood, KY
• Lotusland, Santa Barbara, CA
• Garland Farm, Bar Harbor, ME
• Madoo Garden, Sagaponack, NY
• Peckerwood Garden, Hempstead, TX
• Pearl Fryar Topiary Garden, Bishopville, SC
• Hollister House Garden, Washington, CT
• Montrose, Hillsborough, NC
• Charles Richards Garden, Great Wass Island, ME

A big coffee table book from 1995, of all kinds of libraries. There are personal libraries, ones in big English manors and the Welsh book town of Hay-on-Wye. Many of the libraries belong to serious collectors, some to voracious readers, some who also collect art, and a couple who are most interested in the appearance of their library. Of course, it is filled with big glossy pages of book porn. Photos of old English bookcases filled with leather-bound books and stacks of two hundred year old books by classic authors are everywhere. Biggest surprise- Keith Richards has beautiful copies of both Jane Eyre and Grimm's Fairy Tales on the shelf, along with the WWII books.

Marietta Peabody Fitzgerald Tree (1917-1991) never graduated from college nor published a book. Sometimes characterized as the typical "limosine liberal" of the 1960s and 70s, she was most known as a joiner of committees and as a member of executive boards, an often-seen name in the society pages of the East Coast from the 1940s to the early 1990s, a friend of Jackie Onassis and Bebe Paley. (She also served as an American representative to various United Nations committees in the 1960s.) Yet she clearly deserves her own biography, because her life intersected interestingly with so many currents of 20th century society and culture. She was a scion of the Peabodies, one of the great New England families of wealth and prestige. Her grandfather Peabody founded the archetypal WASP private school of Groton; her father served in an archetypal WASP profession as a member of the Episcopal clergy and eventually became a Bishop in upstate New York.

Marietta lived in the confines of her upbringing, but through her life did her best to establish an identity unique to herself. This is seen most poignantly in her two major extramarital affairs, the first with noted film director John Huston, the second with two-time Presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson II. She also had fraught relationships with her two offspring, a daughter from each of her two largely unhappy marriages. Her elder daughter, Frances Fitzgerald, became a noted journalist and wrote one of the best books on the Vietnam War, "The Fire in the Lake." The younger daughter (from her second marriage), Penelope Tree, became a "supermodel" during the "Swinging Sixties."

Caroline Seebohm is at her best in discussing the challenges and constraints of Marietta's largely unsuccessful attempts to balance her emotions with her marital and parental responsibilities. Unfortunately this 420 page book is too long. There are two many extraneous details, too much padding. A strong vigorous editor would have overseen the cutting of 150 pages from the text. (I blame the publisher.)

A wonderful book with varied and well-chosen libraries, handsome pictures, and compelling stories about the library owners. This book differentiates itself from other "books about books" by going beyond care and decorating tips (although the book includes plenty of both) and spotlighting the owners of the books: Why they love books, how they began and added to their collections, what they believe is so important about having books in the home. This book was an inspiration to me. I kept it out in easy reaching distance during the 3 month period that I was having my custom home library built. I ended up stealing a number of ideas from the book, all of which have made my own library a warm, cozy, useful, and oft-complimented part of my home and my life.

The subtitle of this generous sized coffee table book, is "How book lovers live with and care for their libraries" , but it's more of a lush, plush picture book of book collectors and their chance to show off their libraries . It really is a specialist interior design book for library enthusiasts. It largely, covers private libraries of clearly rich people , about 40 of them . Are any of them members of Library thing? I liked the idea of highlight chapters on Hay on Wye, organizing your library, starting a collection, library lighting, the art of the book shelf, book plates, library ladders and so on. The enemies of books chapter is particularly helpful on temperature control and what to do about mold, there lots of useful advice for ordinary book loving mortals too. There is a resource directory . The photographs are to drool over, and if you are not the envious type then concentrate on the types of shelves, the chairs, the furnishings and furniture for libraries and the choices available in arranging your books. Tastes even among this selected group of people vary... Some like the cluttered look, some are clinical in their approach to books, some want to hide their books and avoid the intrusion of books while others are true bibliophiles . I wondered why many of these book collectors agreed to participate in this project and why ... Perhaps the same reason as library thing members post their pics on the website. . It is heavily geared to North American and British collections . This is a book worth keeping and dipping in to from time to time just to savour those peeps into the lives and libearies of others. Though published in the mid 1990s, I do not think this book has dated or is obsolete in purpose. Are there any other books in this vein ?

