THE MANUSCRIPTS CLUB The People Behind a Thousand Years of Medieval Manuscripts

John Lee brings continuity to a narrative that has none of the common linkages of time or place. Author Chistopher de Hamel imagines 12 historical manuscript collectors, 11 men and one woman spread over centuries, as a club that spends a pleasant evening together at the Morgan Library. Collectors are a mixed lot, and these 12 include a priest, a prince, and a forger, along with several colorful fanatics who, thankfully, preserved many irreplaceable manuscripts. Most interesting is Bella da Costa Greene, curator at the Morgan, a woman of remarkable character and acuity. The histories are fascinating, and Lee is an accomplished, highly skilled narrator who finds the precise tone and balance that links these 12 very different individuals. D.A.W. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2024]