Book Recommendation: I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf by Grant Snider
Book Recommendation: I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf by Grant Snider
I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf (2020) by Grant Snider — originally appeared in The New Yorker’s Daily Shout – is a lovely and insightful collection of comics that humorously delves into the world of books, writing, reading and everything in between. In a balanced exploration of light-hearted humour and profound reflections, Snider shares his witty creations of the literary life. This recommendation is probably a bit different to our usual fare.
I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf
The book starts with a list of bookish confessions, from “I’m in love with books” to “I write because I must”. However, these confessions are none other than the contents of the book; each confession groups together some one- or two-page comics that reflect on that topic, whether those feelings are positive or negative. The pairing of the comics and the reflections portrays relatable examples that keep the reader hooked, creating a relatable read for book lovers. Snider explores the relationship between individuals and their libraries, a carefully curated reflection of our personalities, ideas, values, and dreams.
Moreover, within its pages, readers will find comics about reading the classics, mocking the canon, dealing with writer’s and reader’s block, making all kinds of literary jokes, and presenting a bingo card that pokes fun at Haruki Murakami’s clichés. Snider creates a proper food for thought book, and his comics speak to readers and writers alike, sharing insightful and witty remarks — and even poetry — in each panel.
A Zoom-in on History
Reading this book got me thinking about many of the behaviours portrayed within its pages. One of these is people’s almost obsessive tendency toward the collection of books, acquiring books that they will definitely read, and others that they want to read, but never, for one reason or another, do. Undoubtedly, this obsession is nothing new, and I started making a mental map of the topic. Pretty soon, I was eager to learn more, and I did a little research about the origins of book collection and some of its key moments. One would be correct to note that this recommendation focuses on one of the many facets mentioned in I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf. In the following section, you will find a tiny history lesson that, I hope, is entertaining and complementary to this particular read.
A Quite Condensed History of Book Collection
Talking about the history of book collection without acknowledging the evolution of human beings is, dare I say it, almost impossible. From the beginning and throughout our existence, we humans have found ways to pass down knowledge, culture, and ideas. Hoarding books seems to be in our DNA; from ancient clay tablets to digital books, collecting these documents has reflected societies’ need for storing, learning and passing on information, and expressing artistic sensitivities.
Earliest Finds
There are accounts of book collections dating back to the earliest civilisations in Mesopotamia. Back in the 7th century BCE, the archive and library of the kings of Assyria in Nineveh, consisting of clay tablets, is one of the earliest known attempts to collect and preserve written works systematically. In Ancient Egypt, the Great Library of Alexandria was one of the ancient world’s largest and most important libraries, making Alexandria the capital of knowledge and learning in the ancient world.
Accessibility Changed History
The invention of the printing press changed history in the 15th century, as it revolutionised book production and consequently enabled the future accessibility of books; so much so that during the Renaissance, there was a renewed interest in personal libraries and fuelled the prestige that owning knowledge carried.
Among the elites, by the 18th and 19th centuries, book collection was a scholarly and leisurely pursuit, and the term bibliophile entered the English language in the 1820s. In Britain, during the Victorian era, literacy rates soared — thanks to the growth of the middle classes and the passing of education Acts — igniting a general interest in literary and (most often than not, pseudo-) scientific works. Suddenly, book collection reached new heights: the focus was not only on the content, but also on their condition, historical significance, edition, and rarity — all key aspects to consider when collecting.
Unprecedented Access to Knowledge
In our modern era, book collection remains a human pursuit, though technological innovations have changed and expanded the playing field. The rise of digital books has completely transformed the collecting landscape, and physical copies are no longer the only way to interact with this knowledge. Digital archives and virtual libraries, such as LibreTexts and The Internet Archive, have enabled the democratisation of access to knowledge: everyone can engage with texts, both rare and mundane. The digitalisation of those volumes has opened a world of knowledge that was once only available to a select few to anyone connected to the Internet. And perhaps more importantly, today’s book collections continue to enrich individuals and communities, whether those collections are public or private, physical or digital.
Be Careful of What You Put on Your Bookshelf – Someone Might Want to Borrow Some Books…
You'll Judge Others' Books and Be Judged by Your Books, and That's OK
Universally, we, as people, enjoy collecting books; we fill our homes with them, and then we create special places in our homes, where they are stored, to dedicate time to them, admiring them as objects or actually reading them. We take pride in our book collections, we display them in various forms, and visitors, undoubtedly, judge us because of the contents of our bookshelves, and we do the same when it is our turn to become visitors. Nevertheless, judging is not the only thing we do when we look at someone else’s bookshelf; we become inspired and curious, and begin to wonder what’s behind those pages that are strange to us. We might even feel tempted to read one of those books, and the cycle continues: we buy more books, store them in our curated collection, read some of them while the rest wait patiently to be read.
As someone who loves books and what they represent, I was naturally drawn to I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf, and I found myself reflected on several of its pages. My book collection has been growing and developing at the same pace as I have as a person, sometimes even shedding what’s of no use any more. At times, I think of my book collection not as a reflection of my mind, but as an aspiration of what I would like to feed my mind. Enter the public library. In this case, my humble private collection competes with a collection that exceeds quantification and aspiration. I am certain I’m not the only one dealing with the conundrum of reading already-owned books and feeling tempted by “new” shiny library books — an existence I’m content to live.
Let's Keep the Cycle Going
One would be correct to note that this recommendation focuses on one of the many facets mentioned in I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf. Nonetheless, this author creates a proper food for thought book, and his comics speak to readers and writers alike, sharing insightful and witty remarks — and even poetry — in each panel. Following the reading and digestion of the comics, one cannot help but wonder where we would be without books. It’s a question I don’t have an answer to, and I’m not sure if I want to have one either. What I do know is that anyone who has an ounce of love for books will enjoy this quick read and its lovely illustrations. After all is said and done, Grant Snider still needs to ask the reader something: “I hope you don’t mind me asking… can I borrow a few books?”
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