A2Z OF BOOK TERMS BY SATABDI MUKHERJEE - BOOK REVIEW

 


Why do pages of books and newspapers turn yellow with age? How is paper made? What is the worst nightmare of archivists and librarians? Which insects and animals damage books? How do you treat pest infestations? What is another name for ‘pamphlets?’ Who are the famous poets who published chapbooks? When did bookmarks originate?

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These and many other queries are addressed by Satabdi Mukherjee in her eBook titled A TO Z OF BOOK TERMS, which was part of the #BlogchatterEBook Challenge.

Antiques have always been prized over the centuries. Did you know that there is a term for giving books an antiquated look that adds to their aesthetic value? In fact, modern machines have certain techniques that can replicate this effect. The author also gives valuable information about the various countries in which these and many other processes originated, thus revealing the remarkable research that has gone into the writing of this book.

One term that deeply appealed to me is ‘ephemera’, maybe because I give importance to keepsakes and emotions in my own life. There are numerous items that are referred to as ‘ephemera’ in today’s world as well. However, I leave it to you, the reader, to glean the exact meaning of the term because I do not want any spoilers to take away the excitement of the discovery. Another rather romantic sounding term is ‘floriligeum’, another concept which appealed to the romantic in me. What was fascinating is that the synonym of this word is ‘anthology’. I will once again leave it to the reader to see why.

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Can you guess the name for the translucent sheets of paper that separate photo plates from the other pages in a book? The author describes an interesting process to create this paper, a process that is chemical in nature. Not only does she point out its features, but she also mentions the uses to which it can be put.

History is replete with specimens of handwritten documents, or holographs, by famous personalities. Imagine being able to read documents by Leonardo da Vinci, John Keats, Emily Bronte and Beethoven? How about taking a peek into Sigmund Freud’s papers? I would imagine that the experience would thrill history aficionados and calligraphy buffs.

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John Gutenberg is credited with having invented the first printing press in 1439. But it was only years later that he could actually print a full book: the Gutenberg Bible. In fact, the world should be grateful to this inventor because he made it possible to print copies of books in a faster and cheaper manner.

Terms like ‘Incunabula’, ‘Juvenilia’ ‘Kerning’ ‘Medieval Marginalia’ ‘Provenance’ are all elucidated clearly with examples to further illustrate their meanings. There is an intriguing explanation as to why book margins were often filled with imagery, doodles and even cheeky illustrations.

Ancient books also had supple sides made of cloth, leather or paper. The author takes this one step further to explain what limp vellum is.

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Just when the reader feels that there is so much that he or she does not know of, there springs a familiar word – novella. A word that is still in vogue today and rather popular too! A few other interesting facts emerge to satisfy the readers’ curiosity. How do books go out of print? What are remaindered books? How does Sellotape damage books?

Finally, if you are foxed by ‘Foxing’ or wonder what ‘Yellowbacks’ are, this is the book for you. And to end on a fangirl note, the last term in the book is ‘Zine’ pronounced as ‘zeen’ and is the shortened form of “Fanzine”.

No doubt, Satapdi Mukherjee has done extensive research on a subject that is obviously close to her heart. By the time the reader gets to the last alphabet, there is a sense of satisfaction that one has read a book that offers a veritable bouquet of interesting information.


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This post is a part of #BlogchatterHalfMarathon

Comments

  1. Thank you so much for this heartfelt review! :)

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    Replies
    1. You're welcome, Satabdi! Thank you for writing such a wonderful book!

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