
The Miniaturists
Barbara Browning(Author)
Duke University Press
Published on 18. October 2022
Book
Paperback/Softback
232 pages
978-1-4780-1891-9 (ISBN)
Description
In The Miniaturists Barbara Browning explores her attraction to tininess and the stories of those who share it. Interweaving autobiography with research on unexpected topics and letting her voracious curiosity guide her, Browning offers a series of charming short essays that plumb what it means to ponder the minuscule. She is as entranced by early twentieth-century entomologist William Morton Wheeler, who imagined corresponding with termites, as she is by Frances Glessner Lee, the "mother of forensic science," who built intricate dollhouses to solve crimes. Whether examining Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, the Schoenhut toy piano dynasty, portrait miniatures, diminutive handwriting, or Jonathan Swift's and Lewis Carroll's preoccupation with tiny people, Browning shows how a preoccupation with all things tiny can belie an attempt to grasp vast---even cosmic---realities.
Reviews / Votes
"An appealing collection of fresh, free-wheeling essays." (Kirkus) "The Miniaturists feels like more than just a book; it is a multi-layered project crafted into a deeply personal reading experience. The chapters are an engaging exploration of 'the miniature' as a concept throughout human history, and the author's love for the esoteric will no doubt appeal to readers who enjoy learning for the sake of learning." - Rachel Denham-White (Limina)More details
Language
English
Place of publication
North Carolina
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
21 illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 178 mm
Width: 127 mm
Thickness: 13 mm
Weight
221 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4780-1891-9 (9781478018919)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Person
Barbara Browning is Professor of Performance Studies at New York University. Her books include The Gift, I'm Trying to Reach You, and The Correspondence Artist.
Content
Foibles of Insects and Men 1
The Mother of Forensic Science 39
Dilation and Contraction 57
Suite for Toy Piano 81
Gulliver Phantasies 107
The Handwriting on the Wall 135
Lead Paint and Other Poisons 159
That Which Is More Proportionable to the Smallness of My Abilities 185
Works Cited or Obliquely Referenced 211
The Mother of Forensic Science 39
Dilation and Contraction 57
Suite for Toy Piano 81
Gulliver Phantasies 107
The Handwriting on the Wall 135
Lead Paint and Other Poisons 159
That Which Is More Proportionable to the Smallness of My Abilities 185
Works Cited or Obliquely Referenced 211