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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
A rather unembellished compilation of information regarding the Los Angeles Public Library fire, including but not limited to an overly detailed history of the library (and libraries themselves) and too-personal drivels about Orlean’s love of libraries. However, the positive appearance of libraries and all they do for one’s community makes up for most of the shortcomings.
I really loved this book! Book lovers, library lovers, and true crime fans will really enjoy this book.
The author does a great job of weaving in case of the arson to the LA library, giving us history about the library and libraries in general, and just a great history of books in general. Great writing, it kept my attention the entire time.
The author does a great job of weaving in case of the arson to the LA library, giving us history about the library and libraries in general, and just a great history of books in general. Great writing, it kept my attention the entire time.
I loved the writing, and all of the anecdotes were so satisfying and surprising. Made me not want to work in a modern library, which surprised me. Made me want to hang out with Susan even more than I already did, though.
Susan Orlean begins this book about books with three quotes, one of which is a Jorge Louis Borges quote that stands near an outer door of my Denver Public Library's central branch -- "I have always imagined Paradise as a kind of library." A good library is a haven and a hell and a microcosm of the real world. Orlean proves it in this book about books and the 1986 L.A. Central Library fire. She makes many digressions from the inferno, but I loved every library, every librarian, every single long look into impossible facts, every twist and turn, the whole pomp, the factured circumstance, the truth and the negative corpus.
This book was such an interesting read, covering so much of the history of libraries as well as their future in such a compelling way, while also exploring the case of the 1986 fire in LA's central library. If you love the magic of libraries I highly recommend you read this book
4.5* Reading this book made me happy! It encapsulates all my good feelings about libraries and books, and it also has such a brilliant story and wonderful prose :) I love it
The LA Central Library was severely damaged by a fire in 1986 in a case of arson. This book is so much more than a narrative about those events. The history of the library system itself is lovingly traced by an author who has a personal and emotional connection to libraries. All of the directors of the library are included, and there are some really cool characters, both men and women.
This book! I just don’t have enough stars for it! It is AMAZING. It’s non fiction but I went through it like it was a great novel. The author has a way to grab you and makes this story so interesting. The amount of research that must have gone into this is mind blowing. I am in love with it and I’m giving this book as presents! If you’re interested in history or love books, this is for you!