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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
4.5 Stars. As a lover of books and libraries alike, I was fascinated by Orlean's in-depth look into the LA public library fire and the mystic of libraries in general. Highly recommend!
This book read a little all over the place for me (chapters would jump around between covering the current operation of the LA library, its history, and then very specific historical focus on the fire) but there were so many interesting little tidbits scattered throughout which will stay with me. (Did you know that you wouldn't have to pay a fine if you had diphtheria or the plague while in possession of a library book because the library would take care of the costs of fumigating them?) But I was also so touched by the stories throughout about how people use their libraries and what they mean to them. The young man with autism whose hyperfixation on maps makes him a valuable member of the team cataloging an inheritance of an entire house's worth of cartography. The current LA librarian who remembers coming to work there with her librarian mother before her and playing peekaboo at the desk. Those who are homeless getting access to services and a place to go out of the rain. And the author herself who fondly recounts the trips she would take to her own public library with her late mother and knowing how much she would have loved to have seen the Goodhue Building.
When I became a librarian, my grandmother, who has now passed, would tell me often how happy it made he to think of me doing this job. How she remembers going to their local library on Saturday mornings to hear the librarian read books to the children. She'd remind me that they didn't have very much money when she was growing up but this was something that they were able to do because the library was free. She was in her eighties and still remembered that woman telling her stories.
Books matter. Libraries matter. Thanks to Susan Orlean for reminding us.
When I became a librarian, my grandmother, who has now passed, would tell me often how happy it made he to think of me doing this job. How she remembers going to their local library on Saturday mornings to hear the librarian read books to the children. She'd remind me that they didn't have very much money when she was growing up but this was something that they were able to do because the library was free. She was in her eighties and still remembered that woman telling her stories.
Books matter. Libraries matter. Thanks to Susan Orlean for reminding us.
This is just a delight to read. Susan Orlean is one of those rare and wonderful breed of literary nonfiction writers who can make any subject fascinating. For me, she is in the same pantheon as [a:Erik Larson|5869|Erik Larson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1304371037p2/5869.jpg], [a:Bill Bryson|7|Bill Bryson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1578597522p2/7.jpg], [a:Simon Winchester|14053|Simon Winchester|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1286848563p2/14053.jpg], and [a:Sebastian Junger|16494|Sebastian Junger|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1458242367p2/16494.jpg] as authors who can accomplish this feat.
In this case, Orlean's subject is a library, specifically the main branch of the Los Angeles Public Library, which burned, presumably due to arson, in 1986. She intertwines three story lines: the history of the library system, the present day status of the library, and the investigation into the arson and the prime suspect. She also covers quite a bit of why libraries are the way they are and how they have changed over time. Does this all sound somewhat dull? Far from it. This is, believe it or not, edge of your seat stuff.
One of the joys of her writing is that she focuses on people rather than things or events. The history of the library is told through the lens of its many directors (some of whom were extremely colorful characters), the present day narrative concerns the employees she meets and their eclectic interests, and so on. Never a dull moment. As in her excellent [b:The Orchid Thief: A True Story of Beauty and Obsession|228345|The Orchid Thief A True Story of Beauty and Obsession|Susan Orlean|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328347217l/228345._SY75_.jpg|911511], she propels the story along at a pace that is relaxed yet compelling. I was always hungry to know more at the end of each chapter.
Of course, the potential pitfall of this kind of writing is the possibility of trivializing the subject matter, but for the most part Orlean avoids this. Some might feel that she skips a bit lightly over the tragedy of a life lived by Harry Peak, the arson suspect. He was a compelling character, though, and bemusing as well as amusing, so it is difficult not to treat him with a somewhat lighthearted touch. Overall, though, she manages to match the tone of her writing to the gravity of the situations she encounters.
Overall, a delightful read. Highly recommended.
In this case, Orlean's subject is a library, specifically the main branch of the Los Angeles Public Library, which burned, presumably due to arson, in 1986. She intertwines three story lines: the history of the library system, the present day status of the library, and the investigation into the arson and the prime suspect. She also covers quite a bit of why libraries are the way they are and how they have changed over time. Does this all sound somewhat dull? Far from it. This is, believe it or not, edge of your seat stuff.
One of the joys of her writing is that she focuses on people rather than things or events. The history of the library is told through the lens of its many directors (some of whom were extremely colorful characters), the present day narrative concerns the employees she meets and their eclectic interests, and so on. Never a dull moment. As in her excellent [b:The Orchid Thief: A True Story of Beauty and Obsession|228345|The Orchid Thief A True Story of Beauty and Obsession|Susan Orlean|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328347217l/228345._SY75_.jpg|911511], she propels the story along at a pace that is relaxed yet compelling. I was always hungry to know more at the end of each chapter.
