Rubio Hernández, Alfonso. Libros en el Nuevo Reino de Granada: funciones, prácticas y representaciones. Medellín: Editorial EAFIT, 2023. [324 páginas].

Abstract

When we delve into the postulates of the social history of written culture, we find ourselves - almost invariably - faced with the interpretative formula based on analyzing the production, circulation, and reception of a given book. This approach reveals that the understanding of written documents, whether handwritten or printed, in both institutional and private contexts transcends the mere individual exploration of their materiality, commercialization, or content. Therefore, Their comprehensive understanding requires paying special attention to their functions, practices, and representations, which account for the relationships woven between devices, subjects, and institutions. These investigative complexities only end up underlining the imperative need to lay the foundations for a new sociocultural history that considers the interpretive challenges intrinsic to writing and reading, a task that clearly exceeds the immediate objectives of any published work. Even so, Alfonso Rubio Hernández's book is a valuable starting point to advance this initiative.