This is Not the End of the Book

** the most cultured and sophesticated conversation I'll ever be a witness to? **Umberto Eco is a well known literary icon, author and historian and Jean-Claude Carriere a filmmaker, critique and collector. Both these stellar, well-read, cerebral personalities discussing relevance, evolution, birth-death of books was such an enriching journey. This is one of those books that talks about so many books that you find a new gateway to many more books. This book is a glowing tribute to the books - old and new, disappeared and forgot, Avante-Garde and downright stupid. They talk about filmmakers and forgotten rolls of master cinema, of burnt scrolls of Alexandria. They talk about Italian poets and French “live writer”, there is such so much to learn from their conversations, this definitely requires you to follow through with a pencil. I see myself revisiting this book, re-reading parts I highlighted and maybe even charting out some fancy libraries and bookstores to visit taking this as a guide. Overall, this is slightly exhausting but stil a wonderful piece of literature. :)

Although being a major fan of both Carriere and Eco, I found their tone too nostalgic and reactionary. I expected to hear more about ebook readers & “digital cosmology”. Perhaps if the late Baudrillard and Zizek had met and started to talk about books, the rhythm and content of the discussion would have been much more spectacular.