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7th out of 9 books
—
6 voters
The Incident Report
In a Toronto library, home to the mad and the marginalized, notes appear, written by someone who believes he is Rigoletto, the hunchbacked jester from Verdis opera. Convinced that the young librarian, Miriam, is his daughter, he promises to protect her from grief. Little does he know how much loss she has already experienced; or does he? The Incident Report, both mystery a...more
Paperback, 186 pages
Published
April 22nd 2009
by Pedlar Press
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"Many incidents occur in public libraries,
and when one does the librarian in charge
is required to fill out the necessary forms..."
The Incident Report begins with this quote along with an example of a library incident report, setting the tone for the rest of the story. The book is broken up into individual incidents, which taken together, tell the story of Miriam's life. Library incidents intertwine with incidents within her life, past and present to give a feeling of who Miriam is and how seemin...more
and when one does the librarian in charge
is required to fill out the necessary forms..."
The Incident Report begins with this quote along with an example of a library incident report, setting the tone for the rest of the story. The book is broken up into individual incidents, which taken together, tell the story of Miriam's life. Library incidents intertwine with incidents within her life, past and present to give a feeling of who Miriam is and how seemin...more
If you work in a library or any other service-based industry, you are probably familiar with incident reports — detailed written reports that must be completed whenever a disturbance or criminal act occurs during your work hours. This novel by Martha Baillie is narrated by a library clerk, Miriam, in the form of reports regarding both library and personal incidents. Captured in these reports are unruly and ill-behaved patrons of all sorts — and those of you who have worked in libraries can attes...more
I picked this up at the library firstly because of the fine paper it is printed on (a rare delight), and secondly because of its novel concept of telling the story. The book uses 144 incident reports like the ones which Toronto Public Library workers fill out to report notable and questionable incidents at the library (like patrons who remove all the books off a shelf, or men who beckon to patrons from outside the library’s windows).
I found this format perfect for the main character Miriam’s de...more
I found this format perfect for the main character Miriam’s de...more
This novel has an intriguing format. With the narrator, Miriam, an employee of the Public Libraries of Toronto, in the Allan Gardens branch, the book begins with a form used by the library to report on incidents that take place in the library. The rest of the book is in the form of short (sometimes very short) incident reports that consist of descriptions of events that take place in the library, in her personal life, or in her past. It was a very different way to tell a story and yet it worked...more
This is being discussed at the High Park Library on the 2nd Wednesday in September.
August 31st - I finished it. The book is a fast, smooth read. A day to day account of a librarian's life. Just loved it.
This book is going to sit in my mind as 'something special'. Not because I identify in any way with the vocation of librarian but because it's a 'first' for me.
It is the first time I've fully understood what it means when a book can be classified as 'literature'.
The other day I read somewhere tha...more
August 31st - I finished it. The book is a fast, smooth read. A day to day account of a librarian's life. Just loved it.
This book is going to sit in my mind as 'something special'. Not because I identify in any way with the vocation of librarian but because it's a 'first' for me.
It is the first time I've fully understood what it means when a book can be classified as 'literature'.
The other day I read somewhere tha...more
I discovered this book when meeting Baillie at our local farmer's market, which we attend each Saturday. Baillie had the only 'wares' that were in book form, and was a total quirkball delight to chat with.
Toronto's Pedlar Press is run by one woman in her house, and sheesh, does she ever create elegant books - the paper weight on this one was lovely.
Anyone who's ever worked in a public library must read this book to find solidarity and deep humor. Anyone who hasn't ever worked in a public librar...more
Toronto's Pedlar Press is run by one woman in her house, and sheesh, does she ever create elegant books - the paper weight on this one was lovely.
