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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
For an Angelino, very interesting. I was out of the state at the time but definitely remembered the after effects. Good writing, good pacing, good editing/ fading to and back along the timeline.
I thought this book was fine, and occasionally, a little madcap better than that. Orleans is mostly telling two stories, that of the history of the Los Angeles Central Library, though the personalities of its directors, and the story of the library fire, which is under-recognized. The story of the history of the library is kind of odd in this moment-- it affords an opportunity for some feminist excavation, since many of the directors have been women with significant power, but Orlean's best writing and most evident glee deals with the male directors, especially Lummis.
The story of the fire, and Harry Peak, is OK, but it kind of dissipates at the end, which parallels the historical record but doesn't really come together as a satisfying end. The book as a whole kind of lacks its moment-- it would have been amazing in 93, and then forgotten by 95, and really is kind of a curio now.... Orlean's suggestions about the way her mom haunts this book might have elevated this to another level, but they aren't integrated into the book enough to do that yet.
The story of the fire, and Harry Peak, is OK, but it kind of dissipates at the end, which parallels the historical record but doesn't really come together as a satisfying end. The book as a whole kind of lacks its moment-- it would have been amazing in 93, and then forgotten by 95, and really is kind of a curio now.... Orlean's suggestions about the way her mom haunts this book might have elevated this to another level, but they aren't integrated into the book enough to do that yet.
While this book begins as an investigation into the 1986 fire at the Los Angeles Central Library (that destroyed or damaged more than 1,000,000 books), it evolves into a beautiful tribute to libraries, librarians, and books - now and throughout history. The descriptions of the architecture of the Central Library, and the storied histories of its quirky/rebellious/intelligent librarians, were almost as captivating as the chapter on burning books/libraries throughout history.
But if you only have time for a bit of this book, make sure you read the chapter about the actual fire of the library. Orlean's personification of the flames brings the fire to incredible life and should be used in English classrooms everywhere as an example of that literary device.
But if you only have time for a bit of this book, make sure you read the chapter about the actual fire of the library. Orlean's personification of the flames brings the fire to incredible life and should be used in English classrooms everywhere as an example of that literary device.
The author made LA library history so interesting! Another wonderful book by Susan Orlean.
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
This felt very muddled, just very all over the place. I’m not sure the format worked.
I had a whole imaginary book in my mind that I created when I learned of this book's existence. I thought it was going to be a comprehensive look at libraries through time and place, somehow. I made that up from the title. And I was thinking about it a lot because this book's existence made me change the title of the book I was writing. My book had been called The Library Book before I learned that the great Susan Orlean had one of this title coming out. So I made up a great book in my mind, written by Orlean - as the sort of non-fiction adult counterpoint to my book for children. It isn't that book. Not at all. But this a whole other book and it is very interesting and bibliophilic and ranges around through all kinds of interesting alleys and stacks. I particularly enjoyed the stories of the head librarians. And if this actual book suffered from the comparison to the mythical Orlean book in my mind, that is not the fault of this actual book. This actual book is great. And one of my favorite things about it was the back inside cover, with its memoranda of old school librarying.
One would think that:
A. Orlean got paid by the word, as it was alleged that Dickens did, because there is a lot of padding in this book;
B. Orlean did not have an editor.
The opening chapter is a marvel of nostalgia and an evocative paean to literacy, libraries, and mothers. Orlean records fascinating and instantly forgettable facts and seems to lose track of her narrative about the fire at the LA Central Library for several chapters at a time. By 200 pages in, I thought if she wandered into one more Story Hour or interviewed another librarian who did teen literacy outreach, I would hurl my Kindle across the room. (Yes, I read a book about books without a book.) Ultimately, I felt she did a grave disservice to poor Harry Peak, misleading her readers through what is really a series of randomly linked essays about libraries in general.
A. Orlean got paid by the word, as it was alleged that Dickens did, because there is a lot of padding in this book;
B. Orlean did not have an editor.
The opening chapter is a marvel of nostalgia and an evocative paean to literacy, libraries, and mothers. Orlean records fascinating and instantly forgettable facts and seems to lose track of her narrative about the fire at the LA Central Library for several chapters at a time. By 200 pages in, I thought if she wandered into one more Story Hour or interviewed another librarian who did teen literacy outreach, I would hurl my Kindle across the room. (Yes, I read a book about books without a book.) Ultimately, I felt she did a grave disservice to poor Harry Peak, misleading her readers through what is really a series of randomly linked essays about libraries in general.
Every librarian, library user, and library skeptic should read this wonderful book.
This is a love letter to libraries in general and to the Los Angeles public library more specifically. It almost reads more like a novel than a work of non-fiction and keeps the reader eager to know what’s next.
This book is perfect for any book or library lover. It's such an important book for establishing how libraries impact our communities and how that role is still so essential even in the digital age. It's filled with great stories and memories that many people can relate to about their experiences at their own local libraries.