"In my personal library of imaginary places, and more specifically on the bookcases near my desk, I maintain a shelf reserved for brilliant readers. There''s rarely any turnover. Borges, Calvino, Benjamin and Zweig (plus a few other steadfast patrons). With Manguel''s The Library at Night, that will clearly have to change."-Allen Kurzweil, author of The Grand Complication and A Case of Curiosities (Allen Kurzweil 20080511)
"In a good book, certain passages stand out because they are well written. In a great book, nothing stands out because nothing can. The Library at Night is one of those great books."-The Globe and Mail (
Globe and Mail 20080401)
"Alberto Manguel . . . the Argentine-born author and bibliophile celebrates books as brothers, as crucial companions for a lifetime."-Julia Keller, Chicago Tribune (Julia Keller
Chicago Tribune 20080319)
"[A] deliciously rich and lavishly illustrated book of books. . . . [A] magical book."-Jeff Simon, The Buffalo News (Editor''s Choice) (Jeff Simon
The Buffalo News 20080406)
"Manguel has assembled thumbnail biographies, entertaining anecdotes, close readings, and photographic documentation into a kind of commonplace book stitched together by his amiable prose. . . . The Library at Night . . . communicates the joy and the solace of being yourself a reader."-Brian Sholis, BookForum (Brian Sholis
BookForum 20080401)
"In The Library at Night, Alberto Manguel . . . lovingly explores the nooks and crannies of this enchanted domain. To call Mr. Manguel a ''bookman'' would be the grossest of understatements. He lives and breathes books."-Eric Ormsby, New York Sun (Eric Ormsby
New York Sun 20080427)
"Alberto Manguel has brought out a richly enjoyable book, absolutely enthralling for anyone who loves to read and an inspiration for anybody who has ever dreamed of building a library of his or her own."-Michael Dirda, Washington Post Book World (Michael Dirda
Washington Post Book World 20080421)
"The success of The Library at Night is the product of a mind made by reading, and the realization of its own essential argument: The library is a mirror in which we find ourselves and our world reflecting and interpenetrating."-Matthew Battles, Wilson Quarterly (Matthew Battles
Wilson Quarterly 20080427)
"Books jump out of their jackets when Manguel opens them and dance in delight as they make contact with his ingenious, voluminous brain. He is not the keeper of a silent cemetery, but a master of bibliographical revels."-Peter Conrad, The Observer (Peter Conrad
The Observer )
"To read this book is to be invited into a world in which books are both, luxury and necessity, destiny and serendipity, to experience that sweet moment when the world falls away and we are left along with the words on the page."-Susan Larson, New Orleans Times-Picayune (Susan Larson
New Orleans Times-Picayune )
"A vivaciously erudite justification for society''s inexorable efforts to collect, order and store information. . . . Book lovers will luxuriate in these earnest and impressively researched pages."-Christine Thomas, Miami Herald (Christine Thomas
Miami Herald )
". . . a pleasure-especially at this time of . . . internet related uncertainty for libraries. For those . . . who are distressed by the amnesia of the Web, this book is . . . an excellent example of how to rejuvenate the past and continue its conversations."-Ben Carlson, The Atlantic.com (Ben Carlson
The Atlantic.com )