As students, we tend to ignore and delay the tedious task that is reading books assigned to us by the class curriculum, however, what if I told you that traveling to ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome is within your grasp?   

Papyrus: The Invention of Books in the Ancient World, originally named El infinito en un junco, is a literary memoir by Irene Vallejo published in late 2019. Within it, tales of historical figures such as Alexander the Great and Ptolemy illustrate the significance of art and literature throughout the course of history.  The text analyzes society’s development, suggesting that our blossoming civilization is a result of the power of written records.  

The book’s elaborate structure, which resembles that of a historical timeline, hooks the reader by encouraging them to connect and relate to the characters’ motifs and actions. In addition, Alexander the Great’s adventurous and intricate stories make the reading of this piece enjoyable and enriching. The entirety of the book, though very extended, never fails to stimulate the reader’s curiosity, therefore, it is ideal to explore as a high school student seeking inspiration and entertainment. Though the book itself explores subjective and abstract ideas regarding the themes of education and knowledge, its storytelling quality allows a broader audience to find resonance with characters and events. 

Papyrus: The Invention of Books in the Ancient World, should not go unnoticed at TCS; rather than disregarding it, students should use it as a learning tool. Moreover, as aspiring leaders, we should be familiarized with western society’s foundations, making this piece especially useful and even essential in terms of our personal and intellectual growth. Despite history being an optional course in 10th, 11th, and 12th grade, understanding the past would allow students to gain a deeper understanding of the world we live in today. Moreover, as society continues to evolve by following a progressive path, acquiring cultural awareness early on in life will help build communication skills and tact. Ultimately, reading this book will encourage students to foster empathy and respect for cultural diversity, one of our community’s founding principles. 

Major American news channels describe this book as a literary masterpiece “packed with fascinating insights”. For instance, The Wall Street Journal praised Vallejo’s ability to convey a profound message in an “accessible and entertaining” manner, even going to the extent of calling it a generous and sprawling piece of work. In order to fully comprehend this title’s singularity and beauty, one should become familiar with the author. Vallejo, who has a Ph.D. in Classical Philology, is an expert in the study of language, history, and literature. Her take on this theme provides the reader with a completely unbiased and highly accurate version of the events described in her work. The significance of Alexandria’s library, Cleopatra’s reign in Ancient Egypt’s civilization, the holocaust, the life and works of Homer, and the conquests of Alexander the Great, are used as elements to help her support and convey literature’s influence in contemporary times. 

Moreover, the award-winning author’s personal input in the text allows it to maintain a captivating quality while still delving into the humanist values that helped make us who we are today. It is worth noting that the connection formed between ancient events and figures with current circumstances, significantly elevates the text, giving it an original and refreshing quality. Instead of narrating the rise and fall of civilizations, belief systems, cultures, and traditions in a gradual and monotonous manner, Vallejo successfully builds a character for each historical figure. Hence, one could say that she humanizes history by finding a way to make the audience care for it. This is, by far, the most particular and valuable characteristic of the book, moreover, it is what makes it ideal for high school students to read. Learning about history can help students, particularly those from marginalized communities, develop a sense of personal identity. TCS is welcoming diversity, thus, it should also provide its community with the tools and resources necessary to adapt to it. In other words, mainstream narratives often exclude and avoid representing certain minority groups, this is why learning about our origin as a society is pivotal in the making of a safe academic and social environment. 

This is one of Vallejo’s most influential works. The plot, setting, and characters are all dictated by a simple theme, the origin of written literature. Moreover, unlike most non-fiction books, her essays and novels, including Papyrus: The Invention of Books in the Ancient World, challenged the prejudices of the book industry. This non-fiction piece was translated into multiple languages, making it on the bestseller lists in numerous countries. 

More than five thousand years have passed since the appearance of scripture, a fact that changed the fate of humanity. Irene Vallejo successfully transports us into the past, when human beings began to articulate and systematize their life experience in symbols engraved on clay tablets. Something so apparently obvious and elemental resulted from years of transformations conveyed into powerful anecdotes. The relationship between orality, memory, and the emergence of new technologies, which allowed the appearance of tools such as papyrus, forged the crossroads from which one of the most precious goods of humanity emerged: the book.

If you are looking to dive into the timeline of history through the lens of literature, reading  Papyrus: The Invention of Books in the Ancient World, will provide an accurate and extremely useful interpretation of the significance of written work. Moreover, its structure, theme, and non-fictional quality serve the purpose of an effective learning tool in the form of a gratifying experience. High school students should definitely take the time to read it.