The bestselling author of The Orchid Thief is back with this delightfully entertaining collection of her best and brightest profiles. Acclaimed New...
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Jan 02, 2009
Katherine
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Susan Orlean’s collection of essays explores a whole host of topics ranging from surfer girls in Maui to high school basketball stars to a female bullfighter from Spain. Each essay is a personality profile highlighting the unique and fascinating aspects of each person and their deeds. Orlean focuses many of her essays on people that wouldn’t ordinarily end up in a personality profile such as real estate agents and grade school children. However, each essay shines and points out the humorous
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Apr 07, 2011
Tabitha
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I would describe Susan Orlean’s prose as almost flawless. Her descriptions are poignant and colorful; she is sparing with her words, but chooses unique combinations that paint a perfect picture. There is so much to learn and admire about her piquantly observant style. She has a very light presence within her stories, especially these short “character sketches.” We see little glimpses of her from time to time, maybe even a spattering of dialogue. But she is largely absent from the subject an
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Dec 03, 2008
Chris
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Basically, the rule here is, if the first word of the essay is "if," it will be really good. ("If Colin Duffy and I were to get married, we would have matching superhero notebooks." "If I were a bitch, I'd be in love with Biff Truesdale.") Otherwise, it will be something of a disappointment.
Two and a half stars, really. I read "The American Man, Age Ten" in the New Kings of Non-Fiction compilation, and my reasonless bias against Susan Orlean More...
Two and a half stars, really. I read "The American Man, Age Ten" in the New Kings of Non-Fiction compilation, and my reasonless bias against Susan Orlean More...
Aug 14, 2008
JohnS
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This collection of short non-fiction essays by Susan Orlean (of the Orchid Thief) showcases some of the best New Yorker style writing around. The first essay, "The American Man, Age 10" is worth the price of admission. Here's the first paragraph:
If Colin Duffy and I were to get married, we would have matching superhero notebooks. We would ' wear shorts, big sneakers, and long, baggy T-shirts depicting famous athletes every single day, even in the winter. We would sleep in More...
If Colin Duffy and I were to get married, we would have matching superhero notebooks. We would ' wear shorts, big sneakers, and long, baggy T-shirts depicting famous athletes every single day, even in the winter. We would sleep in More...
Dec 05, 2011
AdultNonFiction
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TCL Call#: 920.02 Orlean
Madeleine - 2 stars
While Orlean's writing style is delightful, the pieces in this book are written in such a tight focus that they don't age well. It's like watching Logan's Run now - it was cutting edge and innovative in its day but now is almost as fun in how dated it looks. Every vignette is like reading someone's diary from 1991.
Madeleine - 2 stars
While Orlean's writing style is delightful, the pieces in this book are written in such a tight focus that they don't age well. It's like watching Logan's Run now - it was cutting edge and innovative in its day but now is almost as fun in how dated it looks. Every vignette is like reading someone's diary from 1991.
Sep 21, 2009
I took this huge hardcover on vacation to the Dominican Republic while everyone else had Clive Cussler and Fern Michaels paperbacks. It changed my life. Right then and there, at poolside, I realized that non-fiction writing was something I wanted to do more than anything else. Thank you, Susan Orlean. You are one heck of a powerful writer.
Sep 26, 2011
Melanie
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A delightful array of essays by the author of The Orchid Thief. I'm only on page 111 so far, but Orlean's attention to detail and subtle senses of wonder and humor make this a page-turner. :) I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys collections of literary essays or to writers of CNF, especially personal essays. :) Some of the essays might be useful for journalism or writing students to study the craft, although since most of the essays were first published between 1991 and 1999 many of the cult
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May 24, 2010
Tom
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Very competent. Occasionally really interesting.
Less enjoyable as a collection, since these essays weren't designed as part of a collection, since they get to be repetitive in style and, sometimes, content.
The one about the dog is good. The clown one too.
Less enjoyable as a collection, since these essays weren't designed as part of a collection, since they get to be repetitive in style and, sometimes, content.
The one about the dog is good. The clown one too.
Dec 17, 2009
Anna
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Susan Orlean really likes to write about herself. That's ok. Lots of writers do that, and she is obviously an interesting person. Sometimes it works for her, like in "My Kind of Place," her inspired collection of travel writing. Travelogues lend themselves so well to introspection -- after all, travel impressions are so subjective, so dependent on personal experience.
