I adore the concept of this book. Before I even opened it I was half in love, and ready to fall all the way. It’s a book of letters from an avid reader and librarian to the various books she has loved or hated most, books that are being removed from circulation, and books that she just has some questions about. The letters range from incredulous to imaginative to adoring to downright bitchy. The books discussed are as varied as you would expect from a career bookworm, and she weaves in that indescribable wonder of the reader – how different books affected us, came into our lives at exactly the right moment to speak directly to us, and how those memories of a world in the pages become inextricably woven with our own. There are letters here to books that helped her become more of the person she wanted to be, books that have been read so hard they’re falling to pieces, books she remembers as fond diversions and even some that made her hopping mad. It’s a wonderful world, and a fantastic testament to the love affair between a reader and all books, not just hers or her favourites.
The problem, because of course there is one, is that the delivery is uneven. Some of the letters had me completely engaged – nodding along, giggling out loud, exclaiming in disbelief. But others felt like drafts – she had an idea, but she was struggling and trying a little too hard to get it across. That pulled me out of the reading experience a bit more than I would have liked, and it knocked the book down a star or two in my estimation.
The other thing that was bound to come up, and that is an intrinsic issue with a book of this type, is reading taste. Spence and I just don’t have the same taste. There is overlap – and generally the books we felt similarly on were the letters I enjoyed most – but there was divergence, too. I don’t think this could be helped. No two readers will be exactly alike in their tastes, and it’s luck when I find a blogger or booktuber whose tastes are very similar to my own. I’ve never even read the book mentioned in the title, so I should have known going in that would be the case. I really wish there had been slightly more overlap, as I think that would have improved my reading of the book just a little. I don’t think it would have changed the rating much, however. She did do her best to widen her audience a bit by discussing various library books that were being taken out of circulation that weren’t ones in her own reading experience. She even discusses a few books she tried and failed to get into. I found some of those chapters really interesting.
I wish Spence had taken a little more time with this. I felt like some of the letters were written, half-baked, as filler. I’d like to think that if she could have taken the time to write all of them when the idea had become fully formed and impossible not to write, the overall effect would have been much improved. Or that she could have written with a little less self-consciousness, because some of it just felt a little like she was trying too hard to connect to the reader and gain their approval, and failing in the process.
It’s a shame, because this book is exactly what I love most. And it was so close to being just wonderful. I think it’s a great book for any book lover, because regardless of your taste, if you love books you will feel a sense of the kindred in these pages. There’s a lot to enjoy here and it’s a quick read. And if you get lucky and share Spence’s tastes, this book will likely be a four- or even five-star read for you. She includes some lists of her favourite and most highly recommended books as well as the letters, and even I found a couple of books to add to my TBR. Well worth a try for every book lover, and an absolutely fantastic concept! Who knows, it might even inspire you to write some literary letters yourself!
A Gen-X librarian’s snarky, laugh-out-loud funny, deeply moving collection of love letters and break-up notes to the books in her life.
Librarians spend their lives weeding–not weeds but books! Books that have reached the end of their shelf life, both literally and figuratively. They remove the books that patrons no longer check out. And they put back the books they treasure. Annie Spence, who has a decade of experience as a Midwestern librarian, does this not only at her Michigan library but also at home, for her neighbors, at cocktail parties—everywhere. In Dear Fahrenheit 451, she addresses those books directly. We read her love letters to The Goldfinch and Matilda, as well as her snarky break-ups with Fifty Shades of Grey and Dear John. Her notes to The Virgin Suicides and The Time Traveler’s Wife feel like classics, sure to strike a powerful chord with readers. Through the lens of the books in her life, Annie comments on everything from women’s psychology to gay culture to health to poverty to childhood aspirations. Hilarious, compassionate, and wise, Dear Fahrenheit 451 is the consummate book-lover’s birthday present, stocking stuffer, holiday gift, and all-purpose humor book. – Goodreads
Book Title: Dear Fahrenheit 451
Author: Annie Spence
Series: No
Edition: Hardback
Published By: Flatiron Books
Released: September 26, 2017
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir, Readers and Reading, Epistolary
Pages: 244
Date Read: November 12 – December 5, 2018
Rating: 6/10
Average Goodreads Rating: 3.95/5 (1,237 ratings)