The Orchid Thief paints a
picture of an obsession – collecting orchids. 
The book starts with a legal case, John Laroche on trial for stealing
rare orchids from the Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve. Author Susan Olean befriends Laroche, and he
is the central figure whose story provides some plot to this odd collection of
history, gossip and anecdotes. Laroche
is a compelling character, full of eccentricities and bizarre ideas, and the
book always gains a firmer footing when it returns to him and his
exploits. Laroche introduces Orlean to
other orchid collectors and takes her to some orchid shows, and she discovers
many people who devote their lives to these striking flowers. Orlean narrates her investigation of this
world in straightforward prose and she keeps the tone fairly light. The unabridged
audiobook is read by Jennifer Jay Myers who does a good job in
sustaining the momentum of the narrative. 
Nevertheless, the book becomes repetitive in setting out the history of
orchid collecting dating back into the nineteenth century or telling stories of
orchid smuggling. The challenge Orlean
faces as narrator is to convey the enthusiasm of the people she meets and to
make those people interesting to her readers. 
Her success is mixed – at times the story is fascinating and highly
engaging, while at others one loses patience with the self-indulgence and
narrowness of orchid fanatics. 
Nevertheless, especially since this is the book that the movie Adaptation
was loosely based upon, The Orchid Thief should have enough interest
value to appeal to many readers.

© 2003 Christian Perring. All rights reserved.