I.
athenaeum (ath-uh-NEE-um) noun
1. A library or reading room.
2. A literary or scientific club.
[From Latin Athenaeum, from Greek Athenaion, a temple of Athena, the goddess of wisdom.]
(A Word A Day)
II.
I am Vega.
I read science fiction, fantasy, speculative fiction, historical fiction, classic and modern literature; to a lesser extent, non-fiction, poetry and sacred texts. I read the Bible, novels, short stories, anthologies, graphic novels, artbooks and illustrated stories, letters, research papers, monographs, dictionaries, encyclopaedias, reference books, almanacs, magazines, news both in paper and digital format, art/culture programmes, and huge quantities of handbills and ephemera.
I also watch film, although I tend to be at least a couple years behind the times. I lean towards science fiction, fantasy, war, period/historical, arthouse, animations of all kinds and the occasional documentary.
This site is concerned primarily with the novels and stories, a smattering of film, and other things literary and bibliophilic.
III.
I read every word on the page: meticulous but slow.
Life is too short to be re-reading books or re-watching movies, given that there are so many out there in the world yet to be discovered and enjoyed.
A lending library in the neighbourhood is absolutely essential, whereas a bookshop is not.
However, the sighting of a one immediately stimulates the physical reflex of entering it.
Wandering through a secondhand bookstore has to be one of the most blissful activities in the world.
I don’t believe in owning a book if I won’t ever read it again.
Thus, my personal library skews heavily towards the illustrated, large format, rare, and texts typically inconvenient to borrow from a lending library. I’m picky about editions and translations to the point of snobbery.
I overwhelmingly prefer owning secondhand books. New books don’t seem to have much character, nor are they particularly welcoming. The don’t invite me to crack them open.
My ultimate booklover’s goal is to own a copy of the Codex Seraphinianus.
I sometimes forget my wallet when I leave home, but I never forget to bring a book.
IV.
I devote myself to one book at a time; I must read carefully, for the time with that book is short and to be cherished. Since so many of them are experienced once and only once, I have to pour all my attention into that time, and grasp every word and shade of meaning. At rare times I renew a book repeatedly so I can hang on to it that little bit longer; but when I let go of it, it is seldom picked up again, and then only years later.
My book reviews are written for remembrance and analysis and thoughts; they usually don’t bother with synopses or summaries. They are conversational and rambling — or terse, depending on how much I have to say. They are much less concerned with characters or storyline, and primarily concerned with meaning, overarching experience, emotional and intellectual response, and my interpretation and understanding of a book. All this I have to capture in that short time I spend with a book or a movie. It’s the only moment I have with them. But I want to grasp it and mould it into a form that I can come back to look at, and recall the memorable encounters in my mind.
Perhaps the reviews will be informative or thought-provoking to visitors, but they are firstly memories of a personal sort.
V.
Vega first began writing reviews in 2003, now archived here. The Athenæum was established on 07 February 2006 as a dedicated repository. This site was revived on 15 September 2008 after a 5-month hiatus in mid-2008.
This site is dedicated to Jill and the staff of the Melbourne Athenaeum Library, who were utterly wonderful in my two years as a member and two months (alas, too brief!) as a volunteer.
Site design and written content are ©2008 Vega O.SQ.T. Please do not reproduce elsewhere without prior permission.