The art of writing originated from a very prosaic need, not a creative impulse
This article is part of a series in which I publish reviews that appeared some years ago. If you're anything like me, I sometimes forget about the existence of some titles, so a reminder like this can be quite useful I think.
Review of The Written World
(Martin Puchna, Granta, £14.99)
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It's really easy these days to get hold of books and magazines, or to grab pencil and notepaper to make a list, but it's sobering to reflect that it has not always been the case. Writing itself was invented 'only' a few thousand years ago – as a means of keeping accounts. When it started to be used more generally, it was viewed with suspicion by some people. Socrates, for example, thought that once written down, words could be taken out of context and their meaning changed as a result. The art of making paper was kept secret for hundreds of years. And were you aware that our portable devices ultimately derived from the moon landings?
This fascinating book, set out chronologically, reads like a novel, and takes in everything from The Epic of Gilgamesh to Harry Potter, including post-colonial literature. If you love reading and writing, this book is for you.
Reviewed by Terry Freedman for Teach Secondary magazine.
The Written World: How Literature Shaped History, Martin Puchna, Granta, ISBN: 978 1 78378 3137
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