In Search of Lost Books

A short, intriguing read. I liked the personal voice (rather than the distant authorial voice usually used in books about books). The perfect read for a rainy Sunday with a cup of coffee in a quiet library.

I absolutely loved this book. It is great for any book lover. It is a quick read and one that keeps you reading. I loved it.

A short collection of essays all of which centre on lost books: books which once existed but which are no longer extant. Van Straten writes beautifully in a tone that is accessible, sometimes intimate, informative and enthusiastic. Mingling aspects of book history, cultural history, biography and a touch of literary criticism, the essays are polished but feel a little too short to offer more than a potted history and thought-piece on the text under consideration.

Wide-ranging enough to consider lost books by Byron, Gogol, Malcolm Lowry, Hemingway and Sylvia Plath amongst others, this is ideal commute reading, or any time you want something intelligent in bite-size pieces.

I enjoyed this book it was an engaging and eye-opening book about other books, a collection of classics works that can no longer be read, for they no longer exist.

The “mythical” books that Giorgio van Straten is trying to find by by turning detective, traveller and researcher, as he examines clues, leads and interviews experts to discover the stories of these eight-lost works, and their authors. His pursuit takes him around the world, and across decades, to discover unforeseen and unexpected connections.

The works having been burnt, dismissed, banned, stolen, accidentally or deliberately damaged, in natural or political disasters; and some of the books have even been read by a few people before vanishing into thin air. The history of these eight books is informative and entertaining, giving a moving insight into the daily pressures and irresponsibility’s of writing, concerns for the reputation of the deceased author, bad luck, the failure to protect work in time of war.

Let’s be honest and really think, there must be thousands if not millions, of books that have been written and then never made it to print or that have ended up getting lost completely, including both fiction and nonfiction books that could be the greatest works of recent history.

An absolute delight of a nonfiction read, singular in its brevity, readability and entertaining value ratios. Perfect for any book lover, this is an account of 8 tales by very famous and somewhat more obscure European authors that never saw the light of publishing press for a variety of reasons. Sometimes the stories behind the stories are wilder than the stories themselves. Sometimes tragic. Sometimes strange. It always puts me in mind of a theory that our civilization would have been much more advanced nowadays if all the knowledge encompassed by the library of Alexandria hadn’t burned. Anyway…not every story is a game changer, but it is still a treasure and the author is quite passionate about his subject. Made for an erudite and enjoyable presentation and the subject (for me, at least) is fascinating, so this was a lovely way to spend a morning. Thanks Netgalley.

I’m partial to a mystery, especially if it’s a plausible one, but my interest can lead to complete preoccupation if books are part of the story: as happened with Giorgio van Straten’s perplexing collection, in which we learn once existent manuscripts have, through deception, suppression and occasional stupidity, vanished – possibly forever.

In this short but enthralling volume of literary micro-histories, we follow eight unrelated narratives, set in various parts of the world during different time periods, each one concerning a writer thought to have all-but completed their magnum opus – or at the very least, had in their possession scores of scribbled notes – before expiring for reasons including, but not limited to, disease, despair, suicide and liquidation. After which, their precious masterworks were said to have disappeared without trace.

There is, of course, some doubt all these works truly existed, the inference being legends grew from mere wishful thinking, fed by rumour, perhaps initiated by writers suffering creative block. Nevertheless, in one instance, van Straten himself claims to have read in its entirety a now missing bundle of papers, stored for decades in a drawer. Sadly, due to promises given, no copies were ever made and an opportunity was missed to save a friend’s writings from probable destruction. He now regrets his decision.

Some of these stories were familiar to me, for instance, the burning of Lord Byron’s diaries because his friends and ex-wife believed personal reputations were in jeopardy. Also, the loss of Sylvia Plath’s unfinished novel, Double Exposure, which, according to her estranged husband, Ted Hughes, “disappeared somewhere around 1970.” However, I knew nothing of others, such as the works of Polish Jew, Bruno Schulz going missing in the Holocaust. Yet I found this chilling account only too credible.

Giorgio van Straten asks valid questions about the ethics of disposing of unfinished manuscripts once an author is dead, even when determined by a spouse or near relative. Are they the ideal people to make this decision? Is censorship by friends and family any more acceptable than suppression by an authoritarian state? He also raises the question: should writers be trusted when they say their works have disappeared? The answer is probably not.

In Search of Lost Books: The Forgotten Stories of Eight Mythical Volumes is an enthralling literary whodunnit, but for me it was also very much a howcouldyou! The mere suggestion of deliberate libricide was almost more than I could endure. We may never know for sure if some of these manuscripts are still hidden away somewhere or if they were only ever fanciful fictions. It’s a closed book, you might say. Well, maybe.

