ARC Review: The Astral Library by Kate Quinn
“Art doesn’t exist to make you feel good…art exists to make you think. Great art, now - it will often make you uncomfortable”
In a book that could have been didactic and instead reaffirmed my belief that we can learn so many things from literature without it being in your face, The Astral Library is one of the best books I’ve read in the last couple of years.
Set in Boston, The Astral Library, and a multitude of books, paintings, and games, Quinn’s writing prowess stands out. The exceptional vocabulary and extensive knowledge of literature is phenomenal. I’ve never encountered a Kate Quinn book that I don’t like but I fell in love with this one when she referenced one of my favorite authors of all time, some of whose books are no longer in print. And it continued to get even better.
The Astral Library is about main character Alix, who is floundering in her life, searching for meaning, and a place to belong. When she discovers The Astral Library, she learns how much literature, libraries, and she herself, have to offer. Following Alix, The Librarian, a love interest, and a robust set of secondary characters, Quinn explores the value of libraries and what it takes to defend them. The Astral Library gives readers the chance to live in a book of their choosing and the people who have taken refuge in many of them are at risk. With the Librarian in the lead, she and Alix go on a journey to find those in trouble, help keep them safe, and discover who the real villain is.
The antagonists are rather vague for quite some time but when they appear in force at a tipping point, their purpose is indeed nefarious. The Librarian herself is a phenomenal character, who Alix sometimes struggles to understand but yearns to get to know. As a staunch defender of The Library, she goes to great lengths to do her job and maintain The Library’s integrity. Her character arc is one of my favorites, especially as someone who relates to her. The personification of books was so well done. I could feel their fear, joy, angst, and anger. It was such a fun embodiment of The Library. Perhaps the only thing that I didn’t particularly enjoy was the love interest story arc because at times it felt a little forced. I found it hard to see its added value, especially since everything else in the book was so on point.
One of my favorite parts of this book, and one of the things that made me laugh out loud, is that there are ghosts in The Library. They are people who have not entirely passed on because they’re still working on their TBR pile. I have rarely related to something more! I know many a book lover who feels they will never have enough time to read everything they want to.
The concept of The Astral Library embodies what every book lover dreams of - to step into a book. And how a book, or a library, can save you. This book was a manifesto about the power of libraries and the extensive knowledge, community, safety, and more that they provide.
Kate Quinn has accomplished a feat that not all authors can. She wrote a book with a deep and enduring message that is so pertinent to our time. Quite a few quotes stood out to me, some that were so on the nose that it was painful, and some that were so relatable all I could do was laugh. In a significant swerve from her historical fiction genre, Quinn shows her dexterity and mastery of the written word.
Many thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for providing me with this advanced reader copy for review.
