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Susan Orlean's voice droned though out the book, and I almost felt as if she was bored and just going through the motions. I did speed up the pace on my audiobook which did help, but I still felt like I was being read a book by my high school English teacher.
Yes, yes I did hear that right and I almost turned the book off then and there. Considering the author claims to love libraries, the thought of burning a book, just to see what it feels like sounds insane. Ironicly, the chosen book was Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. I have to wonder if she literary saw the irony or if this was "like rain on your wedding day."
What the novel detailed about the LAPL fire could have fit into a short story. The majority of The Library Book was on the author's love for libraries or educating us on the Dewey Decimal System. Instead of being informative it came off as if I were reading someone's dissertation and was as dry as paper after a fire.
I feel repetitive, but The Library Book was more like a string of thoughts with what Susan Orlean felt we should be educated on. Occasionally she would remember what the book was suppose to be about and throw the reader a bone with an antidote about Harry Peak, the supposed arsonist.
Sadly, I know just as much about the Los Angeles Public Library and Harry Peak as I did going into the book -- which is pretty much nothing. The Library Book was more of a ramble instead of the promised true crime on the library fire. Overall, it was a disappointing listen and is twelve hours I'll never get back.
This review was originally posted on First Impressions Reviews