On paper, Argentinean author Alberto Manguel is quite intimidating. He speaks several languages. He has written novels, edited anthologies, translated masterpieces and won coveted literary accolades. He spent his teenage years reading books to Argentinean author José Luis Borges, widely regarded as one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. And he now owns a personal library in France that houses over 35,000 books.
Yet Manguel is no literary snob. He doesn't name drop or commandeer a conversation. The book he has read the most is Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland."
"It speaks to me at every stage of my life," Manguel said.
He also has a place in his library for Dan Brown's "The DaVinci Code."
"I read it so I could criticize it," Manguel said. "It is such an effort to read a bad book."
Criticism of "The DaVinci Code" is about the only negative thing that comes out of Manguel's mouth. Despite his impressive resume, he continues to be "amazed at the extent of [his] ignorance." He is also far more interested in the knowledge that other people possess, but are often fearful of sharing.
"I'd like to know what library you use, if you use a library at all," Manguel said. "I want to know where you get your information. What do you read that I may have never read before?"
In Manguel's mind, people often refuse to share their intelligence out of shyness. They also fail to seek out information for fear of admitting their ignorance.
"We are made to believe we are stupid, that books are too difficult," Manguel said. "Yet I believe 99.9 percent of all people are intelligent."
Perhaps his attitude toward people and their natural intelligence comes from his relationship with Borges. According to Manguel, Borges never displayed his knowledge as coming from a higher place or with pomposity, not toward Manguel or to anyone.
It may also be because Manguel finds that the more he reads, the more he wants to know. For Manguel, reading (and writing) is about questions: questions about people, about character, about places, about animals, about how things work.
While he has written many books, fiction and non-fiction, Manguel identifies himself more as a reader than a writer.
"Writing is such an immense effort and there is a good chance it turns into trash. With reading you don't have to do anything but go into the book.
"All the different experiences in my life I found described in books."
Alberto Manguel
Courtesy photo SVWC by Barbi Reed
