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 …
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 Book, Orlean chronicles the LAPL fire and its aftermath to showcase the larger, crucial role that libraries play in our lives; delves into the evolution of libraries; brings each department of the library to vivid life; studies arson and attempts to burn a copy of a book herself; and reexamines the case of Harry Peak, the blond-haired actor long suspected of setting fire to the LAPL more than thirty years ago.
“A book lover’s dream…an ambitiously researched, elegantly written book that serves as a portal into a place of history, drama, culture, and stories” (Star Tribune, Minneapolis), Susan Orlean’s thrilling journey through the stacks reveals how these beloved institutions provide much more than just books—and why they remain an essential part of the heart, mind, and soul of our country.
Part history of a calamitous fire, part true crime investigation, with sprinkles of snapshots into the life of current public library workers and those of the past.
I enjoyed this book, though not really for what it was supposed to be. I feel like the investigation into the cause of the fire fizzled out quickly, a sort of non-story with no satisfying conclusion.
But the snapshots of the lives of previous and current library staff was absolutely delightful. Some real strong characters in the libraries history who really shine in this book.
I'm torn as to how to rate this book. So, I'll give it a noncommittal, average 3. I may reduce that upon further reflection (I'm quite sure I won't increase). The parts I liked, I liked very much; I just didn't love the overall effect.
If you know me, you know how very much in love with reading, books, and libraries I am. If you don't know me, I don't remember a time that I didn't read and visit a library at least once a week. I'm always reading. I'm currently a public library trustee.
I didn't know, going in, that the book was supposed to be centered on the 1986 Los Angeles Public Library fire [You had me at "library."]; so it didn't bother me, necessarily, that Orlean also writes about libraries/library history in general and LAPL history specifically. However, I tend to agree with others that Orlean should …
I'm torn as to how to rate this book. So, I'll give it a noncommittal, average 3. I may reduce that upon further reflection (I'm quite sure I won't increase). The parts I liked, I liked very much; I just didn't love the overall effect.
If you know me, you know how very much in love with reading, books, and libraries I am. If you don't know me, I don't remember a time that I didn't read and visit a library at least once a week. I'm always reading. I'm currently a public library trustee.
I didn't know, going in, that the book was supposed to be centered on the 1986 Los Angeles Public Library fire [You had me at "library."]; so it didn't bother me, necessarily, that Orlean also writes about libraries/library history in general and LAPL history specifically. However, I tend to agree with others that Orlean should have picked a topic and stuck with it. Like other reviewers, I found the book to be ridiculously disjointed.
Out of 25 bookmarks I made, only two related to the fire (8%). I've read several books about libraries that were more compelling than this one; so, I could have skipped this altogether.
Knowing how subjective reading is, I rarely discourage anyone from reading whatever they want. If you're psyched by the hype around this book, read it! I hope you enjoy it thoroughly.