Devoured this intriguing book in a single sitting! There is, of course, some doubt over the existence over some of these “lost books,” but perhaps there is hope... I especially found this book riveting because I’m interested in a number of the authors discussed: Walter Benjamin, Bruno Schulz, Sylvia Plath, Ernest Hemingway. A must read for anyone remotely interested in book history.

I thought this was a short but detailed and interesting overview of some of literature’s lost works. I would recommend for anyone who likes learning about the history of books.

I don't know how many books are published each year. For me, In Search of Lost Books is in top 10 of at least the last year - it's readable, entertaining (at least if you love to read about stories that surround books), and it made me look up the author's other books. I would recommend this small book to anyone that loves books.. mystery, and everything in between. Thumbs up to Simon Carnell as well! He did a great job.
another plus: the cover reminds me of a Chekhov

I wasn't convinced by the first couple of pages but later on something changed. This essay collection is incredibly well-written and clever. Also, it's for book lovers. I happen to fit into this category so I was home. Really enjoyed it.

An elegant little book about the "lost" works of literature: texts that went missing, were stolen, or deliberately destroyed. Bilenchi, Byron, Hemingway, Schulz, Gogol, Lowry, Benjamin, and Plath are the writers discussed. The author wears his learning and research lightly. He writes in an accessible, intimate voice. As readers and book lovers, it is something difficult to contemplate—mourning the art that can never be—and the book is elegiac in tone.

Talking about why the prospect of a lost work excites us or moves us, he writes, "By the end of the voyage I had realized that lost books possess something that others do not: they bequeath to those who have not read them the possibility of imagining them, of telling stories about them, of re-inventing them."

Bibliophiles love to read books about books. Whether they are novels or non-fiction books, these volumes do strike a chord to bookworms.

And what best of a book about lost and mythical books, written by celebrated authors, among them, Walter Benjamin, Ernest Hemingway, Sylvia Plath, L.S. Lowry, Byron and Nikolay Gogol.

Giorgio van Straten’s slim manuscript, In Search of Lost Books: The Forgotten Stories of Eight Mythical Volumes, is a delightful literary object, crammed with puzzling stories about eight lost and burned manuscripts. Like a detective, van Straten explores all the possible scenarios, the rumors and the gossip that surround these elusive manuscripts. He is convinced that these volumes exist, and that, someday, at least one of them, will be discovered

These books include an unfinished manuscript by Roberto Bilenchi, which was found after his death in a drawer in his desk, and which has actually been read by the author; the elusive second part of Gogol’s Dead Souls, which the author apparently burned. Ten days later, on the edge of madness, he died. There is also Walter Benjamin’s unfinished Arcades Project, a manuscript that mysteriously disappeared when its author committed suicide while fleeing the Nazis in 1940, and Ernest’s Hemingway’s first novel, A Movable Feast, which was stolen on a train. Byron’s scandalous Memoirs has been savagely burnt, and Sylvia’s Plath’s unpublished novel, Double Exposure, which according to van Straten, has been deposited by her husband Ted Hughes at the Emory University in Georgia with instructions ‘that may not be consulted until 2022.’ Perhaps one day, we may be able to read one of these lost manuscripts, after all.

This really was a most unexpected and pleasurable treat and once started I could not put the book down until I had finished it. It takes only around three hours to complete but I was so captivated by the often heart breaking stories of loss that the time simply flew by. Giorgio van Straten is an Italian novelist, editor of texts, translator and manager of various arts organisations. The first of these eight tales concerning the lost to posterity of literary works that once existed and are no longer here concerns one that he actually read before the only copies were destroyed many years later. In all the cases explored here despite valiant attempts the books remain lost to posterity but in some cases there remains the possibility of them mysteriously turning up somewhere. Could Sylvia’s Plath’s unpublished novel, Double Exposure be among the papers deposited by her husband Ted Hughes at the Emory University in Georgia with instructions ‘that may not be consulted until 2022"?

The reasons of their loss and disappearance are explored which include theft, burnt to avoid a scandal, loss in a fire or at the request of the author but each has created a void and leaves to the imagination if the perception or standing of the writer would have been markedly different if these works were published.

At times this reads like a detective novel as the author tries to track them down. There were certain stories that I were familiar with such as the Hemingway novel that vanished in a suitcase at the Gare du Lyon when being transported by his wife and the burnt memoirs of Lord Byron but others such as the lost work of Bruno Schulz were entirely new to me.

An enthralling accessible read that I believe will appeal to all book lovers

A delightful short volume, beautifully written, about lost books, books that once existed but have been either deliberately destroyed or just maybe are in hiding somewhere waiting to be rediscovered. Informative, intriguing and a must for any book lover.

