bookwormjimmy's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
3.0
Phyllis Rose embarks on a journey...to read only books on a particular shelf in the library. Specifically, from LEQ to LES. It's not completely random, as she had to find a shelf that wasn't filled with just one or two authors, a shelf with a variety of time periods in which they were written, and not something filled with authors that she already knew. After a very arduous search, she finally found the shelf.
As you would expect, her reaction to these books were quite varied. Some books she quite enjoyed, some she found she appreciated much more than she anticipated, and there might have been a book or two that she hated so much she would throw it across her bedroom causing the librarians, upon the book's return, to question whether the book was fit for reshelving. Some books were so dry that I even had a hard time reading her quick summary. There were also some interesting tidbits in the book as well. The one I found most interesting was the criteria that the librarians go through when trying to prune their shelves in order to make room for more books out there. Seriously, I would rather read a book all about the selection criteria for books in a library.
The Shelf is less extreme and more mundane more than anything. There are better books out there in the "books about books" genre, but give this one a look if it sounds interesting to you.
As you would expect, her reaction to these books were quite varied. Some books she quite enjoyed, some she found she appreciated much more than she anticipated, and there might have been a book or two that she hated so much she would throw it across her bedroom causing the librarians, upon the book's return, to question whether the book was fit for reshelving. Some books were so dry that I even had a hard time reading her quick summary. There were also some interesting tidbits in the book as well. The one I found most interesting was the criteria that the librarians go through when trying to prune their shelves in order to make room for more books out there. Seriously, I would rather read a book all about the selection criteria for books in a library.
The Shelf is less extreme and more mundane more than anything. There are better books out there in the "books about books" genre, but give this one a look if it sounds interesting to you.
caroparr's review against another edition
4.0
SUCH a good book. Many avid readers have vowed to read everything in the library, starting with the A authors, and give up after just a shelf or two. Phyllis Rose does it differently. She decides to read a randomly chosen shelf of fiction, unmediated by the canon, or reviews, or best-of lists. Whatever happens to be there, she'll read. She ensures that there are some books by women and at least one classic, and she ends up with an interestingly random selection.
When Nabokov's translation of Lermontov's A Hero of Our Time proves too intrusive (studded with footnotes, many about what a fool the writer was), she tracks down not just one but two other translations and finds herself liking the book more each time. Two writers she had never read but enjoys seem to have stopped writing, so she contacts them and finds out why (one becomes a friend). She also starts to wonder how some of these books make their way to her shelf (as a public librarian, I was surprised that the dated mysteries by William Le Queux were still on that shelf - it is the New York Society Library, though) and is amazed at how and why librarians weed. She discusses regionalism, women writers, domestic vs. literary fiction, the appeal of mysteries and why critics are so tempted to disparage them, and more. She argues with the unknown reader who made notes in her copy of the Lermontov. Throughout, Rose is endlessly engaging and informative, as you might expect from someone who writes about writing and writers (Proust, Virginia Woolf, et al.). At the end of the book she lists "the inner shelf of texts that accompany me through life," a list that includes so many I haven't read that I've had to make yet another TBR list. Good enough to own, and yes, I have already downloaded A Hero of Our Time. Thank you, Phyllis!
When Nabokov's translation of Lermontov's A Hero of Our Time proves too intrusive (studded with footnotes, many about what a fool the writer was), she tracks down not just one but two other translations and finds herself liking the book more each time. Two writers she had never read but enjoys seem to have stopped writing, so she contacts them and finds out why (one becomes a friend). She also starts to wonder how some of these books make their way to her shelf (as a public librarian, I was surprised that the dated mysteries by William Le Queux were still on that shelf - it is the New York Society Library, though) and is amazed at how and why librarians weed. She discusses regionalism, women writers, domestic vs. literary fiction, the appeal of mysteries and why critics are so tempted to disparage them, and more. She argues with the unknown reader who made notes in her copy of the Lermontov. Throughout, Rose is endlessly engaging and informative, as you might expect from someone who writes about writing and writers (Proust, Virginia Woolf, et al.). At the end of the book she lists "the inner shelf of texts that accompany me through life," a list that includes so many I haven't read that I've had to make yet another TBR list. Good enough to own, and yes, I have already downloaded A Hero of Our Time. Thank you, Phyllis!
zeezeemama11's review against another edition
3.0
I greatly enjoyed this. Wordy at times but that forgiven because it is a book about books. I got a lot of good recommendations from this experiment of the authors. I would reread other items written by her as well.
rglossner's review against another edition
4.0
Phyllis Rose picked a shelf in the New York Society Library, a private library to which she belongs, and spent a year reading its contents. The shelf was fiction , LEQ-LES. Her essays and observations about this make wonderful reading. Her observation that it's a good idea to read things you don't usually read is a sound one, and eloquently stated. And while most of what she read holds no interest for me, she did discover at
least one novelist I've put on my list to be read. I like books about reading, and this is one of the best I've ever encountered.
least one novelist I've put on my list to be read. I like books about reading, and this is one of the best I've ever encountered.
floribunda52's review against another edition
4.0
This book is based on an intriguing concept -- pick a shelf at the library and read across it. Some of the author's "reports" were a bit long-winded and easy to skip through, but others -- such as her essay on women authors, and the one about how libraries weed their collections -- were quite interesting. There may be a couple of books on her shelf that I'll seek out, and many that I won't! Maybe I'll look for a shelf of my own...
jorl79's review against another edition
5.0
I was happy to stumble across this gem while checking out a book store on my travel list. I loved her sentence structure and her insight and her recommendations of authors I would not have found on my own. I also loved knowing i'm not alone in my love of books though sometimes I feel that way.
jbojkov's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book which I read for my book group meeting this month. I like the idea of picking a random shelf in the library and reading all the authors and/or books on it. Maybe after I retire, I'll give it a shot.
kahale's review against another edition
3.0
The author would call all of us on Goodreads "Common Readeers" because we make many of our book choices by ratings of others. There were parts of this book that I liked because it will cause my to explore titles I had not seen before. If you plan on reading any of the books mentioned in this book you may have to skip some pages because there are many spoils.
the premise of the book is that the author picked a shelf of books from the NY Society Library. there were various criteria that had to be met that the author described in excruiating detail. the best part of the book was the treatise about the reasons why there are so many more men writeers than women writer since more women read.
the premise of the book is that the author picked a shelf of books from the NY Society Library. there were various criteria that had to be met that the author described in excruiating detail. the best part of the book was the treatise about the reasons why there are so many more men writeers than women writer since more women read.
luckydayyy's review against another edition
5.0
A fascinating analysis/commentary on reading, publishing, library collections, etc.