Brooke-Hitching has compiled a fascinating collection of the obscure, the odd, and the over-the-top outrageous in history of the written word. Without delving too deeply into the technicalities of production through the years, the reader still gets an informative overview of the development of the codex.

Most interesting to me were the chapters covering books with cryptic writing and literary hoaxes because I love a good puzzle and a good joke. The last chapter on amusing titles was good for a chuckle.

The best part of the book were the colorful photos of these books of history. Madman’s Library is generously filled with pictures allowing readers to fully appreciate the artistry and craftsmanship of the past. It is no wonder that books have been cherished and revered by so many.

I read my ARC electronically on Adobe Digital Reader (thank you NetGalley). I look forward to purchasing this in hardback. Some things to note about the e-book in the version I read: (i) couldn’t read on phone or tablet as file was too large. I had to be at my computer (ii) could not adjust page view for easy reference. This needs a side by side page option so that one can look at the photos of the book being described-able to glance back and forth rather than scroll up and down. The newspaper style columns of text on the page were also irritating on an e-reader as I had to read down one column, scrolling down, and then scroll back up to read the next column. The font was too small for me to read comfortably and keep the page small enough to fit on the screen without scrolling.

So, approach thoughtfully with an e-reader but I still have no hesitation in giving this 5/5 stars.

I know it's quite a title, but every single word in that title and subtitle made me more eager to read The Madman's Library. First and foremost, I would love for people to look at my library and think 'is this woman insane?'. I also want to look at strange books, weird manuscripts, tiny pamphlets and enormous Qur'ans. So thank you to Edward Brooke-Hitching for creating such a stunning collection for us. Thanks to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

You know that feeling when you walk into a room, whether that room is in a museum, a library, and old mansion or someone's house, and your eyes land on something that has you freeze in the spot? Suddenly you're utterly fascinated and you just need to know everything about whatever object it is that has caught your attention. I love those moments and in my case it is often book-adjacent. Humanity's history with the "written" word is long. I have purposely put "written" between quotation marks because ink isn't the only way humanity has tried to immortalize their thoughts and going-ons. We have carved it into stone, knotted it into thread, and probably yelled it into the sky, which proved less permanent. This human obsession has taken so many different shapes and forms and I adored being able to tour through so many of them.

The Madman's Library is divided into a variety of chapters with amazing titles like 'Books that aren't Books' and 'Books of Spectacular Sizes'. The title will only give you the barest hint of the curiosities you will find inside and each and everyone is a surprise. While the chapter on books bound in human skin might not be for everyone, there are also plenty of funny and heartwarming entries. Brooke-Hitchings uses the books he describes as starting points as well for broader discussions on literature and humanity. I Tweeted a while ago about the hilarious English as She is Spoke by Pedro Carolino which you all deserve to know about. It's the worst and best translation book ever produced and I love it. I also enjoyed reading about the bibliohoaxes in which fakes were taken way to seriously and about the bestiaries which contained beautiful illustrations of animals real and imagined. What I'm trying to say is that The Madman's Library is a true joy to read. It is like a treasure trove of the weird and wonderful and every visit is rewarding.

Edward Brooke-Hitching's writing is perfect for the book's purpose. His descriptions are funny, informative, insightful and aware of its audience. The madness lies in the scope of The Madman's Library , which is immense in a great way. Brooke-Hitching covers centuries and continents, hopping from enormous books to tiny ones, from books written in blood to books made up of lies. He leaves some of the usual suspects aside to dig into the more unexpected and surprising, which I greatly appreciated. The illustrations are great as well and often help to underline Brooke-Hitching's points. This is what I mean by a great Coffee Table Book! It is beautiful, interesting, easy to dip in and out of, and a great conversation starter. I will be needing a copy of this in my own library as soon as possible.

The Madman's Library is the best possible gift for anyone obsessed with books in any way, shape or form. There are so many beautiful things in these pages, and hilarious ones, and slightly horrifying ones. Do yourself a favour!

A bizarre, curious, sometimes macabre journey through the ways humans have sought to preserve their writing through the ages. Full of anecdotes and never-before-heard stories, this book is a time-traveling ode to the written word. Absolutely worth it for the photos alone - gorgeous!

I love trivia, and what could be better than book trivia! This book is full of them, and full of pictures of fascinating books! Believe it or not, I read it whole, along with every photo description.

This is such a fascinating book. The passion of an author who loves the topic he writes about is clearly visible. He has done a tremendous amount of research and has put together the most interesting examples to include in this book. It mainly describes well-documented examples. This is not just a collection of rumors, gossips and anecdotes. We can see everything the author writes about in the numerous amazing pictures. So, we know exactly what he is talking about, it allows us to understand everything much better.

It is a very easy book to read. The author clearly wrote it for people who do not know all the secrets of book binding and history. All of the more difficult concepts are well explained. The author was able to choose the material very well and writes about things that may interest everyone. I also really like the humor with which he does it. This is a book for everyone.

