Twenty-first-century culture is obsessed with books. In a time when many voices have joined to predict the death of print, books continue to resurface in new and unexpected ways. From the proliferation of “shelfies” to Jane Austen–themed leggings and from decorative pillows printed with beloved book covers to bookwork sculptures exhibited in prestigious collections, books are everywhere and are not just for reading. Writers have caught up with this trend: many contemporary novels depict books as central characters or fetishize paper and print thematically and formally.

In Bookishness, Jessica Pressman examines the new status of the book as object and symbol. She explores the rise of “bookishness” as an identity and an aesthetic strategy that proliferates from store-window décor to experimental writing. Ranging from literature to kitsch objects, stop-motion animation films to book design, Pressman considers the multivalent meanings of books in contemporary culture. Books can represent shelter from—or a weapon against—the dangers of the digital; they can act as memorials and express a sense of loss. Examining the works of writers such as Jonathan Safran Foer, Jennifer Egan, Mark Z. Danielewski, and Leanne Shapton, Pressman illuminates the status of the book as a fetish object and its significance for understanding contemporary fakery. Bringing together media studies, book history, and literary criticism, Bookishness explains how books still give meaning to our lives in a digital age.

"Ultimately, both hobbyist and scholar will take bookishness seriously after reading Bookishness by Jessica Pressman." - Society for U.S. Intellectual History blog

"A brainy exploration of what it means to be a book lover in the 21st century." - Everything Zoomer

"Understanding how our relationship with words has changed, and recognising bookishness as a way of navigating this shift, is what Pressman’s clear-sighted study brings to light." - Money Control

"Pressman absorbs academic debate into her sometimes heartfelt prose, and treads the line between readability and rigour with ease. If Bookishness articulates a democratic world where ‘books’ are enjoyed by a demographic of ‘readers’ more broadly conceived, then this book performs that aspirational inclusivity." - The Year's Work in Critical and Cultural Theory

"A delight to read." - Choice Reviews

"Bookishness is a trenchant, original exploration of a widespread contemporary phenomenon. Situated at the intersection of literary studies, media studies and book history, it innovatively combines analyses of literary fiction and material culture." - Publishing Research Quarterly

"A quick, timely, provocative read that—as with the command "Don’t think of pink elephants"—readers won’t be able to walk away from seeing the world the way they did going in. It opens a field of inquiry that stretches to the far corners of culture. “Look there,” one wants to say, pointing at another example of bookishness. And there. And there! Bookishness makes one want to make such lists and then shout—er, write down on paper—The book is dead, long live the book!" - The Rumpus

"Bookishness will likely be of interest to technical communicators interested in literature and books broadly, and those concerned with how physical and digital mediums interact in our contemporary world." - Technical Communication