The Visual Impact of Books

 I had never considered the visual impact of books until I came across this photograph of the Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Maybe it’s not the books themselves, but the gilded arches and pillars that frame them or the intricately carved railings protecting the library's landings. On the other hand, remove the hundreds of colorful spines decorating the shelves and the visual impact is greatly diminished.

 

This book store in Chengdu, Sichuan China raises the book buyer’s expectations to lofty heights. The display is so dazzling I might forget what I came there to buy.

I had my novel Brute Heart framed as a book carving.

Someone loved books so much they created a library cake.

Here’s a bookmark decorated with books.

If you love books, especially those bound in fabric or leather, the variety of colors and sizes shelved in any book store or library has visual appeal.

During the Covid pandemic, I ran across a collection of books that aren’t as visually appealing as those above, yet display a different type of artfulness.

Even a book's interior can be crafted into a form of art.

And every pundit worth a grain of salt, even beloved Andy Rooney, is photographed in front of a colorful wall of books.