Well, maybe not everyone, because there are some rather dark topics here that can be difficult if you are very sensitive. I mean books bound in human skin and written with human blood. These are definitely topics for people with the strong nerves, but the author writes about them in a way that makes it more fascinating than scary. In general, the topics are very varied, there are even a few photos of unusual writing machines.

This is a beautiful and fascinating book, richly illustrated with wonderful photos. A must-read for every book lover.

3/5 stars

Thanks for providing this precious arc in regards to the publisher and author!

It was a fine novel. Not too dazzling but fine piece of literature!

trigger warning
<spoiler> books written on human skin and with human blood, mention of torture, mention of racism </spoiler>

I think I can spare the summary of the contents as it's what it says on the tin: The Strangest Books, Manuscripts and Other Literary Curiosities from History. We have books that are not in the form of a codex, which is how we know our books today, books whith physical contents that are unusual like penguin blood as ink, books whose literary contents are unusual or that are written in code.

It's a giant trove of weird things to do with books and stories, easily accessible for the reader but also suited to be quoted due to the excellent work of the author.
This is the second book I read by him, the first being Fox-Tossing, Octopus-Wrestling and Other Forgotten Sports, which was equally hilarious, entertaining and educating, which is my favourite combination of adjectives to put to a non fiction book.

This is great. I would love to have my own physical copy of this, and I am sure one day I'll have every book he wrote in my shelves. It's been exactly as great as I hoped it would be, so I am very thankful for being given the arc by the publisher.

Full recommendation.

This wonderful book is a book about books, not everyday books but the weird, the unique and the crazy. From books written in blood, or bound in skin (including human), large and tiny, beautifully illustrated and filled with all sorts of information. The chapters cover everything from science and religion, alchemy, bestiaries, codes and ciphers,grimoires, literary hoaxes and dictionaries of the vulgar tongue.
Some of my favourite bits include the fake travel books. Walter E Traprock made up a trip to south seas including a bird that laid cube shaped eggs, the picture is clearly of dice in a nest! There’s some wonderful trivia here, from Jonathan Swift and Daniel Defoe’s pseudonyms to weird medical treatments. There’s also a bit on mediums that channeled dead authors including Shakespeare, Dickens and Twain. One medium also channeled martians!
A great read that made me laugh too.

My favourite non-fiction genre to read is books about books and the history of books, so when I get the chance to do it I am very excited.
This book was a really exciting one. It compiles the most unusual and obscure books from around the world and throughout history. It's a beautifully illustrated journey with a lot of information about the most strange and intriguing books, It is divided into many categories such as books that are not books, books made of flesh and blood, cryptic books and many more.

All in all, I really liked it and I believe that if you are a book lover you definitely need this in your life. I know I do!

Book 15 of my 2021 Reading Challenge

The Madman's Library: Manuscripts and Other Literary Curiosities from History
by Edward Brooke-Hitching

Summary (excerpt from NetGalley)
published 2021

This fascinating and bizarre collection compiles the most unusual, obscure books from the far reaches of the human imagination throughout history.
From the Qur’an written in the blood of Saddam Hussein, to the gorgeously decorated fifteenth-century lawsuit filed by the Devil against Jesus, to the most enormous book ever created, The Madman’s Library features many long forgotten, eccentric, and extraordinary volumes gathered from around the world.
Books written in blood and books that kill, books of the insane and books that hoaxed the globe, books invisible to the naked eye and books so long they could destroy the Universe, books worn into battle and books of code and cypher whose secrets remain undiscovered. Spell books, alchemist scrolls, wearable books, edible books, books to summon demons, books written by ghosts, and more all come together in the most curiously strange library imaginable.
Featuring hundreds of remarkable images and packed with entertaining facts and stories to discover, The Madman’s Library is a captivating compendium perfect for bibliophiles, literature enthusiasts, and collectors intrigued by bizarre oddities, obscure history, and the macabre.

First Impressions/Judging a Book by Its Cover
I picked this book out on NetGalley (disclaimer below) based on the title. Is it too meta to read a book about books? I like books that explore niche curiosities so I hope this is interesting and not dry.

The cover art is really intriguing too; it looks like an old painting. Since I'm on an e-reader I can't see as many details as I probably could if I had the real thing but there are lots of things to look at. I'll probably look at it again after reading to see if there are connections between the seemingly random objects strewn around the cover.

My Opinion
4 stars

**I received an electronic copy of this book via NetGalley and would like to thank the author and/or publisher for the opportunity to read and honestly review it.**

This was a well-researched treasure trove of a book. It was not a quick read because of all the photos and illustrations which was an unexpected bonus and something I'm so happy came through even though this was an electronic ARC because they made a huge difference. It was also not a quick read because the text was in columns instead of left to right so it was extra work for my eyes not to automatically scan over to the next section instead of following the text down; this also involved extra scrolling from top to bottom and back to top because of the text size I used to see all the details and captions of the photos.

I texted my family fun facts including the Chinese flatulence mural, the chicken poet, and the book made with cloths from the author's travels. The stitched/embroidered jacket from the woman in the insane asylum also resonated with me -- the photo enhanced the story so much but it also felt like such a private thing to look at.

