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boggremlin's review
4.0
Haunting, spare, and lovely. My library shelves it as science fiction, but I think it's more metaphysical fiction: as a group of librarians ponder the closing of the library, a deaf mathematician and a photographer meet, fall in love, and--in parallel universes--mourn each other's untimely death.
wzwy's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
lilareadssometimes's review
It was okay, but the distance from the characters made it hard to get invested in them beyond a conceptual level of what they might represent.
jrobinw's review
4.0
I loved this quirky way of viewing grief in the different ways humans face loss.
thaydra's review
2.0
This book had potential. The style of writing was almost poetic, and had a beautiful way of flowing at times. However, I'm curious as to whether the author has actually ever set foot in a library, or spoken to an actual librarian, and knows what a library actually does and what being a librarian actually entails. The stereotype of the "librarian" and the "library" in this story was disturbing, and not in the way I typically like my stories to be disturbing, but rather in a highly misrepresentational way.
Nor did I connect with any of the characters. I kept hoping that eventually something was going to happen that made everything click together- that would bring some color to them instead of the black and white and grey that I felt them in- but it never did.
Nor did I connect with any of the characters. I kept hoping that eventually something was going to happen that made everything click together- that would bring some color to them instead of the black and white and grey that I felt them in- but it never did.
dreamofbookspines's review
2.0
Take one pretentious philosophy undergrad student, turn them into a book, and that's what this is. Boring and trying way too hard to be deep. Skip it.
shirleonelsie's review
3.0
If I could give half stars this would be 3.5. I liked it but didn't love it. It's one I'll keep on my shelves but may not touch again for a number of years. Part of the reason for keeping it is the cover and title - they are so interesting! But I also want to have a variety of different types of books on my shelves once I get my own place. Now, I won't just keep any book - if it sucks, I'll get rid of it.
I picked this up for $.25 at a local library and thought it sounded interesting. A library closing due to the move towards e-books and computers and the librarians wishing to rebel against that. Turns out the book is more about a photographer and a deaf mathematician and their various Many Worlds than any of the other "plots" in the book. You also find out that a young girl was killed in front of the library and this greatly effects one of the librarians but you don't get much insight on that storyline. Also, the Many Worlds theory is only mentioned in conjunction with the photographer and the deaf mathematician (both of whom don't have names) so I don't really understand why it's described as how "Drager's debut novel explores the end of the public library system and the Many Worlds theory of quantum mechanics..." That led me to believe that the theory would be throughout each storyline.
I also greatly disliked the use of italics to convey speaking in the novel. Usually, italics are reserved for conveying thought or emphasis, but not so in this book. It made reading it a little more difficult because they sounded strange in my head. I guess it did make them (all the characters) sound a little sadder and longing, but I don't think the italics were necessary.
I will say that I love The Library at the end and it's a practically perfect image of something I would love to own sometime in my life.
____________________________________________________________
Language: None.
Explicitness: Some mention of the deaf mathematician being naked but nothing crazy.
I picked this up for $.25 at a local library and thought it sounded interesting. A library closing due to the move towards e-books and computers and the librarians wishing to rebel against that. Turns out the book is more about a photographer and a deaf mathematician and their various Many Worlds than any of the other "plots" in the book. You also find out that a young girl was killed in front of the library and this greatly effects one of the librarians but you don't get much insight on that storyline. Also, the Many Worlds theory is only mentioned in conjunction with the photographer and the deaf mathematician (both of whom don't have names) so I don't really understand why it's described as how "Drager's debut novel explores the end of the public library system and the Many Worlds theory of quantum mechanics..." That led me to believe that the theory would be throughout each storyline.
I also greatly disliked the use of italics to convey speaking in the novel. Usually, italics are reserved for conveying thought or emphasis, but not so in this book. It made reading it a little more difficult because they sounded strange in my head. I guess it did make them (all the characters) sound a little sadder and longing, but I don't think the italics were necessary.
I will say that I love The Library at the end and it's a practically perfect image of something I would love to own sometime in my life.
____________________________________________________________
Language: None.
Explicitness: Some mention of the deaf mathematician being naked but nothing crazy.
heres_the_thing's review
4.0
Haunting, spare, and lovely. My library shelves it as science fiction, but I think it's more metaphysical fiction: as a group of librarians ponder the closing of the library, a deaf mathematician and a photographer meet, fall in love, and--in parallel universes--mourn each other's untimely death.
ecstaticlistening's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Many, if not most, librarians are far less sentimental about books than the author makes out but the representation of the changes in libraries is otherwise pretty spot on.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual content and Death