A Book of Books (Hardcover)

by Abelardo Morell (Author), Nicholson Baker (Preface)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Although we may have been taught not to judge a book by its cover, photographer Abelardo Morell reverses the old saying and delightfully shows us how to relish a book by its look. This inventive and clever photographic ode to the printed word captures all the powerful possibilities contained on the page. A Book of Books gives us images that range from formal studies of shape and texture to the joyously whimsical.

Most luminous are the sculptural renditions, fluid pages curving over their spines like majestic mountains in the distance. The abstract pattern of a dictionary takes on the enigmatic characteristics of crop circles, while a water-damaged book shows itself as a twisted organic form. An aging book slowly decays in a stark image of paper so fragile it has practically turned to dust. Library stacks seen from above become a labyrinth through Morell’s lens. Includes a lovely preface by Nicholson Baker. Perfect for any book enthusiast. (52 duotone photographs) --J.P. Cohen

From Publishers Weekly
A visual tribute to the printed word, this sumptuous ode to books will be irresistible to anyone who treasures the feel of fine paper and the special allure of a clothbound volume.

A BOOK OF BOOKS showcases Abelardo Morell's extraordinary photographs of unusual books, like an impossibly large dictionary, illustrated tomes whose characters appear to leap off the page, and water-damaged books that take on sculptural form. Bookish quotations by Hawthorne, Borges, Cocteau, and others accompany the photographs throughout.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 108 pages
• Publisher: Bulfinch; 1 edition (October 12, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821227696
• ISBN-13: 978-0821227695
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 11.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #840,393 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exquisite., October 24, 2002

By A Customer

Everything Abelardo Morell does is gorgeous but what makes him such a genius is the mudane things he works with. The only photographer I can compare him to is Josef Sudek.

Let's be honest. Anybody can go to a beautiful place like Yosemite or Big Sur, take a view camera and wait for nice light. Instant Ansel Adams; you can't miss unless you kick the tripod.

But how many people can make a heartbreakingly beautiful photograph from a crumpled ball of paper or some peeling paint? Get this book of books and you'll see what I mean.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you've ever read a book, buy this book!, October 15, 2002

By	John Spritz (Portland, Maine United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

What Morell achieves in "A Book of Books" is quite extraordinary. He takes a commonplace object -- the book, which you probably have at least several of around you right now -- and invites us to consider it as a rhapsodic, even a sacred object. The book as tower, the book as person, the book as metaphor for its contents...these are just a few of the associations that swirl throughout this lustrous volume. And while the tomes on your shelf may not be quite as grandiose or even comical as Morell's examples, each of your books is somehow related to his, which renders the photographs even more exciting. For anyone who enjoys the heft of a book in their hands, for anyone who likes to meander through bookstores, for anyone who cherishes gazing at photographs that distil the essence of something while hinting at something more mysterious, this book is a great gift.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonder of wonders, October 19, 2002

By	HEP (USA) - See all my reviews

Some of the photographs in Abelardo Morell's A Book of Books are of great books: A Tale of Two Cities, A Farewell to Arms, Alice in Wonderland. And in placing these photographs together in this wonder-filled volume, Morell has created a great book of his own. For like all great books, this one makes you see the familiar in new ways; offers layers upon layers of meaning; and pushes you to make connections among objects and ideas that sometimes appear to have little, if anything, in common. At the same time, it is a glorious book to look at, to sink into, again and again. If you love books, you'll love this one.