The Orchid Thief is the true story of John Laroche, an obsessed Florida plant dealer willing to go to any lengths to steal rare and protected wild orchids and clone them, all for a tidy profit. But the morality of Laroche's actions do not drive the narrative of Orlean's strange, compelling, and hilarious book. She is much more interested in the spectacle this unusual man creates through his actions, including one of the oddest legal controversies in recent memory, which brought together environmentalists, Native American activists, and devoted orchid collectors. She follows Laroche deep into Florida's swamps, tapping into not only the psyche of the deeply opinionated Laroche but also the wider subculture of orchid collectors, including aristocrats, fanatics, and smugglers whose obsession with plants is all-consuming. Orlean portrays the weirdness of it all in wonderful detail, but, ultimately, the book is primarily about passion itself and the amazing lengths to which people will go to gratify it.
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"I picked this up after reading Ira Glass's New Kings of Non-Fiction: She had a profile piece of a 10 year-old boy in there that was one of the best pieces of non-fiction I've read in a long time. I decided it was time to check her out. So far, so good....."
— Pat (4 out of 5 stars)
“A swashbuckling piece of reporting that celebrates some virtues that made America great.”
— Wall Street Journal“Fascinating . . . an engrossing journey [full] of theft, hatred, greed, jealousy, madness, and backstabbing.”
— Los Angeles Times" buku tentang bagaimana seorang penggemar anggrek memperlakukan benda kesayangannya "
— Muzzammil, 2/13/2014" A loving portrait of south Florida-- a place which is sometimes difficult to love! "
— Carla, 1/16/2014" This all began with a magazine article Orlean was writing about John Laroche, the title character. She headed down to Florida and spent months studying the guy and the environment in which he lived. It is an interesting tale. The book broadens from this introductory piece to cover other things Floridian. She examines the orchid community/sub-culture in considerable detail. There is much there to consider, not only in its contemporary expression but in the history of orchid acquisition and cultivation. It is a dog-eat-dog world, both for adventurers who travel to remote places to acquire rare species, and for botanists who nurture these finds and attempt to clone and modify orchids to keep the creative act moving. It does come to actual physical violence. Orleans looks at the vagaries of Florida Real Estate scamming as well as quirks in legislation relating to environmental protection and Native American rights. She finds characters all around, and finds also a focus on passion. This was an enjoyable, informative read. Orlean has a style that is accessible. She never tries to make you feel that she is smarter than you. She acts as a representative of us all in looking at this world with a bit of twinkle in her eye, as well as an appreciation for the beauty not only of floral pulchritude, but of varieties of human experience. P 279 “It’s not really about collecting the thing itself,†Laroche went on. “It’s about getting immersed in something, and learning about it, and having it become part of your life. It’s a kind of direction.†"
— Will, 1/15/2014" Too many orchid facts. Not enough story. "
— Jillian, 1/11/2014" Lots of information on orchids, but the author meanders too much. Stay on topic! "
— cassie, 1/5/2014" I loved this book... I found it to be fascinating. Anyone that moves to Florida should read this. It shows the side of Florida that many people don't know about. "
— Jeanine, 1/4/2014" Thoroughly researched tale of orchid cultivation, commerce, and fetishization. The detail is wonderful, just not the writing. "
— Rowan, 10/14/2013" A wonderful story of obsession that will make you never want to take a passing interest in anything ever again, afraid it will spiral out of control. I also never want to own an orchid as they seem to be the most beguiling of the plants... "
— Allie, 9/20/2013" DAMN THAT WAS A LOT OF PLANTS "
— Rachel, 9/7/2013" It's frequently easy to forget that this is a nonfiction book. The characters, places and events are extraordinary, and the writing is imaginative and absorbing. I'll never look at an orchid quite the same way again. "
— Angela, 9/4/2013" Expected to learn more about orchids. Why are people so crazy about them? "
— Suzette, 7/1/2013Susan Orlean has been a staff writer at the New Yorker since 1992. She is the New York Times bestselling author of several books, including The Library Book, Rin Tin Tin, and Saturday Night, as well as The Orchid Thief, which was made into the Academy Award–winning film Adaptation. She lives with her family and her animals in Los Angeles and may be reached at SusanOrlean.com and on Twitter @SusanOrlean.
Kate Fleming (a.k.a. Anna Fields) (1965–2006), winner of more than a dozen Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award in 2004, was one of the most respected narrators in the industry. Trained at the Actors Theatre of Louisville, she was also a director, producer, and technician at her own studio, Cedar House Audio.