Ever wake up on a sleepy and overcast Saturday morning, and reach for a book (or a stack of books) with the intention of staying right where you are in bed until it is absolutely necessary you get up? Of course you have. And that is my story this morning. The daunting task of sorting through the week's books and mail is much more enjoyable when wrapped in cozy flannels with mountains of pillows about you.
On Reading, an extra-appealing 71 page photograph collection by the renowned photojournalist Andre Kertesz, is a fantastic choice for just such a morning. These sixty-three black-and-white photographs were taken over fifty-five years in three different countries: the photographer's native Hungary, France, and the United States. All of the photographs are of people reading, reading in every place imaginable. Not a word anywhere but the preface. The images alone tell the story of the intensity of the solitary pursuit of reading.
This book was originally published in 1971 but has long been out of print until this past August. The photographs may have been taken between 1915 and 1979 but the message they convey is timeless, universal. Think I might pick up a few of these for holiday gifts for both my wordsmith and image-loving friends. A little gem in the hands.
