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The Writer’s Library:
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What’s The Writer’s Library About?
I’m just going to copy and paste from the Publisher’s site here:
Before Jennifer Egan, Louise Erdrich, Luis Alberto Urrea, and Jonathan Lethem became revered authors, they were readers. In this ebullient book, America’s favorite librarian Nancy Pearl and noted-playwright Jeff Schwager interview a diverse range of America’s most notable and influential writers about the books that shaped them and inspired them to leave their own literary mark.
The Writer’s Library is a revelatory exploration of the studies, libraries, and bookstores of today’s favorite authors—the creative artists whose imagination and sublime talent make America’s literary scene the wonderful, dynamic world it is. A love letter to books and a celebration of wordsmiths, The Writer’s Library is a treasure for anyone who has been moved by the written word.
Did I Like Anything in This Book?
I liked quite a few things, actually. The Foreword by Susan Orlean was just great, I cannot say enough about it. I wrote a note saying “worth whatever time I spend on this book for this foreword.”
The premise of the book is great, the range of authors and topics were intriguing and/or challenging. The interviews I listened to were thoughtful and entertaining.
Then Why Did I Not Finish The Writer’s Library?
I tried, I really tried. But during the introduction, I started to worry, and by the time it got into the first interview, I knew the experience was going to be rough. I listened to the interviews with Jonathan Letham, Laila Lalami, Luis Alberto Urrea and started Jennifer Egan and just couldn’t do it anymore.
So, as I understand it, Pearl and Schwager would interview the authors, write up a transcript and then submit it to the author for some editing. Then it went in the book. So far so good. Then for the audiobook, Pearl, Schwager, and a professional audiobook narrator would read the transcript. And that’s where it falls apart. It sounded stiff and artificial—like people reading a script without ever seeing it before. Generally, the narrators came across okay, but even they came across stilted. Inflection was odd, there were unusual gaps between one person reading their part and the next starting.
Were these audio recordings of the actual interviews? I think I’d love this. Or if I read it in print, and wouldn’t have to worry about the way it was narrated? I’d happily listen and/or read—and I think I will try this in print after I can’t remember just how bad I thought this was.
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