<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>In this paper we consider a much-quoted phrase published by the essayist Charles Lamb (1775–1834) in the <italic>London Magazine</italic> in 1822 about a desirable quality in books: that they should be ‘strong-backed and neat-bound’. We identify meanings of modifier <italic>neat</italic> as evidenced by different communities of practice in early nineteenth-century newspapers, and in particular we present meanings of <italic>neat</italic> as used in certain Quaker writings known to have been read with approval by Lamb. By this method we assemble a series of nuanced meanings that the phrase <italic>neat-bound</italic> would have conveyed to contemporary readers – specifically, the readership of the <italic>London Magazine</italic>.</p></abstract>

In this paper we consider a much-quoted phrase published by the essayist Charles Lamb (1775–1834) in the London Magazine in 1822 about a desirable quality in books: that they should be ‘strong-backed and neat-bound’. We identify meanings of modifier neat as evidenced by different communities of practice in early nineteenth-century newspapers, and in particular we present meanings of neat as used in certain Quaker writings known to have been read with approval by Lamb. By this method we assemble a series of nuanced meanings that the phrase neat-bound would have conveyed to contemporary readers – specifically, the readership of the London Magazine.

Interpreting Charles Lamb’s ‘Neat-Bound Books’

University of Seville Universidad de Sevilla

Studia Anglica Posnaniensia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

{"article-title":"Interpreting Charles Lamb\u2019s \u2018Neat-Bound Books\u2019"}

In this paper we consider a much-quoted phrase published by the essayist Charles Lamb (1775–1834) in the London Magazine in 1822 about a desirable quality in...

Interpreting Charles Lamb’s ‘Neat-Bound Books’

Published Online: Jul 30, 2020

Page range: 157 - 177

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/stap-2019-0008

Keywords
Collocates, communities of practice, social networks, leather-workers, accountants, Quakers

© 2019 Laura Wright et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Interpreting Charles Lamb’s ‘Neat-Bound Books’

Published Online: Jul 30, 2020

Page range: 157 - 177

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/stap-2019-0008

KeywordsCollocates, communities of practice, social networks, leather-workers, accountants, Quakers

© 2019 Laura Wright et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Collocates, communities of practice, social networks, leather-workers, accountants, Quakers