Category Archives: Europe

Venice, Violin, and Vivaldi

Posted on September 21, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

On Saturday tourists were treated to the spectacle of an enormous violin floating down the canals of Venice carrying a live string quartet. The cruising instrument, “Noah’s Violin,” was created by artist Livio De Marchi, as a way of “bringing a message … Continue reading →

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pushing right back

Posted on September 19, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

 

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Reading In Bed Is So Relaxing

Posted on September 18, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

  I’m not sure why videos and photos of French performance artist Thierry Mandon reading in bed have popped up this week since the event was in 2015. Still, it’s too good not to share. In his project “Inside-Outside”, the … Continue reading →

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Another Tolkien Surprise

Posted on September 15, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

As a collector and bookseller, I’ve seen many versions and editions of J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved novel The Hobbit over the years. However, it wasn’t until recently that I was aware of Swedish and Finnish language editions that were illustrated by the anti-Fascist … Continue reading →

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The one where I compare myself with Leo Tolstoy

Posted on September 13, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

You may be dubious that a humble blogger, bookseller, and failed author could possibly have anything in common with the great Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, but hear me out. Both Tolstoy and I have roots in Czarist Russia. The legenday … Continue reading →

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Six for Sunday

Posted on September 12, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

After reading Moby-Dick for the first time last year, Peter Gorman published a fascinating book called Kaleidoscope Brain that consists of 100 visualizations of Moby-Dick. The graphics, diagrams, and maps were his way of making sense of the iconic American … Continue reading →

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Five For Friday

Posted on September 10, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

I just discovered this never before published novel by Simone de Beauvoir. It seems that it was deemed “too intimate” to be published during her lifetime. Inseparable has been described as a story of the power of female friendship and … Continue reading →

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The Great Bibliohoax

Posted on September 6, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

I love a good prank, especially if it is at the expense of the pretentious. While bibliophiles and antiquarian booksellers are not known for their hijinks, back in 1840 an infamous bibliohoax was perpetrated on wealthy collectors, librarians and booksellers … Continue reading →

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Book of Hours

Posted on September 5, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

In my ongoing deep-dive into obscure books, today we have the amazing 15th century Codex Rotundus.This medieval book of hour takes its contemporary name from its odd circular format. It was created in Flanders and is written in Latin as … Continue reading →

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A New Breath

Posted on September 4, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

I continue to be blown away by the magnificent “land art” created by French-Swiss innovator Guillaume Legros (aka Saype). His latest work, “Un Nouveau Souffle” (A New Breath) was completed above the village of Moleson-sur-Gruyeres, Switzerland, not far from Montreux … Continue reading →

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