The title Pigs: How to Make Them Pay (C. Arthur Pearson, 1918) listed in the selection of "Strange Titles" is very catchy.

Quote from the Book
*Note: I read an ARC so the following quote may or may not appear in the final version*

"If a creature has run, hopped, slithered or swum on this planet, at some point its skin has been used to bind a book."

Could a topic possibly be more arresting for bibliophiles?! From the very first line in the introduction to the Strange Titles section at the back, this book bursts at the seams with enthralling curiosities. And the photographs! Many are so vibrant and rich, all are remarkably interesting. I read every single book about books I can get my hands on and this one is stellar in every way. The writing is witty and the sheer amount of information is staggering.

As the author reminds us, books breathe. They sure do. Though none on my shelves are made with human or penguin skin or written in blood or on bone, each has personality. Well, wait until you read this book. Chock. Full. Amongst the plethora of topics I learned about dangerous books containing arsenic, cryptic unsolved codes, death passports, love spells, curse tablets, secret poison cabinets and invisible egg writing.

I had no idea that a secret eyebrow plucking society existed nor that there are massive books measuring not in inches or centimeters but meters. One man even went so far as to record his life over several years every five minutes which totalled 37.5 million words, including everything. I mean everything. Lilliputiana was another remarkable topic...so many of us are entranced by miniatures. Beale's code is migraine inducing! And what fun to read tales of literary hoaxes, such as that of the New York animals.

A special treat awaits at the end, too. Who wouldn't adore books called The Origin of Feces, The Loathsomenesse of Long Haire, The Lady's Back Report or Highlights in the History of Concrete?!

This book should be on every bibliophile's list to read. It would be a shame to miss.

My sincere thank you to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for the privilege of reading the eARC of this marvelously informative and entertaining book. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

My thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for an advanced copy of this book.

Edward Brooke-Hitching is ruining live and making book lovers want to pauper themselves with his new book The Madman's Library: The Strangest Books, Manuscripts and Other Literary Curiosities from history. Page after page in glorious colours are books that are micro, books that need machines to move them, books in code, books covered in skin and books written in blood. I can't stress the photos enough, but the descriptions in the text of these books are what makes the the Bible pulls want them all. Historical, filled with facts, but full of passion from a man who loves books and what they can do, and wants to share that love with other readers. A truly one of a kind biblo-wish book. A great graduation gift for English majors, or for artists to inspire. A necessary book for any library.

I received a free e-ARC from the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Madman's Library is every bibliophiles dream. It contains fascinating stories about texts and libraries from all over the world - the obscure, the bizarre, the beautiful. The whole experience is accompanied by gorgeous colour photographs. The writing is seamless - entertaining, easy to read, and never dry.
This would make the perfect coffee table book for any bibliophile. I am looking forward to getting a physical copy for myself.

A curious collection of mystical and mythical books, in content, form, materials, and function, packed with historical facts and full-color photographs and illustrations.

Love it sooo much that I need to get myself a physical copy when this one comes out!
So many cool facts that both bookworms and regular folk would appreciate and find fascinating!
A great collection to own!

Thank you Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

I can't give proper feedback because I can not get it to properly download unfortunately. I have tried thw pdf file many times but it just keeps giving me a error every time I try to open the file. Hopefully this can be fixed because it will not allow any other format.

As a special collections librarian and overall book history nerd, I really enjoyed reading this book. It's a collection of all the things that fascinate me most, and I loved learning more about all the unique items included. I feel inspired to dive deeper into the more unusual history of books and see what other weird and wonderful things I can find! Well written and fascinating, though fairly niche, subject.

The Madman's Library is a delightful book full of stories begging to be expanded on. As a lover of curiosities, this book did a great job of rounding up the strange and unusual things associated with books, libraries, and the people that love them. The quality of photography was stunning and the layout was clean and read well. I will be adding this book to my collection when it is finally published.

Being a librarian nerd, I requested this book on a whim, and I am so glad I did. The chapters detail the unique and bizarre books of history, and is catnip to any book lover. So many books like this veer to academic and ponderous, but Brooke-Hitching has written a tour to the book world that's as readable as it is enjoyable. This is going in my own library, stat.

Absolutely fascinating! Anyone who has any interest in books should pick this up! So much history, necessity and just plain oddity in here. Excellent photos, wonderful explanations. What a joy this must have been to research and write and it's also a joy to just sit back and devour. I actually took quite a while to enjoy this book. Paging back to review favorites, calling people over to look at things I found interesting. This book was a complete experience for me (and often those around me). Bravo, and thank you for this one!

If you love books, not just the texts, but everything about them, you really need The Madman’s Library by Edward Brooke-Hitching. It describes books of every seemingly possible (and occasionally seemingly impossible) material and text. There are books that are fantastic, beautiful, sacrilegious and religious; books made of every conceivable material including human skin and written in human blood; books that are indecipherable and books that are just plain odd. But they are all amazing to look at and read about.

Brooke-Hitching’s descriptions are both informative and entertaining and the full-colour illustrations that accompany them are absolutely stunning. I definitely recommend this book highly for all the book lovers out there.

<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Chronicle Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review</i>