This is my third book by Susan Orlean I loved The Library Book, and this is very similar: a subject that is offbeat and interesting, full of odd characters and Ms. Orlean's diligent research combined with witty observations. (For the record, the second was Rin Tin 044900371X In 1994, John Laroche and three Seminole Indian men, were caught leaving a Florida Wildlife Preserve with bags full of Ghost orchid (Polyrrhiza lindenii) specimens. They challenged the arrest on the basis of a law allowing Native tribes to violate the endangered species 044900371X Orlean is a HELL of a writer. I read “The Library Book” and became an instant fan. This book is also chock full of her gorgeous writing. But too much…way too much. The chronicle, when being driven forward, is fantastic. Unfortunately, Orlean decides to duck down 044900371X I started my cymbidium orchid collection from buying orphan orchid plants from Lowe's and Home Depot. You know the types of plants that nobody wants because they are past their bloom, but the plant is still green, fresh and alive. I wanted to learn about the easier 044900371X You don’t have to be an orchid enthusiast to enjoy this story about a Florida man employed by the Seminole Indian tribe to establish an orchid propagation business in Hollywood, Florida in the 1990s. It’s easy to just sit back and let Orlean tell you about her adventures 044900371X
Free download The Orchid Thief: A True Story of Beauty and Obsession (Ballantine Readers Circle)
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK
A modern classic of personal journalism, The Orchid Thief is Susan Orleans wickedly funny, elegant, and captivating tale of an amazing obsession. Determined to clone an endangered flowerthe rare ghost orchid Polyrrhiza lindeniia deeply eccentric and oddly attractive man named John Laroche leads Orlean on an unforgettable tour of Americas strange flower selling subculture, through Floridas swamps and beyond, along with the Seminoles who help him and the forces of justice who fight him. In the end, Orleanand the readerwill have respect for underdog determination and a powerful new definition of passion.
In this new edition, coming fifteen years after its initial publication and twenty years after she first met the orchid thief, Orlean revisits this unforgettable world, and the route by which it was brought to the screen in the film Adaptation, in a new retrospective essay.
Look for special features inside. Join the Random House Readers Circle for author chats and.
Praise for The Orchid Thief
Stylishly written, whimsical yet sophisticated, quirkily detailed and full of empathy. The Orchid Thief shows [Orleans] gifts in full bloom. The New York Times Book Review
Fascinating. an engrossing journey [full] of theft, hatred, greed, jealousy, madness, and backstabbing. Los Angeles Times
Orleans snapshot vivid, pitch perfect prose. is fast becoming one of our national treasures. The Washington Post Book World
Orleans gifts [are] her ear for the self skewing dialogue, her eye for the incongruous, convincing detail, and her Didion like deftness in description. Boston Sunday Globe
A swashbuckling piece of reporting that celebrates some virtues that made America great. The Wall Street Journal The Orchid Thief: A True Story of Beauty and Obsession (Ballantine Readers Circle)
most people in some way or another do strive for something exceptional, something to pursue, even at their peril, rather than abide an ordinary life. (pg. 273) Because I love the film Adaptation so much, I wanted to read the original source material Susan 044900371X A well written and meticulously researched examination of the passion for new and unusual species of orchids, The Orchid Thief illuminates the power of obsession. Susan Orlean not only deals with the sometimes bizarre obsession with the beauty and money making potential of 044900371X Susan Orlean begins a journalistic investigation of an orchid thief, John Laroche. She ends up learning and reporting about a subculture passionate about orchids, one of the most diverse plants in existence. I was enlightened about the habit forming, addictive 044900371X