emilylovesgoodbooks's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
relaxing
slow-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Drug abuse and Drug use
pearlagcalo's review against another edition
4.0
Absolutely loved this. Fascinating history of the Los Angeles Public Library, Central Branch. The idea of burning a book (let alone a library fire), gave me such anxiety but the writing is beautiful and nostalgic. It reminds me that the library is grand and a portal to our stories, history and community.
dmacy's review against another edition
3.0
Like a disorganized library, this book possesses treasures, but frustrates the reader trying to find them.
As a book lover and proud library patron, I wish I liked this book more than I actually did. The idea of a book that simultaneously tells the story of a mysterious library fire and the story of libraries in the 21st century seemed intriguing, which is why I picked up this book in the first place.
The first few chapters fulfilled this promise, and are the best chapters of the book. It starts by detailing the fire and events of that tragic day, before then giving some background information about the library itself. These chapters are engaging and riveting.
However, the rest of the book, especially the middle chapters, lost this energy. Just when the fire and the investigation were getting interesting, Orlean then spent the next several chapters talking about the various historical and contemporary figures in the LA public library’s vista, in excruciating detail. These chapters derailed the true-crime pacing and tone set up in the first few chapters, and while informative, honestly lost me. Orlean picked up with the case towards the end of the book and described it in a satisfying manner, but only after many diversions.
Orlean’s writing style is worth noting, as she balanced a journalistic, objective reporting style with her obvious love for libraries and what they stand for. Her style was clear, descriptive, and engaging.
This book was intriguing, and featured many engaging chapters and topics, but suffered from a gluttony of information, and a loss of focus on the trial.
As a book lover and proud library patron, I wish I liked this book more than I actually did. The idea of a book that simultaneously tells the story of a mysterious library fire and the story of libraries in the 21st century seemed intriguing, which is why I picked up this book in the first place.
The first few chapters fulfilled this promise, and are the best chapters of the book. It starts by detailing the fire and events of that tragic day, before then giving some background information about the library itself. These chapters are engaging and riveting.
However, the rest of the book, especially the middle chapters, lost this energy. Just when the fire and the investigation were getting interesting, Orlean then spent the next several chapters talking about the various historical and contemporary figures in the LA public library’s vista, in excruciating detail. These chapters derailed the true-crime pacing and tone set up in the first few chapters, and while informative, honestly lost me. Orlean picked up with the case towards the end of the book and described it in a satisfying manner, but only after many diversions.
Orlean’s writing style is worth noting, as she balanced a journalistic, objective reporting style with her obvious love for libraries and what they stand for. Her style was clear, descriptive, and engaging.
This book was intriguing, and featured many engaging chapters and topics, but suffered from a gluttony of information, and a loss of focus on the trial.
jennyd83's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5