660 Items Tagged

Books

Beach photos and Shakespeare, a perfect pair.

The Best Things Found Between the Pages of Old Books

Atlas Obscura readers shared hundreds of stories about their surprising discoveries.

Sarah Laskow February 15, 2018

The grave in early spring.

Oxford, England

J.R.R. Tolkien's Grave

The names Lúthien and Beren can be found inscribed on the shared grave of the famous writer and his beloved wife and muse.

The grave of C.S. Lewis.

Oxford, England

C.S. Lewis's Grave

The beloved fantasy novelist is buried near a church containing a whimsical etched glass window full of Narnia favorites.

Watson has worked on the handwriting of famous authors, including Jane Austen. This is an 1800 letter from Austen to her sister Cassandra.

Where Old, Unreadable Documents Go to Be Understood

A transcriber on the Isle of Man can decipher almost anything.

Sarah Laskow February 8, 2018

Used books often hide more treasures than just great stories.

Tell Us About the Most Amazing Things You've Found in Old Books

What fascinating artifacts have you discovered while reading?

Sarah Laskow February 7, 2018

Essential winter survival gear: a book and a blanket.

Atlas Obscura's Mid-Winter Reading List

Great books for when you absolutely cannot face going outside.

Eric Grundhauser February 2, 2018

Fonske.

Leuven, Belgium

Fons Sapientiae

This whimsical statue dumps water on its head to symbolize knowledge flowing into his brain. Or maybe booze.

<em>Tik-Tok of Oz</em>, L. Frank Baum,
Chicago, 1914.

Charting the Geography of Classic Literature

A new exhibit focuses on maps of fictional worlds.

Anika Burgess January 31, 2018

Germany declares war on the United States in 1941.

The Novel That Imagined a Nazi Future, Before WWII Even Began

In the long-forgotten "Swastika Night," Hitler is a god, women are subhuman, and love is dead.

Sarah Laskow January 24, 2018

The title page for <em>Shadows from the Walls of Death</em>, and a sheet of wallpaper.

objects of intrigue

How a Library Handles a Rare and Deadly Book of Wallpaper Samples

The arsenic-laden pages of "Shadows from the Walls of Death" should not be touched without gloves.

Alexander J. Zawacki January 23, 2018

The front of the document.

The Mystery Manuscript Found in a Used Copy of 'Alice in Wonderland'

When a strange document appeared in her shop, an Australian bookseller turned detective.

Sarah Laskow January 23, 2018

Wishlist: A Compelling Appreciation of Old-School Hard Work

"Cræft," Alexander Langlands' excellent book, is part history, part travelog, and part hay-making manual.

Jessica Leigh Hester January 19, 2018

Stephen King at a book signing, c 1976.

A Burst Pipe Ruined Original Stephen King Manuscripts

Gerald Winters's bookstore in Bangor, Maine, specializes in rare editions and type-written drafts.

Sarah Laskow January 18, 2018

England's largest independent library outside London.

Newcastle upon Tyne, England

Lit & Phil

This gorgeous space is England's largest independent library outside of London.

Cuypers Library

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Cuypers Library

This gorgeous reading room houses the oldest and largest art history library in the Netherlands.

Exterior of Blenheim Hill Books in Hobart, New York.

A Tiny New York Town With Not One, But 5 Indie Bookstores

The village of Hobart, home to fewer than 500 people, serves as a modest reminder that books can change people and places.

Daniel A. Gross January 9, 2018

The largest paper fragment recovered from Blackbeard's wreck is about the size of a quarter.

Found: Scraps of a Book From the Wreck of Blackbeard's Flagship

Apparently pirates spent some of their free time reading about sea voyages.

Vittoria Traverso January 8, 2018

Wishlist: An Essential History of Giant Squid

"The Search for the Giant Squid" is a detailed account of the ocean's most frightening mystery.

Eric Grundhauser January 5, 2018