Full Description
Nation of Bookworms takes an in-depth look at the reading culture of the Czech Republic--the country with the highest number of libraries per capita worldwide. Drawing on studies and oral interviews of Czech readers conducted by the National Library of the Czech Republic and the Institute of Czech Literature between 2007 and 2018, the book presents intriguing new research on Czech readership and society. Jiří Trávníček deftly sifts through hard data and first-person reportage, illuminating the myriad components that make up reading culture, such as print-reading, screen-reading, libraries, book sales, the social lives of readers, time spent reading, and reading preferences. Trávníček also takes a global look at literary love, exploring the parallels between the reading cultures of other countries and the Czechs' unique fervor for the written word. Nation of Bookworms is essential reading for bibliophiles on every continent.
Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1 Reading culture
Chapter 2 From a historical standpoint
Chapter 3 From the present-day standpoint
Chapter 4 From the standpoint of discourse on reading
Chapter 5 From the statistical standpoint
Chapter 6 From the standpoint of readers' biographies
Chapter 7 From a comparative standpoint
Chapter 8 From the participants' and experts' standpoints
Epilogue Reading in times of civilizational fatigue
