Rezension zu "Dear Reader: The Comfort and Joy of Books (English Edition)" von Cathy Rentzenbrink
This was pure bliss, an utter delight! I have never been so caught up in a non-fiction book, have never felt so engrossed by a rather unremarkable life story which is made extraordinary by the love of reading and the deep fondness for books. Every page allows the reader to experience the wonder, magic, desire, happiness, sadness, and greatness of reading. The whole book is a unique declaration of love, inspiring and uplifting.
Cathy Rentzenbrink’s writing centers around the way books have helped, guided, carried and accompanied her through her life, how reading has informed decisions and softened the tragedy of her personal story. I absolutely liked how she created connections between real life and fiction, how in retrospect, books found her or she found them at the right time. I also thoroughly enjoyed the look behind the scenes the author’s work experience as a bookseller provided, and the absolute honesty with which she addresses the moments in which she is “absent” from family life due to reading.
The author refers to some famous quotes by authors, but I liked it even better when she came up with some of her own memorable and notable insights on reading, the nature of books and life as a bibliophile. Her remarks and observations are spot on, I’ve jotted down quite a few.
Each chapter provides a themed reading list, which is thoughtfully put together and fits the preceding narrative well. It is fun to go through the lists and to discover how many of the titles one already knows and to mentally add more books.
I really loved and enjoyed “Dear Reader” and highly recommend this book. What’s not to like about a book that believes in Anne Shirley?