Anyone who's ever worked in a public library must read this book to find solidarity and deep humor. Anyone who hasn't ever worked in a public librar...more
Required reading for anybody who has worked or is currently working in a library! The narrative is told through a series of numbered incident reports, which are structured more like mini chapters. While I agree that the main character, Miriam, an employee at the Allan Gardens branch of the Toronto Public Library, can seem emotionless at times, I found her dry and subtle humour added so much to the challenging and absurd situations at the library. Her patience and diplomacy in handling difficult...more
Meg Storey (Editor, Tin House Books): I read Martha Baillie’s The Incident Report in two sittings. Told in one-to-three-page chapters, Baillie’s novel is the best kind of quick read: a quick shot to the heart. Miriam, the librarian-narrator, reports her interactions with the regular (and often slightly disturbed and nutty) library patrons alongside her own story of grief over her father’s death and her slow willingness to fall in love with a man she meets on a park bench. She also keeps finding...more
Anyone who currently works, wants to work, or has worked in a public library needs to read this book. Entirely made up of "incident reports," this is the story of Miriam Gordon, who works at the service desk in the Toronto Public Library. Miriam's reports chronicle her day-today encounters with customers, which encompass the hilariously inappropriate, disturbing and the poignant. From the man who sits on the floor and obsessively stacks books, to the Lavendar Woman who rants to Miriam about Amer...more
1. pedlar press 2. a novel made of library incident reports 3. 5 star cclap review
you tell me what's not to like?
clever, affecting novel of a women taking the chance to reach out to other people, specifically taking a lover after many years a solitary. Intertwined with her story are incident reports she has made at her job as a librarian, reports of all the crazy, nice, vile, and ridiculous people who use public libraries. The ultimate question i see author is asking is if we reach out to other...more
you tell me what's not to like?
clever, affecting novel of a women taking the chance to reach out to other people, specifically taking a lover after many years a solitary. Intertwined with her story are incident reports she has made at her job as a librarian, reports of all the crazy, nice, vile, and ridiculous people who use public libraries. The ultimate question i see author is asking is if we reach out to other...more
Do you like one-of-a-kind novels? Do you enjoy novels that surprise you? Do you look for novels written in unusual formats? Look no further. The Incident Report is your kind of book.
The Incident Report is a list of reports filed by librarians about disturbing activities in the library.
And that’s it. That’s the whole plot.
What do you think?
I’m a librarian, so I might be more interested than most people in stories centered around library problems, but I think it’s a cool enough idea that you will...more
The Incident Report is a list of reports filed by librarians about disturbing activities in the library.
And that’s it. That’s the whole plot.
What do you think?
I’m a librarian, so I might be more interested than most people in stories centered around library problems, but I think it’s a cool enough idea that you will...more
Constructed as a series of enigmatic "reports" by a Toronto librarian, from which a number of intersecting narratives emerge. Immersive, captivating. Reminiscent of Bernhard's The Voice Imitator in form, Baillie displays something approaching the mad Austrian's sense for misery and obsession, and she's funny, too. The literary equivalent of Jem Cohen's Lost Book Found (link), maybe? Random bookstore pickup. Baillie could become a new fave. These sentences are short.
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When I first finished this book, I was speechless (which is rare for me). I stumbled upon this novel while in a bookstore in Canada and thought that the premise was interesting so I bought a copy. I had no idea how impressive such a slim book could be. I rarely keep books after I finish reading them, however, this book will have a permanent place on my bookshelf for future re-readings and re-re-readings.
Author Mariam Baillie tells the story of Miriam, a public librarian in the city of Toronto. M...more
Author Mariam Baillie tells the story of Miriam, a public librarian in the city of Toronto. M...more
(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally.)
This is now my second book from the exquisite small Canadian publisher Pedlar Press, after Jacob Wren's Revenge Fantasies of the Politically Dispossessed; and this is just as impressive as that one, a poetically beautiful text but with quite a dark streak as well, in this case centered around a Toronto pub...more
This is now my second book from the exquisite small Canadian publisher Pedlar Press, after Jacob Wren's Revenge Fantasies of the Politically Dispossessed; and this is just as impressive as that one, a poetically beautiful text but with quite a dark streak as well, in this case centered around a Toronto pub...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
A story told via incident reports from a public library? Intrigue! I've had this checked out for a while and am going to come back to it later...perhaps as a book club suggestion!