Of course, the potential pitfall of this kind of writing is the possibility of trivializing the subject matter, but for the most part Orlean avoids this. Some might feel that she skips a bit lightly over the tragedy of a life lived by Harry Peak, the arson suspect. He was a compelling character, though, and bemusing as well as amusing, so it is difficult not to treat him with a somewhat lighthearted touch. Overall, though, she manages to match the tone of her writing to the gravity of the situations she encounters.
Overall, a delightful read. Highly recommended.
informative
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book and how insightful it was. As someone who loves and frequents libraries (including visiting public libraries any time I go on vacation), I found the history behind libraries and the evolution of their purpose to be fascinating. And all of this is set against the backdrop of the Los Angeles Central Library fire in the mid-1980s, which was seemingly the perfect story to provide all the history and information I loved hearing about.
Although at times long—especially for someone who isn't used to listening to nonfiction books—I had a great time meeting all the quirky personalities and visiting all the interesting places in this book. The Library Book is a must-read for all bibliophiles.
A note on the audiobook: Orlean herself is the narrator, and while overall she does a fairly good job, her reading at times sounded a bit monotonous. She's also no linguist, but she always tried her best at non-English pronunciations.
Although at times long—especially for someone who isn't used to listening to nonfiction books—I had a great time meeting all the quirky personalities and visiting all the interesting places in this book. The Library Book is a must-read for all bibliophiles.
A note on the audiobook: Orlean herself is the narrator, and while overall she does a fairly good job, her reading at times sounded a bit monotonous. She's also no linguist, but she always tried her best at non-English pronunciations.
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
One of my favorite books of all time. A love letter to libraries <3
"Writing a book, just like building a library, is an act of sheer defiance. It is a declaration that you believe in the persistence of memory."
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
The Library Book is a book full of many different stories. We begin by following the author's explanation of why they feel a personal connection libraries, and then divulge into two paths: different fragments of stories explaining how the Los Angeles Public Library came to be and the story of the main suspect in the 1986 fire involving said library.
The fragmented stories of library history I found incredibly interesting, like bits of a documentary in short episode formats or different informational articles. They were all usually unrelated from one another besides a sentence or two, which left me reading this book in sections at a time. My attention couldn't keep up with the back-and-forth and I wanted to know more about each character we only got for a brief segment.
I would have enjoyed learning more about the lives of those librarians so much more than the amount of time we spent learning about the pathological liar of a main suspect. Every section involving Harry Peak left me rolling my eyes and trying not to skim.
The ending was so entirely unsatisfying, which I understand is due to the fact that this is a nonfiction, and people involved the case probably felt the same way. I'm not certain if the point was to feel sympathy for Harry or to learn more about him and make our own judgment? Either way, I found the book to be decent, but not one I would read again.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
The Library Book is a book full of many different stories. We begin by following the author's explanation of why they feel a personal connection libraries, and then divulge into two paths: different fragments of stories explaining how the Los Angeles Public Library came to be and the story of the main suspect in the 1986 fire involving said library.
The fragmented stories of library history I found incredibly interesting, like bits of a documentary in short episode formats or different informational articles. They were all usually unrelated from one another besides a sentence or two, which left me reading this book in sections at a time. My attention couldn't keep up with the back-and-forth and I wanted to know more about each character we only got for a brief segment.
I would have enjoyed learning more about the lives of those librarians so much more than the amount of time we spent learning about the pathological liar of a main suspect. Every section involving Harry Peak left me rolling my eyes and trying not to skim.
The ending was so entirely unsatisfying, which I understand is due to the fact that this is a nonfiction, and people involved the case probably felt the same way. I'm not certain if the point was to feel sympathy for Harry or to learn more about him and make our own judgment? Either way, I found the book to be decent, but not one I would read again.
4.5 stars. I got this book on accident, thinking it was something else and then got really interested. I appreciate all the time and research it took to write this book. I also have an even deeper appreciation for the machine that is the public library system. The story of Harry was both very sad throughout his life and all the need to fabricate, as well as frustrating. I have only within the last year and a half come to really appreciate the library and this has helped to spark that love and appreciation even more.
Listened to the audio book, which was read by the author. I found Orlean's story of the Los Angeles Central Library captivating. Her stories demonstrate the social justice and community service role of public libraries. I enjoyed hearing about the fiesty librarians so passionate about their profession and the role of the library in our country's democracy and their role in the future, even as technology services us information at a staggering speed.
The story of the fire was fascinating. I was both intriqued and horrified by the segment on the lack of solid science behind arson investigations.
I'm so happy this book is becoming a best seller. It deserves the honor and I hope many people read it and support their local libraries.
The story of the fire was fascinating. I was both intriqued and horrified by the segment on the lack of solid science behind arson investigations.
I'm so happy this book is becoming a best seller. It deserves the honor and I hope many people read it and support their local libraries.