Reviews

The Orchid Thief: A True Story of Beauty and Obsession by Susan Orlean

gondorgirl's review against another edition

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funny informative lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.0

samarakroeger's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging informative

2.75

I was expecting investigative journalism more akin to The Feather Thief, but this ended up just being a disorganized ramble through the Florida swamp with an interesting character that we don’t really get to know. It ends up being a surface-level portrait of weird Florida Men who are obsessed with orchids instead of the nuanced exploration of Tribal law and the ramifications of nature-based crime I was hoping for.  

morganlee98's review against another edition

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lighthearted medium-paced

3.5

I really enjoyed the first half of this book. Then it slowed down, became a little repetitive and drawn out. It also ended very abruptly. 
However, I did really like how Florida was described and weaved through the story - you really got a feel for the wildness and strangeness. 

keishamae85's review against another edition

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adventurous informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

theobobeo's review against another edition

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3.25

Very interesting but kind of disjointed. 

ericj's review against another edition

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funny hopeful informative sad medium-paced

5.0

ryanpait's review against another edition

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informative mysterious fast-paced

3.5

adholmes3's review against another edition

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informative slow-paced

2.0

oatylime's review against another edition

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informative lighthearted reflective slow-paced

4.25

I never thought I’d find the world of orchid collecting - or Florida - so interesting.

If I didn’t enjoy having plants, I would have zero interest in this topic. But it’s just wonderful meandering journalism. 

And within that, the beauty of finding passions to make the vastness of life smaller, more focused, and therefore not as overwhelming. 

elsadler's review against another edition

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informative slow-paced

3.5