"Strikingly original in its structure, comprised of 140 highly distilled, lyric reports, the novel depicts the tensions between private and public storytelling, the subtle dynamics of a socially exposed workplace." -Goodreads description
"Strikingly original in its structure, comprised of 140 highly distilled, lyric reports, the novel depicts the tensions between private and public storytelling, the subtle dynamics of a socially exposed workplace." -Goodreads description
I'm not entirely sure what I thought about this one. On one hand, Baillie's obviously a talented writer, but I'm not a fan of her flat, relatively emotionless style, and the novel just kind of peters out at the end. Reading all of the incident reports also kind of stressed me out, and #89 is proof that my "you got any books on history?" story must have made its way to her. She will be hearing from my team of high-priced lawyers.
It would not do to go into too much detail, as much of the joy of The Incident Report comes from placing the pieces together, getting a picture of Miriam's fragility and strength only through glimpses into her reactions. The rest of the novel's delight lies in Baillie's precise construction of sentences, her wordplay and imagery delicately balancing Miriam's wistful view of the world with its harsher realities. Phrases such as "I lowered my eyes to the computer screen and read, but the words had...more
I liked its sparse narrative and the way the book was organized into reports, elevating even mundane events into 'incidents' giving the book a sinister overtone that stuck with me when it was over. And man, it gave me a deeper appreciation of our library: even when things sometimes get weird, they could certainly be weirder.
This was a very clever book, probably 3.5 stars but I decided to be generous and round it up. The author uses a gimmick to tell the story but she does it in such a way that the gimmick does not overshadow the narrative. The narrator works in a public library in Toronto and tells the story through a series of "incident reports" that reflect the day-to-day weirdness of working in this environment. She also uses these "reports" to tell the story of her love affair which she obviously would not incl...more
Probably one of the best book I have read, and very lyrical at that. Each and every report in the book is carefully composed and written to perfection, contrasting in nature. You don't have to love libraries to love this book. But if you do, you may enjoy this book even more.
This book is fabulous. The format was brilliant, the writing was elegant, the intersecting stories were all captivating and-- like reading an actual incident report-- I was left wanting to know more.
Nov 06, 2010
Paula
marked it as to-read
This book got a fantastic review from the Cuyahoga County Public Library Readers Advisory Specialist. She suggested it for those of us who work in libraries.
Emotion wells up quickly from the supposedly dry and clinical reports of day-to-day occurrences at a downtown Toronto library. Written by a frustrated and depressed but conscientious young woman, the ostensible reports trace both fond and troubled memories from her childhood, and bring her to the awakening and possibilities of happiness in her present life. Longlisted for the 2009 Giller Prize, Baillie's novel is populated by fleeting but poignant portraits of people finding solace and sanctuary...more
Love the feel of this book, beautiful paper!! The format of a book written through a series of incident reports is very interesting. I didn't really "get" the ending, I felt like maybe I missed something......
I loved the format and the quality of the writing, but the plot seemed a little rushed towards the end.
Eerily accurate right up to the unexpected ending.
I've been looking forward to this one for a while. Picked up a copy at Pedlar Press Publisher's porch sale.
It's hard not to like a book set at a library and made up of incident reports that librarians have to follow. It should be handed out to all SILS entrants as a deterrent and warning as to what serving the public really means...
Not exactly what I was expecting. and has a unforseenly sad ending. I think it would be 1 or 2 stars were I not working in a library myself
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Martha Baillie was born in Toronto, in 1960, and educated in a French-English bilingual school. At seventeen she left for Scotland where she studied history and modern languages (French and Russian) at the University of Edinburgh.
She completed her studies at the Sorbonne in Paris and at the University of Toronto. While at university, Baillie became involved in theatre.
She continued to act after gr...more
More about Martha Baillie...
She completed her studies at the Sorbonne in Paris and at the University of Toronto. While at university, Baillie became involved in theatre.
She continued to act after gr...more
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