PAPYRUS The Invention of Books in the Ancient World

This audiobook's subtitle--"The Invention of Books in the Ancient World"-- describes this work better than its title. This history of books moves from the oral tradition to scrolls to codices and recounts how those lay the foundation for Western culture. The author's anecdotal style and short chapters translate well to audio. Sophie Robert offers an able and pleasing narration. Her pace is easy to follow, and her almost lilting intonation makes listening a pleasure. Robert renders episodes such as Alexander the Great's love of Homer's ILIAD more like conversation and less like pure history. She adds bits of emotion where appropriate and breaks up the author's sometimes complex sentences into easier-to-comprehend pieces. Robert makes the author's almost extreme degree of detail palatable. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2022]