Orchid Thief Reviewer: Laurie Ratings: 5 Comments: Since reading the book I have wanted to learn more about orchids and Florida. I found the book very interesting, although I’m afraid to buy an orchid now. I hear they are addictive! A good book for anyone who enjoys history and gardening.
Book: The Orchid Thief Reviewer: Debbie Ratings: 4 Comments: I enjoyed this book. I found that I was amazed by all the information in the book. I had to stop and look up the orchids on the internet so I could see if their descriptions matched my ideas. The book held my interest most of the time.
THE ORCHID THIEF is not a book I would have selected to read but I’m glad I did because it is full of new and interesting information. The book is about much more than “the orchid thief” John Laroche. It is a potpourri of information covering the history of orchids, orchid hunting, collecting, smuggling, growing, breeding and showing of orchids as well as personal profiles of this sub-culture of “orchid people” and their obsession with these plants. The books also provide information about the Seminole Indians, Florida swamps, and land scams. In fact, to me the most interesting part of the book is about the plots of Florida swampland that were partially developed, subdivided, and sold but never inhabited. The author gives a haunting description of the desolate community of suburban streets, complete with street signs but no homes nor people..just an anonymous ghost grader who maintains the streets, keeping the ever encroaching wild landscape from taking over the subdivision. My criticism of the book is that there was no real story but rather seemed like a very long unedited magazine article with totally useless information thrown in about the author’s clothing, jogging, diet preferences, health habits, et. I found it ironic that the author thought nothing of going off alone into the Fakahatchee swamp with the unsavory lowlife, Laroche, but for some reason, after buying a coke at a rundown roadside store, thought that the Tamiami Trail runs from Ft Meyers to Miami (misspelling Ft. Myers). The Tamiami Trail runs from Tampa to Miami, hence the name. I rated this book 3.5.
3 comments:
Orchid Thief
Reviewer: Laurie
Ratings: 5
Comments: Since reading the book I have wanted to learn more about orchids and Florida. I found the book very interesting, although I’m afraid to buy an orchid now. I hear they are addictive! A good book for anyone who enjoys history and gardening.
Book: The Orchid Thief
Reviewer: Debbie
Ratings: 4
Comments: I enjoyed this book. I found that I was amazed by all the information in the book. I had to stop and look up the orchids on the internet so I could see if their descriptions matched my ideas. The book held my interest most of the time.
THE ORCHID THIEF is not a book I would have selected to read but I’m glad I did because it is full of new and interesting information. The book is about much more than “the orchid thief” John Laroche. It is a potpourri of information covering the history of orchids, orchid hunting, collecting, smuggling, growing, breeding and showing of orchids as well as personal profiles of this sub-culture of “orchid people” and their obsession with these plants.
The books also provide information about the Seminole Indians, Florida swamps, and land scams. In fact, to me the most interesting part of the book is about the plots of Florida swampland that were partially developed, subdivided, and sold but never inhabited. The author gives a haunting description of the desolate community of suburban streets, complete with street signs but no homes nor people..just an anonymous ghost grader who maintains the streets, keeping the ever encroaching wild landscape from taking over the subdivision.
My criticism of the book is that there was no real story but rather seemed like a very long unedited magazine article with totally useless information thrown in about the author’s clothing, jogging, diet preferences, health habits, et. I found it ironic that the author thought nothing of going off alone into the Fakahatchee swamp with the unsavory lowlife, Laroche, but for some reason, after buying a coke at a rundown roadside store, thought that the Tamiami Trail runs from Ft Meyers to Miami (misspelling Ft. Myers). The Tamiami Trail runs from Tampa to Miami, hence the name.
I rated this book 3.5.
Post a Comment