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kiwikathleen 's review for:
The Library Book
by Susan Orlean
What a fascinating book. I don't know if I'd heard about this fire before - I guess while it was a major event for Los Angeles, it wasn't world news, not that got onto the TV. Either that, or I wasn't watching the news right then and so missed it. Anyway, whether or not I'd had prior knowledge, I would have found this book an excellent read. It's investigative non-fiction at its best, and with my being a lifelong book lover and library devotee, I couldn't have found a subject more suited to me.
From the devastating fire of 1986 we are taken on a history of libraries in general, and in the United States more specifically. We're introduced to so many interesting people that the image of a staid librarian is completely turned on its head (mind you, I've always had the pleasure of meeting some great librarians so that's only ever been a fictional image for me). We learn how forensic science has changed the way fires are investigated, and we learn how fire- and water-damaged books have a sometimes hope of being saved.
When I was a child, one job I dreamed of was being a librarian - a few times in my life I have toyed with the idea of heading in that direction, but it never came to fruition. Instead, I catalogue my own books and that satisfies me. This book added another dimension to my satisfaction.
From the devastating fire of 1986 we are taken on a history of libraries in general, and in the United States more specifically. We're introduced to so many interesting people that the image of a staid librarian is completely turned on its head (mind you, I've always had the pleasure of meeting some great librarians so that's only ever been a fictional image for me). We learn how forensic science has changed the way fires are investigated, and we learn how fire- and water-damaged books have a sometimes hope of being saved.
When I was a child, one job I dreamed of was being a librarian - a few times in my life I have toyed with the idea of heading in that direction, but it never came to fruition. Instead, I catalogue my own books and that satisfies me. This book added another dimension to my satisfaction.