Review: 'Libraries in the Ancient World' by Lionel Casson

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'Libraries in the Ancient World' by Lionel Casson, 177 pages - Instagram @c_reads_books

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Libraries in the Ancient World by Lionel Casson recounts the history of ancient libraries, all the way back to when “books” were just clay tablets. Through the help of archaeology, this book creates a timeline throughout primarily ancient Egypt, where papyrus, an abundant resource, was first created into paper, and ancient Rome, where the first official libraries were formed. Through describing and analyzing the first private and public libraries in the ancient Near East, Greece, and Rome, Casson explains what books were acquired and how, who read them, how they were organized, and more.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I don’t typically read nonfiction books, but I found this one very enticing and captivating to read. As someone who loves to read, I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the first libraries and the beginning of the phenomenon of writing and literature. It was funny to learn that there was once a time when people were shocked at being asked to pay money for books in the first bookstores. I also enjoyed learning that people used to borrow books from their friends and get their scribes to make copies (I would save a lot of money acquiring books that way!). Overall, this book was both a fun and informative read, and I recommend it to any book lover!