The Library Book by Susan Orlean

3.5 (4)
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Web ID: 16836228

Susan Orlean's bestseller and New York Times Notable Book is a sheer delight...as rich in insight and as varied as the treasures contained on the shelves in any local library (USA TODAY)-a dazzling love letter to a beloved institution and an investigation into one of its greatest mysteries. Everybody who loves books should check out The Library Book (The Washington Post). On the morning of April 28, 1986, a fire alarm sounded in the Los Angeles Public Library. The fire was disastrous- it reached two thousand degrees and burned for more than seven hours. By the time it was extinguished, it had consumed four hundred thousand books and damaged seven hundred thousand more. Investigators descended on the scene, but more than thirty years later, the mystery remains- Did someone purposefully set fire to the library-and if so, who? Weaving her lifelong love of books and reading into an investigation of the fire, award-winning New Yorker reporter and New York Times bestselling author Susan Orlean delivers a delightful...reflection on the past, present, and future of libraries in America (New York magazine) that manages to tell the broader story of libraries and librarians in a way that has never been done before. In the exquisitely written, consistently entertaining (The New York Times) The Library.

  • Product Features

    • Suggested age range- Adult
    • Format- Paperback
    • Product dimension- 5.5" W x 8.3" H x 0.9" D
    • Genre- Social Sciences
    • Publisher- Simon & Schuster, Publication date- 10-01-2019
    • Page count- 336
    • ISBN- 9781476740195

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Ratings & Reviews

3.5/5

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11 months ago

3.5 stars

THE LIBRARY BOOK by Susan Orlean I have fond memories of weekly trips to the library when I was younger. The LA Public Library (Central Library/LA Central) was only two miles from our house. I was a voracious reader and left with at least 6 books each time. I was seven when the 1986 fire broke out at the Central Library and thus wasn’t aware of how devastating it truly was. While the author does go into detail about the fire, the suspected arsonist and the aftermath, the story often meandered and split into multiple tangents. We are given a (very) deep dive into the history of libraries, the beginnings of the LAPL, the various head librarians, library management, library patrons and so on. This could have been split up into two separate yet related books. Overall, despite it not sticking to the subject matter, I did learn a lot and I have a renewed appreciation for our public libraries and the people who keep them running. Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️ **Gifted copy courtesy of SimonAndSchuster SimonBooks #SimonBooksBuddy

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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com

5 years ago

A love Letter to Books

The Library Book by Susan Orlean on the surface is a book about the Los Angeles Public Library fire in 1986 that burned for over seven hours, the single biggest library fire in the history of the US. It’s actually a love letter to libraries, their history, their place in our communities, and the tireless men and women who work there. I’m a lover of libraries, have used them in many capacities throughout my life, but was amazed what I did not know (and what I learned). The author writes not simply about the Los Angeles Library but the history of libraries, their evolution, their future. It gave me a renewed appreciation for the vast role libraries play within communities and how that will continue to evolve. I highly recommend this for bibliophiles and history buffs alike. I received an advanced reader copy (eGalley) from Simon & Schuster through NetGalley. This review reflects my honest and unbiased opinions.

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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com

5 years ago
from San Diego

Very disappointing

I thought I was getting a true life mystery, but instead got a very tedious account of the LA library system. I just couldn’t get past chapters 5/6 of her burning a book “to see how it felt “ and then how books are packed up and transported between branches!?! Reading on my Nook, I kept looking ahead to see when the introduction would end and the story would begin. Gave up! Wish I hadn’t wasted my money

Customer review from barnesandnoble.com

5 years ago
from Chicago, Illinois

The Library Book Review

As a writer (sort of) I really love to read creative nonfiction works by other writers. I will admit that I wasn't too interested in the fire at the LAPL when I first picked this up for a book club, but Orlean does a great job weaving together the history of both the library and Harry Peak as well as building up the event. It reminded me a lot of The Devil in the White City with the chapters going back and forth almost between major players in the book. I can't wait to pick up more from her to read this year.

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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com