Great book for all book lovers and collectors. Large coffee table book with tons of great pics give the reader ideas on storing and displaying books. Features celebrity libraries as well. I especially liked Rolling Stones Keith Richards library. Who would have guessed he loves boos so much.

I do not want to be here I thought, but my sponsor insisted I come. The other addicts were done sharing, and now it is my turn. Nervously I stand and begin my story to the group, “Hello, my name is Scott, and I am a bibliomaniac”. I can’t believe I am back in this needling 12-step program’s meetings again.

“I believed I was doing really well, I avoided bookstores, I did not buy anything over the Internet, in fact I had not even posted any reviews to LibraryThing for 59 days,” I droned on and on, but then my sponsor nudged me, hard, so I focused my confession, “but then I was walking past the Beaverton Public Library, and I thought it won’t hurt just to look around inside,” it was glorious, “but boy was I wrong, I just had to check out at least one book,” or maybe it was more like 12. “So I went upstairs and headed for the oversize books,” actually I think I ran, “and went to the shelf with the 027s”, nothing like the tale of another drunk bibliophile to get a quick fix, “and selected the oversize tome, At Home with Books.”

“I snuck home and began secretly reading it when no one was around,” and I imagined any one of these could be my library. “This book was a horrible influence on me,” except now I know what I really want, “it is series of these awful, shameful photographs… of disgusting rooms of books,” beautifully decorated personal libraries perfectly matched to their owners tastes, “in some cases even entire houses filled with books,” these wonderful people actually designed their entire homes around their book collection. “These despicable people are devoted way too much time to their libraries,” but oh it must be wonderful to devote that much focus and passion to one’s collection.

“So, in closing let me say publically that this book should be banned,” I wonder how much I could make delivering this book secretly to the people in this room? “There is no way that you should even gaze at the cover,” because the photographs are simply mouth-watering, “for it will draw you in and suck you down to the very pit of destruction,” but oh, what a way to go, surrounded by the books you love. “So thank you for letting me share my story so that you will not fall prey to these evils like I did.” I think I can sneek away and post a review to LibraryThing.com while my sponsor is talking with those recovered addicts…

“This book is not recommended for anyone that loves books a little too much,” unless you enjoy pretending you have unlimited funds, or have recently won the lottery.½

Magazine style paperback with many great photos of personal
book collections.

This book was very helpful to me as I was in the midst of building a new library. It is a dream come true for me. I have two 28` walls of bookcases, a lovely view, and terrace.

Really a coffeetable book with at least as many pages of photos as text. But the photos are of libraries. And books. And book lovers with their books. There were a few useful tips on caring for books but not as much as I had hoped. This large volume did hold my interest, however, and I loved browsing through those libraries and seeing what their owners had to say about them.

This collection of photographs and brief essays of the libraries of well-heeled bibliophiles makes for an enjoyable browse. Although I found a few libraries that inspired envy, I was most struck by the fact that, in spite of having the funds available, no one seemed to have a really well-designed and attractive library. Of course I coud just be extremely picky . . .½

This is a booklovers’ book about booklovers. It is a libraything for LibraryThingers.

And it is a thing of beauty. Understand, I have a whole shelf of books about books, about booklovers and their life of reading. But this one is different. You might think of it as a coffee table book, but it’s actually more of a library table book, one you will want to make available for your guests to browse in, to handle, to explore. And tucked inside, in a format in which you would hardly expect it, you will find a caretaker’s handbook, a practical how-to on storing, perserving, and displaying your books.