What's not to like - a real life mystery about books... Loads of detail and excellent writing kept me engrossed in this short book. I can't comment on whether it is the beauty of the original or the translation but there are moments of pure poetry here as Giorgio van Straten searches the stories of several "lost" books. Some may never have been written - merely a rumour - some have been written and lost and some have been written and destroyed. Truly an unusual and fascinating book.

My heart bled for Hemingway who's wife lost his manuscripts on a train (her suitcase was stolen when she went for a drink) and he then found out she'd packed all the carbon copies as well! He rushed home to check but found nothing... The person who stole the case probably thought what a load of rubbish he'd managed to steal and chucked it away... Hemingway rewrote but...

Lots of angst and heartache here but it is a beautiful read and recommended to anyone who loves books and stories abut books.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review.

In Search of Lost Books is a highly enjoyable, slim volume of one man's search for lost texts. I have to admit that I was a little disappointed that there wasn't much in the way of Indiana Jones-style searching for the mythical texts, but that didn't truly diminish my interest in each story Giorgio van Straten told.
Fire seemed to play a predominant role in the destruction of the texts - either purposeful or accidental. There was also a smidgen of lost or stolen bags to contend with. Regardless of how the texts were lost, van Straten mourned their potential to give us greater insight into the authors.
Perhaps the most interesting question to come from the book was, should all text be held sacred? Or, can we live with the destruction of words - especially when it is done at the author's request?
I will be thinking about these questions for quite some time. I will also revisit this book as I read more of the extant work of the author's he discussed.

In Search of Lost Books: The Forgotten Stories of Eight Mythical Volumes (Pushkin Press) by Georgio van Straten is a captivating little book in which the author recounts his search for books and manuscripts that did exist, or may have existed, of which “with one exception, I have not been able to read,” he writes. From a missing manuscript of a novel by Romano Bilenchi to 130 pages of Sylvia Plath’s unfinished novel that “disappeared,” the chapters are both sad and hopeful. Regarding Walter Benjamin’s lost work, he writes: “There might still be some forgotten, yellowing papers in a wardrobe or an old chest in the attic of a house in Portbou...”

https://www.finebooksmagazine.com/fine_books_blog/2018/10/books-about-books-fall-2018-roundup.phtml

I originally indicated I was unable to leave feedback for this book....because I had lost it! However, I located it in a forgotten collection on my Kindle and I'm glad I did. It is a brief but thorough exploration of lost books and the author's journey to find them. He talks about the void that lost texts leave behind and how enquiring minds seek to fill them and I found it interesting and illuminating. I have always wondered about Hemingway's lost suitcase....
This book cannot fail to intrigue anyone with an interest in literature.

Anyone who reads books will be interested in those works that got away. Anyone who loves the writing of a dead author has always dreamt of finding that lost manuscript. ‘in search of lost book', Giorgio Van Straten, looks at those manuscripts, that primary sources tell us once existed, but have been either lost or destroyed. It is a highly informative, and enjoyable read.

Really interesting look at 8 books written then lost or destroyed. The Sylvia Plath chapter was excellent.

This essay is a really interesting take on lost books and how the things we lose are still alive in the way we remember or imagine them. I got this via NetGalley AGES ago but as with pretty much all my NetGalley loot, I uh… don't read them till much later…. Grabby hands, it's a curse.

Before reading this book got me thinking of other lost tomes that I would have loved to go through or libraries even, which NATURALLY had me sad about the Library of Alexandria again. IT'S ALWAYS TOO SOON!!!!!!!!! But also had me thinking of the ungodly amount of historical fanned fictions I have been reading about Aziraphale and Crowley from Good Omens, and how Aziraphale in particular must have had access to countless books in the past and probably even managed to rescue so many of them from various forms of destruction and has them squirreled away in his shop in Soho, away from us useless humans… ANYWAY.

Straten has chosen to write about 8 books in particular that were 'lost' soon after. One destroyed to protect a marriage, the other thrown away to save a reputation, another lost within a suitcase which then caused discord in a marriage, and two becoming one of the millions of casualties at the hands of Nazi's. Giorgio Van Straten writes in a really direct but engaging way that doesn't feel too academic to understand, and you can tell he has done copious amounts of research and is extremely respectful to all the works and people mentioned.

"Could it be the void itself which fascinates us, since it is possible to fill it with the notion that what is missing might be something crucial, perfect, incomparable?... I realised that lost books possess something that others do not: they bequeath to those who have not read them the possibility of imagining them, of telling stories about them, of re-inventing them.

And if on the one hand they continue to elude us, to move further off the more we try to seize hold of them, on the other they come back to life in us - and ultimately, as in Proustian time, we can lay claim to having found them."

https://hercommonplaceblog.wordpress.com/