What We See When We Read

Agorgeouslyunique,fullyillustratedexplorationintothephenomenologyofreading--howwevisualizeimagesfromreadingworksofliterature,fromoneofourverybestbookjacketdesigners,himselfapassionatereader.Whatdoweseewhenweread?DidTolstoyreallydescribeAnnaKarenina?DidMelvilleeverreallytelluswhat,exactly,Ishmaellookedlike?Thecollectionoffragmentedimagesonapage--agracefulearthere,astraycurl,ahatpositionedjustso--andothercluesandsignifiershelpsustocreateanimageofacharacter.Butinfactoursensethatweknowacharacterintimatelyhaslittletodowithourabilitytoconcretelypictureourbeloved--orreviled--literaryfigures.Inthisremarkableworkofnonfiction,Knopf'sAssociateArtDirectorPeterMendelsundcombineshisprofession,asanaward-winningdesigner;hisfirstcareer,asaclassicallytrainedpianist;andhisfirstlove,literature--heconsidershimselffirstandforemostasareader--intowhatissuretobeoneofthemostprovocativeandunusualinvestigationsintohowweunderstandtheactofreading.