Overview
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A modern classic of personal journalism, The Orchid Thief is Susan Orleanās wickedly funny, elegant, and captivating tale of an amazing obsession. Determined to clone an endangered flowerāthe rare ghost orchid Polyrrhiza lindeniiāa deeply eccentric and oddly attractive man named John Laroche leads Orlean on an unforgettable tour of Americaās strange flower-selling subculture, through Floridaās swamps and beyond, along with the Seminoles who help him and the forces of justice who fight him. In the end, Orleanāand the readerāwill have more respect for underdog determination and a powerful new definition of passion.
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In this new edition, coming fifteen years after its initial publication and twenty years after she first met the āorchid thief,ā Orlean revisits this unforgettable world, and the route by which it was brought to the screen in the film Adaptation, in a new retrospective essay.
Look for special features inside. Join the Random House Readerās Circle for author chats and more.
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Praise for The Orchid Thief
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āStylishly written, whimsical yet sophisticated, quirkily detailed and full of empathy . . . The Orchid Thief shows [Orleanās] gifts in full bloom.āāThe New York Times Book Review
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āFascinating . . . an engrossing journey [full] of theft, hatred, greed, jealousy, madness, and backstabbing.āāLos Angeles Times
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āOrleanās snapshot-vivid, pitch-perfect prose . . . is fast becoming one of our national treasures.āāThe Washington Post Book World
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āOrleanās gifts [are] her ear for the self-skewing dialogue, her eye for the incongruous, convincing detail, and her Didion-like deftness in description.āāBoston Sunday Globe
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āA swashbuckling piece of reporting that celebrates some virtues that made America great.āāThe Wall Street Journal
This book title, The Orchid Thief (A True Story of Beauty and Obsession), ISBN: 9780449003718, by Susan Orlean, published by Random House Publishing Group (January 4, 2000) is available in paperback. Our minimum order quantity is 25 copies. All standard bulk book orders ship FREE in the continental USA and delivered in 4-10 business days.
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