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A review by cpope9
The Library Book by Susan Orlean
3.0
What was the point of this book? I don't know.
I really enjoyed a lot of this but also really didn't. The main tale about the LA library is interesting and very well-told despite there being no real meat or climax to the story after the first two chapters. The rest of the book is a bunch of intersting but extremely digressive subplots about people, events, themes, and happenings that have some connection to the library over its history.
The writing is nice, though often over-expressive. But hopping from one story to another made this often feel more like skimming through book after book on a library shelf but only spending 10 minutes on each book before moving to the next; with no real sense of connection between stories except that they happen to be organized right next to one another on the shelf.
As such, this was more like a short story about the library fire with a bunch of historical biographical essays interspersed throughout.
2.5 stars
I really enjoyed a lot of this but also really didn't. The main tale about the LA library is interesting and very well-told despite there being no real meat or climax to the story after the first two chapters. The rest of the book is a bunch of intersting but extremely digressive subplots about people, events, themes, and happenings that have some connection to the library over its history.
The writing is nice, though often over-expressive. But hopping from one story to another made this often feel more like skimming through book after book on a library shelf but only spending 10 minutes on each book before moving to the next; with no real sense of connection between stories except that they happen to be organized right next to one another on the shelf.
As such, this was more like a short story about the library fire with a bunch of historical biographical essays interspersed throughout.
2.5 stars