The Night Librarian
by
Jane Jago
The Night Librarian is a collection of short stories about a young witch working the night-shift at a magical library, and originally, I wasn’t going to review it. I felt the writing wasn’t good enough. The prose is full of all those things that writers keep telling each other not to do.
Don’t use passive voice. Don’t use adverbs. Don’t tell – show.
It irked my well-adjusted serious-writer sensibilities, and we can’t have that now, can we?
Only, it’s been a week since I read this book (it took about two hours), and it’s still kicking around in my head. I find myself thinking about the stories, wishing I had come up with something similar, and wanting to write my own tales about my own night-librarian.
It doesn’t matter that the prose is a bit blunt. There’s enough passion and creativity in the storytelling to more than make up for it. This is a book by someone who does what she wants and who doesn’t give a toss about your rules and regulations (full disclosure: I do know the author).
In light of this, I decided to write this review after all, just so you know this book exists, and then you can make up your own mind about whether or not to check it out.
What I’ll whine about
Well, d’uh… the writing…
That said, despite my complaints, the books is free enough from grammar and spelling errors that I didn’t notice any.
What I’ll gush about
The creativity. I too want to write about a young witch working the night-shift at a magical library. What’s not to love?
The librarian. This isn’t some hot chick witch in tight black robes and a complexion that makes Morticia Addams look tan. Rather, this witch, who I don’t recall ever being named, is a dumpy young woman in a faded cardigan with sagging pockets. Perhaps a bit like a young Esme Weatherwax, maybe?
Final Words
This is a short easy read (about two hours), and while it certainly has its flaws, I’m glad I read it.
