Bibliotopia: Or, Mr. Gilbar's Book of Books & Catch-All of Literary Facts & Curiosities

by Steven Gilbar

Elliott Banfield (Illustrator)

What is the origin of the word "book"? What is the oldest working library still in existence? What is an "enchiridion"? An "amphigory"? A "duodecimo"? Which two Nobel laureates refused the prize in literature? How many trees must sacrifice their lives to produce a thousand copies of a 96-page volume of verse? These are some of the questions posed (and answered) in this fascinating farrago of literary trivia, a treasure trove of obscure and irresistible facts, definitions, lists, and quotations that touch on every aspect of books, including their authors, publishers, printers, collectors, critics, readers, and enemies. Under headings that explore the entire history of bibliomania from "The Invention of Paper" to "Some Horror Writers' Offcial Websites," the entries in

Bibliotopia provide the insatiably curious reader a delightfully desultory literary education, the kind one might pick up at a cocktail party on Parnassus.

• ISBN10: 1567922953
• ISBN13: 9781567922950
• Publish Date: 29 November 2005
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 3 March 2015
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: David R. Godine Publisher Inc
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 175
• Language: English

Reviews

[MurderByDeath]

A quirky little reference/trivia books concerning many things book related.  Mostly lists; many useful, many filler (authors listed by the University they went to, for example).  It was fun to browse through will occasionally be useful, although by its nature it will quickly become outdated.   Still, a fun addition to my bookshelves.