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Bibliomania; or Book-Madness (Annotated)

Enriched Edition. A Bibliographical RomanceBy Thomas Frognall Dibdin

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Length33h 26m

About this audiobook

Thomas Frognall Dibdin's Bibliomania; or Book-Madness is at once a history, taxonomy, and theatrical celebration of obsessive book collecting. First published in 1809 and substantially expanded in 1811, it combines dialogues, anecdotes, bibliographical notices, imagined cases, and literary quotation to portray the bibliomaniac as both comic eccentric and participant in a serious intellectual culture. Its learned miscellany ranges across early printing, illuminated manuscripts, rare editions, auctions, libraries, and the pleasures of textual possession. Written in an ornate, allusive style that deliberately mingles satire with antiquarian enthusiasm, the work belongs to the Romantic-era revival of medieval and Renaissance taste and to the emergence of bibliography as a specialized scholarly pursuit. Dibdin's subject is therefore not merely books, but the social identities, institutions, and passions formed around them. An Anglican clergyman, bibliographer, and indefatigable collector, Dibdin was deeply embedded in the early nineteenth-century world of private libraries, booksellers, auctions, and bibliophilic societies. His experience producing works such as Typographical Antiquities, together with his association with the Roxburghe Club and leading collectors, furnished the practical knowledge and comic observation that animate this volume. Bibliomania reflects both admiration for this expanding culture of connoisseurship and anxiety about its extravagances, especially the transformation of scholarship into status and acquisition. This book will reward readers interested in book history, collecting, print culture, literary sociability, and the formation of modern bibliographical knowledge. It is especially valuable for showing how nineteenth-century readers imagined their own relationship to the material book: critically, affectionately, and with self-conscious humor. This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience. - A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes. - The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists. - A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing. - A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings. - Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life. - Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance. - Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.