Profiles of other people, however, do not lend themselves to introspection nearly as well. In writing about More...
Profiles of other people, however, do not lend themselves to introspection nearly as well. In writing about More...
Jan 24, 2010
Tara
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I fail to see what is so extraordinary about these people.. Except for the lady bullfighter and the surfer girls, nobody is doing anything particularily interesting.. A ten year old boy that plays nintendo? A NYC real estate agent? Um.. I don't get it.
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May 19, 2010
Erin
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Orlean came to the university and did a reading from several of her short stories as well as her book "The Orchid Thief." She was amazing. This collection is funny, insightful and full of surprises about ordinary people.
Jul 06, 2009
Sarah
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First of all, let me say that I adore people, so this was a fantastic book. The writing style was wonderful, and I found the people that Orlean wrote about worthy of my people watching facination. Longer review after I get this gauze off of my fingers...
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Jan 19, 2012
Jonathan
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She writes more about the surface level of life than the depths, but oh man she does it well. Started in journalism school, picked up to finish four years later.
May 15, 2010
Sara
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read for bookclub many years ago (not sure what year). really liked it, although (obviously) some stories stood out a lot more than others
Feb 08, 2009
Sarah
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This is a beautiful collection of short stories. Orlean is captivating and her passion and intrigue are contagious.
Aug 16, 2009
Shelly
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Loved this collection of non-fiction--fascinating profiles of mostly unheard-of but not ordinary people.
Jan 08, 2009
Annie
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Susan Orleans is an incredible journalist, but for every good profile there are three okay ones.
Jan 20, 2011
Beth
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I'm not usually a short story fan (I know, I know, I am missing out!), but this one blew me away!
May 24, 2010
Taylor
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Orlean makes everyday people interesting - which makes you appreciate those around you more.
Sep 14, 2008
Patty
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A very interesting and enlightening book. Susan Orlean 's collection of some very engaging profiles of all different kinds of people. She is a writer for the New Yorker and other magazines. She does a great job describing people and their professions and lifestyles. I've learned so much about things I knew nothing about like bullfighting, surfer girls, professional clowns, African Kings living in America, residential real estate in NYC and lots more. A quote about her writing says it all, "
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Aug 29, 2009
Kathleen
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Susan Orlean is such a graceful writer and this includes some of her best pieces.
Nov 23, 2011
Becky
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College book. These are some great portraits in the creative nonfiction genre.
Aug 05, 2011
Interesting character sketches. Orleans has an engaging, almost conversational writing style.
Sep 13, 2008
Corinne
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Meh. Collection of essays - some interesting, some not. Reminded me why I often don't like collections - it's hard to get in a character groove when it keeps switching up every 40 pages. I grew a little tired of her approach; she writes in a similar arc about nearly every person she highlights, and sometimes comes across as snarky/superior. Ira Glass raved about Susan Orlean so I always think I'll like her more than I do (see: The Orchid Thief).
Library book.
Library book.
Apr 22, 2008
Jessica
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This is a compilation of articles the author wrote mostly for the New Yorker. They are about people, some famous, some not and it's really well written. I got kind of tired of it by the end (I'm not a short story kind of girl) but I enjoyed many of the articles. A reviewer on the back gets it right on when he says: "Chief among her talents is the ability to really hear her subjects, and then to simply get out of the way and let them speak for themselves."
Aug 19, 2009
Suzanne
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I found that this was a fun collection of stories about very interesting people. A great summer read!
Jun 20, 2008
Jose
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Well, I didn't read all the essays, so I guess I shouldn't be judging the whole book. I like Ms. Orleans' writing, and the way she reveals characters in little vignettes. He penchant for describing all kinds of little details of a given scene, sometimes works sometimes don't. The prose is on the whole graceful and effortles. Her compassion for her subject come trhough. A bit of judgmental snarkiness makes for good reading tho.
Dec 17, 2009
Travelling Cari
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Nearly done with this now after finishing :My Kind of Place" earlier this summer. This is a collection of her earlier work: 80s and early 90s. While the articles would have been interesting appearing in their own time, they're even more amusing now looking back at a time gone by: Tonya Harding, Macaulay Culkin, Tiffany... Equally interesting were the unfamous. A good read.
ETA: Done, stand by what I said earlier. An enjoyable read.
ETA: Done, stand by what I said earlier. An enjoyable read.
