Belle da Costa Greene: A Librarian’s Legacy

by Belle Da Costa Greene

Genres: Biography, Art History, History, Nonfiction

303 pages, Hardcover

Published November 12, 2024

Reviews

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the companion book to a recent exhibition on Belle da Costa Greene at the Morgan Library. The exhibition was quite good (and we had an excellent docent when I saw it). I finished the book feeling I hadn't learned much of anything about Greene. She destroyed a lot of her personal papers so maybe there was not enough research material available for a full portrait. The focus is mostly on Greene being a Black woman passing as white. The very nature of passing means it's hard to tell if it was something she dwelled on or didn't think much about in her day to day life. I wish the book focused more on Greene as a librarian.

[Poet for fun · Rating 4 out of 5]

La calidad general del libro (edición, impresión y presentación) es suprema; no podría esperarse nada menos de una obra editada y publicada por una de las mejores bibliotecas del orbe. En cuanto a los textos, el libro manifiesta su talón de Aquiles: al haber compaginado ensayos provenientes de distintas plumas, la información presentada se vuelve exageradamente repetitiva, alcanzando tintes cacofónicos; a pesar de ello, la lectura se mantiene recreativa e interesante. Algunos de ellos son exquisitos y sobresalientes, conformando un justo y merecido homenaje a un enorme personaje histórico.