The Madman's Library

 Book 15 of my 2021 Reading Challenge

The Madman's Library: Manuscripts and Other Literary Curiosities from History

by Edward Brooke-Hitching

Summary (excerpt from NetGalley)

published 2021

This fascinating and bizarre collection compiles the most unusual, obscure books from the far reaches of the human imagination throughout history. 

From the Qur’an written in the blood of Saddam Hussein, to the gorgeously decorated fifteenth-century lawsuit filed by the Devil against Jesus, to the most enormous book ever created, The Madman’s Library features many long forgotten, eccentric, and extraordinary volumes gathered from around the world. 

Books written in blood and books that kill, books of the insane and books that hoaxed the globe, books invisible to the naked eye and books so long they could destroy the Universe, books worn into battle and books of code and cypher whose secrets remain undiscovered. Spell books, alchemist scrolls, wearable books, edible books, books to summon demons, books written by ghosts, and more all come together in the most curiously strange library imaginable. 

Featuring hundreds of remarkable images and packed with entertaining facts and stories to discover, The Madman’s Library is a captivating compendium perfect for bibliophiles, literature enthusiasts, and collectors intrigued by bizarre oddities, obscure history, and the macabre.

First Impressions/Judging a Book by Its Cover

I picked this book out on NetGalley (disclaimer below) based on the title.  Is it too meta to read a book about books?  I like books that explore niche curiosities so I hope this is interesting and not dry.

The cover art is really intriguing too; it looks like an old painting.  Since I'm on an e-reader I can't see as many details as I probably could if I had the real thing but there are lots of things to look at.  I'll probably look at it again after reading to see if there are connections between the seemingly random objects strewn around the cover.

My Opinion

4 stars

**I received an electronic copy of this book via NetGalley and would like to thank the author and/or publisher for the opportunity to read and honestly review it.**

This was a well-researched treasure trove of a book.  It was not a quick read because of all the photos and illustrations which was an unexpected bonus and something I'm so happy came through even though this was an electronic ARC because they made a huge difference.  It was also not a quick read because the text was in columns instead of left to right so it was extra work for my eyes not to automatically scan over to the next section instead of following the text down; this also involved extra scrolling from top to bottom and back to top because of the text size I used to see all the details and captions of the photos.

I texted my family fun facts including the Chinese flatulence mural, the chicken poet, and the book made with cloths from the author's travels.  The stitched/embroidered jacket from the woman in the insane asylum also resonated with me -- the photo enhanced the story so much but it also felt like such a private thing to look at.

The title Pigs: How to Make Them Pay (C. Arthur Pearson, 1918) listed in the selection of "Strange Titles" is very catchy.

Quote from the Book

*Note: I read an ARC so the following quote may or may not appear in the final version*

"If a creature has run, hopped, slithered or swum on this planet, at some point its skin has been used to bind a book."