Gifts & Books: From Early Myth to the Present

A series of thought-provoking essays about the nature of the book as a gift. Giving and receiving gifts can be tricky. Gifts may be touching or puzzling, either strengthening bonds of friendship or becoming a burden. This volume explores how books and writing have described gift-giving over the centuries, but also how books became precious gifts themselves. In a series of thought-provoking essays, richly illustrated from the Bodleian Library’s collections and beyond, the contributors illumi...