In Le Livre [Mallarmé] turns to scrutinize the press once more, opening with the proposition, self-evident to him, that the whole world exists in order to result in a book. This is a matter of metaphysical fact, that all existence cries out to be raised to the level of scientific or poetic intelligibility. In this sense “the book” confers on things and persons another mode of existence which helps to perfect them. And it is plain that Mallarmé regarded the press as this encyclopedic book in its most rudimentary form.