Reviewed by Lianne on
The Social Life of Ink is a delightful read, indeed part-travelogue, part-investigation into the history and development of familiar writing devices–the pen, the printing press–not only in Western culture, but also the Middle Eastern and Chinese traditions. The uses, approaches, and mindset behind the writing process and how they came about creating ink to write were all very interesting, and reflective of their own traditions and cultures.
The travelogue aspect of the novel was also very interesting, from Hungary to China to Central Asia (!). The latter was especially intriguing and a surprise for this reader as it’s not a typical tourist destination. I also learned a lot from his adventures to the other locations mentioned, as well as the historical anecdotes featured.
The last segment of the book focuses more on the various uses of ink in our present society, and whether it has a place in the future. This section felt a bit more like a mish-mash–the chapter on tattoos in particular felt a little out of place after most of the book covered the use of ink as a writing (on paper) medium–but nonetheless reinforces the different ways in which ink is used. I also wished there was an epilogue/postscript to wrap up the themes and observations in the book about what he learned from his travels and the future of ink, though ending with the story of his class making ink was also a nice way to wrap up the book.
I highly recommend The Social Life of Ink, it’s a very informative read about an object in our lives that I think we take for granted.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 23 October, 2014: Finished reading
- 23 October, 2014: Reviewed