This course introduces the student to some glorious examples of manuscripts and early printed books made between the 4th – 16th centuries CE in the West. We will study the aesthetic and textual programs the books reveal, the production and functions of the book, and the ethnography of reading. We will consider simulacra of books, including facsimiles, critical editions, and digitized texts. Questions include how such textual products should be used; the space of the page; and how that space is shaped by audience and editorial practices.
