Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

  • The Library Book

  • By: Susan Orlean
  • Narrated by: Susan Orlean
  • Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins
  • 5.0 out of 5 stars (3 ratings)
Get this deal Try for £0.00
Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
The Library Book cover art

The Library Book

By: Susan Orlean
Narrated by: Susan Orlean
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £17.99

Buy Now for £17.99

Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

 The Orchid Thief cover art
Paradise Falls cover art
Five Floors Up cover art
The Easytown Novels: Books 1-3 cover art
Behind the Door cover art
The Silmarillion cover art
Fahrenheit 451 cover art
Little House in the Big Woods cover art
Elantris (Dramatized Adaptation) cover art
The Address cover art
Terry Pratchett: A Life with Footnotes cover art
The Last Monument cover art
The First Shot cover art

Summary

A New York Times Book of the Year.

A Reese Witherspoon X Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick.

A dazzling love letter to a beloved institution—our libraries.

After moving to Los Angeles, Susan Orlean became fascinated by a mysterious local crime that has gone unsolved since it was carried out on the morning of 29th April 1986: who set fire to the Los Angeles Public Library, ultimately destroying more than 400,000 books, and perhaps even more perplexing, why?

With her characteristic humour, insight and compassion, Orlean uses this terrible event as a lens through which to tell the story of all libraries—their history, their meaning and their uncertain future as they adapt and redefine themselves in a digital world.

Filled with heart, passion and extraordinary characters, The Library Book discusses the larger crucial role that libraries play in our lives.
©2018 Susan Orlean (P)2018 Simon & Schuster
Journalists, Editors & Publishers True Crime Words, Language & Grammar Library & Museum Studies
Show More Show Less

Critic reviews

“Exquisitely written, consistently entertaining.” (New York Times)

What listeners say about The Library Book

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    3
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Audible.co.uk reviews

Amazon reviews
Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Jess

Absolutely wonderful book about books

I adored listening to this hymn to libraries. This is a fantastically researched deep dive into the story of book sharing. For anyone remotely interested in a mystery bound up with books, choose The Library Book.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!