Running the Books
The Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian
2010 • 399 pages
Ratings2
Average rating3
15
The Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian
Ratings2
Average rating3
From the Publisher: Avi Steinberg is stumped. After defecting from yeshiva to Harvard, he has only a senior thesis essay on Bugs Bunny to show for his effort. While his friends and classmates advance in the world, he remains stuck at a crossroads, unable to meet the lofty expectations of his Orthodox Jewish upbringing. And his romantic existence as a freelance obituary writer just isn't cutting it. Seeking direction-and dental insurance-Steinberg takes a job as a librarian in a tough Boston prison. The prison library counter, his new post, attracts con men, minor prophets, ghosts, and an assortment of quirky regulars searching for the perfect book and a connection to the outside world. There's an anxious pimp who solicits Steinberg's help in writing a memoir. A passionate gangster who dreams of hosting a cooking show titled Thug Sizzle. A disgruntled officer who instigates a major feud over a Post-it note. A doomed ex-stripper who asks Steinberg to orchestrate a reunion with her estranged son, himself an inmate. Over time, Steinberg is drawn into the accidental community of outcasts that has formed among his bookshelves-a drama he recounts with heartbreak and humor. But when the struggles of the prison library-between life and death, love and loyalty-become personal, Steinberg is forced to take sides. Running the Books is a trenchant exploration of prison culture and an entertaining tale of one young man's earnest attempt to find his place in the world while trying not to get fired in the process.
Reviews with the most likes.
Well, I thought this would be better. The author lost major points by 1) calling Cleveland a ‘wasteland,' and 2) referring to a library science degree with what could be contempt, but is probably just ignorance. An English major does not a Librarian make.
Even though I disliked the author's premise and assumptions (and at times tone), I did really like the characters in the book and how he describes their effect on him. The shining moment was the realization that he (and many others) had been glamorizing the pimp/ho dynamic when in reality it is an ugly, ugly thing.
I felt like he could have used an editor to trim down some parts, or better explain their relevancy to the story as a whole. That said, I enjoyed reading about his time in the prison, the people he met, and the things he took away from his interactions with inmates and his job. He had some interesting insights into prison culture.
