For most of us books are usually made of paper and ink. We concentrate on enjoying the story and don’t really give much thought to alternative ways in which a story can be told. However all parts of the book can actually contribute towards the telling of the story; the cover, the binding, even the words on the page and the way they are positioned. Sometimes a series of images can tell a story more vividly than words. This video illuminates the many different kinds of books out there in the world and challenges our understanding of books and the various functions it may serve.
This has highlighted how mainstream books are missing that all important tactile element. We should enjoy looking at and touching these ‘vessels’ of thought.
So what do you think? Are they books or something else? I’d dearly like to know how the last ‘book art’ opens up. It reminds me of Angela Carter‘s ‘The Bloody Chamber‘! Anyway, if you are ever around Kansas, then you might want to drop by the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library to see all these artefacts in real life. I know I’d like to some day.
Related articles
- 2013 Book Bingo Reading Challenge (thebookishsideofme.wordpress.com)
