review of the library book by susan orlean

Looking to the future, Orlean refuses to eulogize libraries.

Though authorities tried to pin guilt on him, he was never brought to trial, for lack of evidence, and died in 1993. Ultimately, after consulting arson experts, Orlean can’t conclude whether Peak set the fire, or whether it might have been an accident. Here, for example, is her pithy description of L.A.: “I thought of Los Angeles as a radiant doughnut, rimmed by milky ocean and bristling mountains, with a big hole in the middle.” The writing, however is unfailingly fine. And sometimes it’s downright silly, as when she burns a book to imagine what an arsonist experiences. from slumbering town to sprawling megacity.Īt times, Orlean’s ever-shifting focus gives the book the feel of a random hodgepodge. volunteers his precise and exacting intelligence to index the library’s thousands of maps, historic and contemporary, that trace the growth of L.A. In today’s library, the author has nothing but respect for the brain of C.J. Orlean is more dubious: “He had a habit of tapping his forehead after being asked a question, as if he had to jar the answer loose from a storage bin in his brain.” Jones, whose expertise was in citrus fruit cultivation, dubbing him “The Human Encyclopedia.” Charles Lummis, its chief administrator from 1905 through 1910, was a flamboyant Harvard dropout and journalist who threw wild parties, had many affairs and was often absent from the job. She’s a droll storyteller eager to show the human face of the library.

Orlean not only strolls around the building but hopscotches back and forth though time. Patrons bringing every sort of eccentricity with them, like obsessions with flying saucers, have to be served as well as serious scholars. Private study carrels, she’s informed, had to be discontinued because of their use for sexual encounters. restaurant menus and orchestral scores, not to mention fruit-crate labels.

For instance, Central owns collections of L.A. Yet, Orlean notes, “there are a lot of surprising things” in a library this big.

Not surprisingly, all of these people are book lovers. Some books, they point out, still smell of smoke. Those with seniority, recalling the fire, choke up. Still, she keeps a steady eye on Central, a huge institution with many departments and employees, much the way Julie Salomon did in her fine study “Hospital.” Following an “open stacks” approach to her subject, Orlean wanders around to chat with circulation clerks, children’s librarians and the head of security. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy.įor Orlean, author of “The Orchid Thief' and other deftly constructed works of nonfiction, the fire and its aftermath form the dramatic centerpiece for “The Library Book,” which becomes a loving homage to libraries everywhere.

Review of the library book by susan orlean