The Weekly Wrap: November 1-7
Bibliosmia
Wiktionary defines it as “the pleasant smell and aroma of a new (or any) book, caused by the gradual chemical breakdown of the compounds used within the paper.” It can also refer to the act of smelling books. Maybe that’s why I like secondhand bookstores so much. They all remind me of the smell of the books stored in a closet in my childhood bedroom.
You know that smell. It smells like vanilla, or almonds, or chocolate, although you may have different associations. It’s funny how smells trigger memories. Not only those books from my childhood. The stacks in our library. And the scent that pervaded countless secondhand bookstores I explored over the years. It’s the smell that says “come and read.”
It turns out the word “bibliosmia” is of recent origin. It was coined in a tweet in 2014 by an academic, Oliver Tearle. He later wrote an article in 2017, “On the Science of Bibliosmia: That Enticing Book Smell.” He not only explains the chemistry behind the smell. Tearle speculates that it might account for why e-books never replaced physical books. They don’t have that smell.
Now, not all books smell pleasant. We don’t like the musty smell of mildewed books. Unless they are incredibly rare or important, it’s best to throw them out before those spores spread to other books. Then there are books that have acquired unpleasant smells from their previous owners, most often those who smoked.
We’ve learned that a sniff test is a good idea before buying secondhand books. Thumbs up if it has that typical “old book” smell. Thumbs down on anything that wrinkles the nose. It only smells worse at home.
And now you know there is a name for that pleasant olfactory sensation you get walking into a bookstore: bibliosmia.
Five Articles Worth Reading
Adam Mars-Jones reviews a new biography of J.R.R. Tolkien in “J.R.R. Tolkien’s Life Was Unexciting. His Work Is Anything But.” Mars-Jones makes an interesting observation about Tolkien in a point of disagreement with the author, D. J. Taylor: “Tolkien was an obsessive rewriter and reviser, who for instance purged drafts of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ of any reference to religious practice in Middle-earth, so that a Christian worldview could emerge without being spelled out.”
In “The Time Is Right for a ‘Great Books’ Revival,” Joshua Bennett argues that with the advent of AI, students need foundations in these timeless works and describes his involvement with such a curriculum at MIT.
Then Christine Norvell, in “Teaching Tragedy in Tragic Times: Relying on Dante and Aristotle,” offers a specific example. She observes, “Seeing a great soul in pain or death should transform these concepts of pain and death for us because tragedy involves the dignity and significance of human life, and often, man’s ability to endure suffering.”
From Great Books to phone books. Remember phone books? In the days before cell phones and caller ID, you could look up a person’s or a business’s phone number and call them (and often talk to a real person). Yet, in “How the Phone Book Taught America to Ask for Answers,” we learn that calling “Information” was often the route we chose instead.
I’ve always found the Edward Hopper painting “Nighthawks” arresting. It portrays a few people at an old-fashioned diner at night. I not only learned “The Story Behind Edward Hopper’s Iconic Painting, ‘Nighthawks’ ” in Louis Shadwick’s article, an excerpt from his new biography of Hopper. I also put the book on my “wantlist” as a result!
Quote of the Week
Novelist Colson Whitehead was born November 6, 1969. He wisely observes something I’ve learned to pay more attention to as I’ve grown older;
“What isn’t said is as important as what is said.”
Miscellaneous Musings
A couple weeks ago, in my comments about Christianity Today, I mentioned a publication I’ve come to value, Mere Orthodoxy. I’ve enjoyed a number of their online articles (including one by Christine Norvell above). I mentioned awhile back “The Faith Received,” a section of their website devoted to ancient Christian texts. They describe their mission as “Forming Christians in the Church to participate in culture for the common good.” Anyway, last night I put money where my mouth is and became a member. Less than several other subscriptions and it seems an effort well worth supporting.
I’m thoroughly enjoying Miss Wolcott’s Ghost, Louise Penny’s latest. Once again, much of the story unfolds in Three Pines with more descriptions of delicious food at the Bistro, more delightful interactions between Ruth Zardo (and Rosa) and Jean Guy, and a plot focused around Clara Morrow. After several set elsewhere, I think Penny listened to her readers and returned to the village that is not on any maps.
Just started Hope for the Mission by Kevin Nye. He challenges the typical model of most missions to the homeless, arguing that the first step is to actually get them into a home. I’d like to see how that’s done.
Next Week’s Reviews
Monday: Courtney Ellis, Weathering Change
Tuesday: Robert Joustra, Christ and Covenant in Global Politics
Wednesday: Terry Pratchett, Moving Pictures
Thursday: Max Botner, How Then Shall We Read?
Friday: Louise Penney, Miss Wolcott’s Ghost
So, that’s The Weekly Wrap for November 1-7.
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