Gifts may be touching or puzzling, either strengthening bonds of friendship or becoming a burden. This volume explores how books and writing have described gift-giving over the centuries, but also how books became precious gifts themselves. Drawing on the Bodleian Library's extraordinary collections alongside other books, art and objects, this book traces the dynamics of giving and receiving across many centuries, from ancient civilizations to the contemporary world.
Keywords:
Literature
,History
,Anthropology
,Book history
,Ancient history
,Children's literature
