Public library and other stories

I took my time and read this all month long. It made me happy to read that people cherish libraries as much as I do, and this way my first time reading Ali Smith. My favorite story, by far, was The Art of Elsewhere but her writing blew me away.

Aside from this collection, the only work of Ali Smith's I've read is a novel, How to be both. With so little knowledge of the author, it may be premature for me to make assumptions about her writing, but I think it's safe to say that Smith is a very talented writer who speaks in thunderous whispers. What I mean by that is that her stories are decorated in gorgeous language, yet they're unassuming. They are often peopled by strong characters experiencing some small personal growth. There may not be much in the way of story. And while the stories may be affecting, they are not necessarily the most memorable.

It can be difficult to make strong opinions about this style of writing. Many of us belong to a society that is far too fast paced for such stories. While part of me wants to celebrate everything Smith and her ilk write, I must acknowledge that sometimes the stories may be a bit too unassuming. In her latest collection, Smith pairs her stories with brief reflections on public libraries. For the most part, the stories have little to do with libraries, though some touch momentarily on research or reading. Though a couple of the stories appealed to me, the strongest moments come from the library vignettes. These little reflections are often poignant. Overall, the collection has a nice rhythm and certainly captures the beauty of language, but it doesn't possess enough substance or heart as a whole to motivate a more enthusiastic response from me. Public Library and Other Stories aside, I do look forward to reading more of Smith's writing.

“Public Library and Other Stories” gets a star simply for the title. And, the other two are for the inter-story commentary or quotes about the importance of the library in each person's life or the services that the public library system provides to the community. These interspersed vignettes are marvelous and I wish that Ali Smith had made the entire book a love letter to libraries.

Honestly, the short stories were really odd. I couldn't get into any of them, nor did they really say much about libraries. Maybe I'm just missing the boat on the author's style, which I found disjointed, a bit stream of consciousness, and not enlightening.