B OOKS

Few things in life are as satisfying as a good book. This week, and maybe the next, I am deviating from my usual subjects to write about this other passion of mine.

Although I have been living in Israel for the past 62 years, my mother tongue is English. That has remained my preferred langue for reading, the exception being books concerning Judaism.

Going back a long way, when we were young parents, before we were invaded by TV, smartphones, etc., it was a daily practice to read to the children before they went to sleep. I remember that I loved the Dr. Seuss books just as much as they did! Something special happens when a loving parent shares a story with a youngster. “Reading is fun” is the message we send to our youngsters when it is an anticipated part of each day.  Not only fun, reading is the cornerstone of self-esteem, accomplishment and even a simple pleasure, that is lifelong.

In those days, a bookcase was usually in pride of place in every home which loved books. Dictionaries and Enyclopedias were bought on the purchase system when a small sum each month was put aside to pay them off - in spite of the fact that people had no money for extras. It wasn’t a relevant question then, but if I had been asked if I would prefer a piece of jewellery or a good book, the book would win every time.

These days grandmothers and great-grandmothers are obsolete. Mothers and fathers are usually too overworked and harassed to prolong bedtime by reading – they are just relieved when the kids are finally in bed. They also have built-in baby sitters with the TV.

The development of English literature began in medieval times.  The great Geoffrey Chaucer, often called the Father of English Literature, wrote his brilliant, bawdy satire, the Canterbury Tales between 1387 and 1400. It  became a medieval bestseller and, as a result, when William Caxton set up his first printing press in London, he chose Chaucer's tales as his first major English publication.

The Victorians were masters of illustrated books, especially for children. Thanks to an emerging middle-class readership, new printing technology and a sentimentalised regard for childhood, fairy tales and fantasy fiction containing words and pictures grew into an established genre. Perhaps the best example is Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. First published in 1865, it was one of the most remarkable books of the period, a combination of the genius of Carroll's nonsense verse and prose and the meticulously detailed illustrations of John Tenniel.

The paperback book democratised reading in the 20th century, and printing directly onto the covers became a way of selling a book in the mass market. Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell was a book written in and for this era, emerging as a paperback in 1954. Its changing cover design reflects each decade's approach to selling the book to new readers: from its classic 50s Penguin cover to the latest design from Jon Gray. They are signs of our times.

Bringing the story of the book up to the present century, the arrival of electronic readers has sent traditional publishing into a tailspin. The paperback and its cover design has been replaced by the concept of mass storage and electronic pages. As this new technology gains new fans the paper book comes under renewed scrutiny. Today, it has become a struggle to grab our kids from their high tech obsessions and structured day, and steer them back to that unique place shelved with books.  

It is impossible for me to visualize a world devoid of books. I can’t imagine life without a good book to curl up with.  If the electronic age does take over, at least it won’t be in my time.