A few words about the essence of a book

In what way does a book exist? What is its ontic status? Does the function constitute its essence, as some people believe? In that case, is the forgotten and unread book still a book? Maybe it lives a life that resembles its author’s life, as the supporters of anthropomorphisation of books claim? To what extend the text of a book is self-sufficient as far as the meaning is concerned and how far is it determined by the reader? Has the changes in the form affected the changes of the essence of a book? And on what grounds is the still prevalent opinion about the books’ value based? The article is devoted to the abovementioned issues and addresses the question of the essence of a boo