Notes
In this inventive and affecting novel, an octogenarian book collector named Mr. Mee discovers the Internet with life-changing results.Told in turns from the point of view of the endearing, utterly guileless Mr. Mee, two eighteenth-century French philosophers, and a middle-aged university professor, Andrew Crumey's book concerns the creation and mysterious disappearance of Rosier's Encyclopedia, a potentially explosive text written more than 200 years ago that purportedly disproves the existence of the universe. When Mr. Mee comes across a reference to the Xanthics, an obsolete sect that maintained unorthodox beliefs about fire, his hunt for more information compels him to try locating a copy of the singular encyclopedia. Technologically ignorant, Mr. Mee is at last persuaded by his addled housekeeper to conduct a modern search for the book on the Internet.But instead of finding additional clues about Rosier's Encyclopedia, Mr. Mee stumbles upon an image of a naked woman reading from an intriguing text....Alternating among the three stories, Andrew Crumey takes us closer to the truth about Rosier's Encyclopedia and the secrets it contains. At times funny, often thought-provoking, and utterly engaging, Mr. Mee is Crumey's most rewarding novel to date.AUTHORBIO: Andrew Crumey is the author of three previous novels, Music, In a Foreign Language, which won Scotland's Saltire Prize for Best First Novel, Pfitz, which was a New York Times Notable Book, and D'Alembert's Principle. He lives in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Books and Book Collecting
Books have been an undisputed favourite and a prominent source of information for individuals with a thirst for knowledge. Beginning with the advent of written language and the zest to document our history, books still are the first physical means of communication beyond spoken language and are synonymous with education the world over. Books act as a tutorial to millions around the world owing to the diverse subjects they encapsulate. Reading books quiet simply transforms a layman to a proficient speaker with an impeccable vocabulary and fairly good general knowledge skills.
Book collecting is a hobby thats passionately pursued by voracious readers, or as their famously termed ‘bibliophiles and is constantly evolving as a trend. With libraries, bookstores and book sellers feeding this need to read; people now have an endless choice and can avail of books catering to different genres. One can find fiction, sci-fi fiction, mysteries, fables, biographies, documentaries, fairy tales and fantasy stories as categories to name a few. As readers involve themselves in the aspect of book collecting, they learn of different genres and tend to choose a niche most suitable to their reading pleasure.
With the advent of the internet, online booksellers and virtual book collecting in digital formats, the domination of book collecting is gradually fading in the background as people turn to quicker means of data acquisition. However, for many avid readers, the significance of book collecting is perpetual and will live through the ages. The exclusive element of possessing rare books is an exhilarating feeling in its own right.
Books are the core of information as they bring an array of insights and facts to the table and throw light on different genres. Depending on various genres, books can be used to suit many purposes. Book collecting gives people the opportunity and choice to acquaint themselves with knowledge from various spheres in life and broaden their horizons of understanding.
