A novella translated from the French, The Library of Unrequited Love takes the form of a librarian's monologue to - or, rather, at - a reader locked in overnight. It's a bittersweet little book about loneliness, literature and love, with the unnamed librarian hankering after a researcher named Martin who visits her library regularly (though we know or suspect that she'll never pluck up the courage to say anything).

It's a quick, enjoyable read; Sian Reynolds' translation reads well, though I don't have the original to compare. Would be good as a holiday read, inhaled in an afternoon.

I learned. I laughed. I highlighted. I really enjoyed this little read. I will definitely read it again. If you love books, libraries and laughter I say give it a go. 

Location 372 

"All the hundreds of books pouring off the presses, ninety-nine percent of them they'd do better to use the paper for wrapping takeaways. And for libraries, it's a disaster."

Location 374 

"The publishers ought to put a sell-by date on them, because they're just consumer goods."

**I'm enjoying this. The Librarian is hilarious and I have plenty of fantastic highlights so far.

I know so many people who would hate the librarian depicted in Sophie Divry's novella, The Library of Unrequited Love. The unnamed librarian confesses to playing tricks on architects who visit the library in revenge for the dark basement she has to work in. She thinks most visitors to the library are uncultured morons. She hates noisy people. The unnamed librarian is one of the reasons people don't like to go to libraries...

Read the rest of my review at Summer Reading Project.