Book – The Written Word

 The Written Word – The Power of Stories To Shape People, History and Civilization by Martin Puchner – Random House (2017) – Through the stories behind sixteen “foundational texts”, Puchner shows how the written word has changed the world.  Beginning with the Iliad journey will wind its way to Japan, the lands of the Maya and land in the 21st Century.

 Between the time I began reading this book and prepared to write the review, the subtitle changed. The original was “How Literature Shaped Civilization”.  That struck me as an interesting approach.  I was disappointed as the author seemed to leave that idea behind quite quickly.  While many of the stories herein are “literature”, sections dealing with the power of alphabets and the printing press stretch the definition. The new sub-title does a much better job of describing the work as presented.

In the end, the primary title is the true focus.  This is a series of stories about the power of the written word.  “The Iliad”, “Gilgamesh”, the foundational texts of the major religions of the world, the first novel “Tales of Genji” (written by a Japanese woman), and the Mayan “Popul Vuh” join the works of Cervantes, Derek Walcott, and the storytellers of West Africa among others.  Puchner gives us a breezy, conversational tour of all these works and the people who created them.  It feels very much like sitting down with a good storyteller over a meal.  The audience is fascinated but never overwhelmed.

If I have an issue with the book it grows from that same casual storytelling root.  Puchner says in the afterword that his editor encouraged him to include more of his personal journey in the book.  The author goes and visits as many of the places or authors as he can.  At that point, no matter which sub-title you choose, the book tends to lose the thread for me.  Long rambles about what he experienced in Turkey, or the Caribbean, or even Goethe’s ramble through Sicily didn’t offer much about stories shaping the world beyond the person experiencing the trip.  For me, they served as a distracting “book within the book”.

Martin Puchner creates a worldwide journey of exploration, showing the many ways that story has shaped humanity’s life together.  The easy, engaging style is a credit to any storyteller and a joy to read.  If you love the written word, you will enjoy “The Written Word”.

This book will be available beginning October 24, 2017
This review was based on an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) and is consistent with our stated Review Policy.

Why You Will Like It – A fascinating tour of stories both well known, and new to most readers.  All learning should be this much fun.

Rating – *** Worth A Look