I have never seen an orchid in my life. Which is odd considering I have studied agriculture, which, in a way deals with cultivation of orchids too. But so far I haven’t set my eyes on an orchid. I may have come across orchids but may not have not identified them. But now, after reading Susan Orlean’s ‘The Orchid Thief’, I know more about orchids than is good for me. I finished reading the book sometime last week and it is the sort of book one wishes goes on forever.
I had written in a related post that it is a book about a real-life madcap orchid collector who is caught stealing rare orchids from a tribal reserve, The Fakahatchee Strand in Florida. The thief, Laroche, is an eccentric character and the book is mostly about him and his passion for orchid rearing. It is also a book about the world of orchid collectors, their eccentricities and about their passion for this unique plant. There is a lot of fascinating historical detail in the book about how orchid collectors build their collections and the lengths they are willing to go to own rare orchids.
Susan Orlean’s writing appears simple but it weaves images that remain in your head long after you’ve finished reading the book. I liked the book very much and plan to read it again soon. ‘The Orchid Thief’ is a must read for all people who grow plants especially orchid collectors. Anyone who loves good writing will fall in love with ‘The Orchid Thief’, a non-fiction book about the world of orchids and orchid collectors.
Susan Orlean is a staff writer with ‘The New Yorker’ and her articles also appear in ‘Outside’, ‘Esquire’, ‘Rolling Stone’, and ‘Vogue’.
I had written in a related post that it is a book about a real-life madcap orchid collector who is caught stealing rare orchids from a tribal reserve, The Fakahatchee Strand in Florida. The thief, Laroche, is an eccentric character and the book is mostly about him and his passion for orchid rearing. It is also a book about the world of orchid collectors, their eccentricities and about their passion for this unique plant. There is a lot of fascinating historical detail in the book about how orchid collectors build their collections and the lengths they are willing to go to own rare orchids.
Susan Orlean’s writing appears simple but it weaves images that remain in your head long after you’ve finished reading the book. I liked the book very much and plan to read it again soon. ‘The Orchid Thief’ is a must read for all people who grow plants especially orchid collectors. Anyone who loves good writing will fall in love with ‘The Orchid Thief’, a non-fiction book about the world of orchids and orchid collectors.
Susan Orlean is a staff writer with ‘The New Yorker’ and her articles also appear in ‘Outside’, ‘Esquire’, ‘Rolling Stone’, and ‘Vogue’.
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