But it’s a little hard to make your way around in it. Browsers who want guideposts for browsing won’t find them; book keepers who want advice on keeping books may be hard pressed to locate the information they need. It’s there, but admittedly you’d like to see it pulled out and reshaped in a handy little, hand-size “handbook.”

Basically the book presents, in opulent fashion, the libraries of some forty-one book collectors. There are beautiful full-page color photographs, a few classic two-page spreads, numerous little close-ups, and succint text on each one, made up largely of quotations from the booklovers themselves. Now, granted most of them are wealthy and the books and the libraries they can afford outstrip most folks’ ability to emulate. Even so, you find libraries to admire, libraries to covet, libraries to inspire awe, libraries to invite you in, libraries to make you comfortable — and probably, one or two libraries to make you wonder, “What the . . . .”

Some of them are just too perfect for me. And at least one (believe it or not) has too many books and is too much a hodge podge. Probably my favorite is Nicolas Barker’s, who was himself a book designer and then a conservationist for the British Library. Someone says of his library, “You’ll have to do a lot of talking before you can convince me that there is any order or method in this collection.” But the authors add, “Order or method may not be the guiding principal behind Mr. Barker’s library. But affection certainly is.” Captions for some of the photographs may capture the character of his library:

“The groound floor . . . serves as both library and study. New and old books pile up on sofas and carpeting as shelves proclaim no vacancy.”

“Even the ‘loo’ serves as book storage, as well as entertainment for visitors.”

“All the way up the several staircases books line the walls. What will happen when they reach the roof?”

Barker says of himself, “When people ask me, ‘Do you collect books?’ I always say, ‘No, books collect me.’”

But you will find your own favorite library from the collection. That’s what this kind of book is for. Book lovers enjoy browsing in libraries. So library lovers will enjoy browsing in this book.

Just a few of the quotations used for epigraphs will entice you inside (and demonstrate our obsessiveness):

“We were so fascinated by books and book people that we decided to make them a twenty-five-hour-a-day activity.”

“You can’t want to be a collector, you’re born that way. Driven.”

“Books are central to our life; the library is the heart of our house.”

“I like a project that never ends, and a library is that.”

By the way, different kinds of libraries are assigned to sections of the book, but the subheads of the sections (not printed in the table of contents) are a more accurate indication of the contents than the headings. Browsers need to know this. These subheadings are, libraries of serious collectors; visually inspired libraries; libraries designed by designers; the well-stocked [i.e., big] library; writers’ libraries; and reading retreats [the comfy ones].

But note: interesting libraries have nooks with special collections hidden away. Just so this book has very helpful little articles scattered among its riches; for example, how to organize your library, library lighting, the art of the bookshelf, bookplates, bookbinders and conservationists, library ladders (how many times have we needed one of those?), and the like, with a long list (perhaps dated) of resources at the end. Suppose you’re instructing the woodworker remodeling your house on library shelves. He needs to know, “Shelving 1 inch thick, 36 inches long, and 10 1/2 inches deep accommodates most books. If the shelf is to be longer, the thickness should be increased to 1 1/8 or 1 1/4 inches to prevent sagging.” Now you can’t get much more specific, nor more practical, than that!

Many of the libraries featured in these lush, glossy photos are truly drool-worthy, but most are way out of the realm of possibility for the average book lover. At times, the authors name-dropped rather heavily. A lot of reference was made to interior design and art concepts, which I'm not particularly familiar with and didn't expect. An unexpected treat was a handful of essays on issues such as "How to Organize Your Library" and "The Art of the Bookshelf." Some were overly-technical, but several were very interesting reads and many seemed quite useful for creating your own library.

The ultimate in "library porn". How the rich collect, store and decorate their home libraries. There is a strong correlation between book collections and sumptuous furnishings, particularly oriental carpets! I love browsing in this book, and dreaming.....

What a beautiful book. I find myself coveting each and every library and wishing for one so lovely in my own home!