Rhetorical Analysis Of The Pleasure Of Books

Throughout The Pleasure of Books by William Lyon Phelps, the many merits of reading and owning books are evaluated with a sincere reverence, and a writing style both educated and friendly. Detailed descriptions within the speech of the many attributes that make reading and owning one’s own books such a uniquely intimate and personal pursuit are sure to make both the avid reader and the non-reader itch to begin their own private libraries or further their current collection. Although the book lover would find this essay relatable and lovely, and would likely gain an even deeper respect for books through reading it, it is more directed towards those non-readers (gasp!) that I also mentioned in the previous sentence. With a thorough reading of the speech, the affection of the author’s tone, paired with his credibility and clear expertise in literature, seem reliable to turn the judgement of those non-readers from the idea of books being useless or unworthy of their time to open and respectful towards the worthiness and importance of books.

The speech begins in a very direct, to the point manner, with the author’s main argument plainly stated in the first sentence, as seen here, “ The habit of reading is one of the greatest resources of mankind; and we enjoy reading books that belong to

With masterful transitions and engaging directness, it is no wonder that he holds the reader’s attention and focus exactly on the argument. Not to mention the effect of the clear adoration of books and literature that is clear from the start, which is balanced with the educated, expert tone that is also presented from the first word. In conclusion, this speech is sure to leave you yearning for a book of your own to open up immediately and use as fully and personally as Phelps