Abstract
After overviewing primary sources available for tracing pleasure of reading during the Middle Ages (theoretical discourses such as artes poeticae or mediecal treatises, texts themselves, paratexts such as accessus ad auctores, readersʼ responses, and other texts), the study concentrates on biblical exegesis, namely commentaries on two biblical passages, Ezech. 3, 3 and Apoc. 10, 9. They both present an image of eating a book/roll which is sweet in the mouth but turns bitter in the belly.
The image troubled some exegetes and led to much varied explanations. As it is argued, the reason for this is that the image is in a contrast with the usual metaphor of reading as eating, in which the book might not be too sweet (too easily accessible) but makes one feel well, since it provides nourishment.