We seldom think about the relationship between the form/materiality of a book and its content, mainly because we have come to believe that the value of books lies in their content rather than their form. I think this expectation has come about because in our modern world, the form of a book, being relatively cheaply made and mass produced, doesn’t really require notice or even acknowledgement. On the Books on Books blog, however, there are numerous examples that illustrate that there is indeed a relationship between form and content that is worth considering.
One example featured on the site where content affects form would be The ABC Book No. 764. This book, being an alphabet book, is subject to the rigors and abuse that children of a certain age would undoubtedly inflict upon it. Rather than making such a book out of paper, the bookmakers chose to use cloth as the medium, which is much more resistant to the punishment that kids can dole out. I think this is an ingenious solution that preemptively addresses the concerns associated with this type of book.
Another example that caught my eye on the site is the entry about the book Batterers. In this book, I think there is an interesting interplay between form and content. The content, being about abuse of the Earth, is enhanced by the form. The use of natural elements, such as wood and clay serves to underscore the Earth theme, while the use of red, magma-like pop-up paper highlights the theme of abuse.
While I generally subscribe to the mainstream idea that the value of a book lies in its content, I have come to realize that some books’ forms are just as, if not more important than their content. In such instances, I think it is important to study form and content together because they can often influence each other.
This entry is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.
Hello Daniel,
I agree when you said, “this expectation has come about because in our modern world, the form of a book, being relatively cheaply made and mass produced, doesn’t really require notice or even acknowledgement.” I also want to add on (though this is just my personal belief) that adding emphasis to the form of the book would have been more expensive. If not financially, it would have creatively expended the author because that would have meant putting time, effort, and meaning on it. This is why it is easier and simpler to just focus on the content.
Hey Dan,
I agree with you there’s indeed a relationship between form and content of a book. The ABC book was one of the books that I came across and definitely caught my eye because of the use of cloth instead of paper. Great post!
Hi Daniel, the material, form and content of books goes together. If the content alone was to be the most important part of the book, then the material and form would not matter, and this would not make the book unique. The ABC book was one of a kind and it reinforces the relationship between material, form and content.