The Dewey Decimal System of Love (Library Binding)

~ (Author) "Aleksi Kullio, the new conductor of the Philadelphia Philharmonic, strode onto the concert stage with quick, small steps, like a boy who hadn't learned to..." (more)
Key Phrases: new conductor, Aleksi Kullio, Michelle Kullio, Maestro Kullio (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

After 15 celibate years, librarian Ally Sheffield is in love, and the object of her newfound affections is gorgeous maestro Aleksi Kullio, the latest conductor of the Philadelphia Philharmonic. The fact that Aleksi is already married is a mere obstacle for Ally, since she knows deep in her soul that the two of them were meant to be together. As Ally tries to figure out a way to get Aleksi to notice her, she discovers some interesting things about her friends, her coworkers, and herself. Carr's tale sparkles with sharp, clever, and occasionally earthy humor, and sassy, unconventional Ally is a terrific protagonist. The choice of which man is really right for Ally may be obvious early on to some readers, but much of the pleasure in this wonderfully amusing novel comes from Carr's realistic depiction of the everyday pleasures and occasional downsides to working in a library; her wonderfully quirky, all too real characters; and her delightfully acerbic prose. John Charles
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

...a most bizarre, unpredictable and thoroughly delightful mess that keeps the pages turning and the laughs coming. -- Tampa Tribune, July 27, 2003

Carr's tale sparkles with sharp, clever, and occasionally earthy humor, and sassy, unconventional Ally is a terrific protagonist. -- Booklist, August 1, 2003

Carr...has a knack for quirky characters. -- Kirkus, July 15, 2003

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Library Binding: 251 pages
• Publisher: NAL Trade (September 2, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451209710
• ISBN-13: 978-0451209719
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #815,669 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I wish I could give it 0 stars, September 26, 2003

By A Customer

This has to be one of the worst books ever written. As a librarian myself, I was hoping to read a light romance about someone I could relate to. Even though Ms. Carr claims she admires and respects librarians, I really don't think she does. She portrays all the female librarians very stereotypically. Aren't we bored of this? I know I am. Every female librarian is portrayed as virginal, wearing high neck blouses and long skirts, hair in a bun and thick glasses. The conversations the main character and the other librarian have with the "womanizing" boss are bordering on sexual harassment. Example: the other librarian confesses her love for her boss in a letter and he writes back that he thinks she may be a lesbian! And then she suddenly agrees with him!

To add insult to injury, there's an interview with the author and discussion questions at the end of the book, as if this drivel is high class literature and should be used in book discussions.

Stay far far away from this book.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars borrow from the library -- don't buy it, August 23, 2005

By	audrey (white mtns) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Amazon Verified Purchase

Yes, I'm a librarian, but I don't downgrade much for stereotypes and I'm totally willing to suspend disbelief, so the reaon I rated this only three stars is that the premise was not very plausible and the story was goofy.

Allison Sheffield, local librarian, has "long auburn hair and perfect skin" and "looks half her age of forty". Really? have you ever known ANYONE who was 40 but looked 20? Ten years younger I could believe, but twenty? And that was the problem with this book for me -- it is certainly not terrible, but it always goes just a bit too far in what it asks the reader to believe. Let's see, Ally's been celibate for 15 years, but suddenly she is in love with a married symphony conductor whom she's never met, and now she does any number of unusual things in order to get him. Ouch.

Characters were well developed, the ending was well done and it is a quick read, so this is not terrible, but I'd recommend you borrow it from your local library rather than purchase it.

if you're interested in a librarian protagonist, check out Larry Beinhart's The Librarian instead, a political thriller.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Chick lit" that's a great read for guys, September 8, 2003

By	Douglas Vanderweide (Maine, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've avoided "chick lit" -- the genre that has sprouted "Bridget Jones' Diary," "Le Divorce" and all those other books targeted at young women trying to find love in a bustling, confusing world -- for all the right reasons: I'm not a chick.

But a recent stroll through Barnes & Noble turned up this book, which had what has to be one of the worst titles ever.

So, in spite of that and the fact that its cover review blurbs were all done by women whose names I've never heard before, I sat with it and gave it a read. And I was quite surprized.

Told in the first person, this book has a wonderful, conversational style. And the dialog between characters is some of the best I've ever read; it's very natural, clever where it ought to be but within the realm of reason.

Ally, the protagonist, is a 40-year-old reference librarian in Philadelphia who winds up falling in love from afar with the new conductor of the philharmonic.

The book -- which you can easily read in a day -- follows her as she attempts to win over the conductor, in spite of her frumpy appearance and decidedly poor previous experiences with men.

I felt the ending of this book was a bit rushed and there are a couple of plot contrivances involved that are both frustrating and, in my estimation, unnecessary. I'm also not sure this story, while fun and funny, is worth the $12.95 cover price. (Yes, I know that most trade paperbacks fall in this range. So what?)

I'm also offended that the book includes a banal interview with the author and suggested book club discussion questions. This isn't high literature and it isn't being read in high school English classes, so both are unnecessary.

That's what's held me back from calling this a masterpiece. But overall, this book is a great read.