L. Green

Fascinating Stuff, and then...Pots of the Steppes

Revisado: 02-10-19

After some fascinating insights about PIE, the Indo-European languages, and even methodological issues and divides, the book *really* bogs down into comparisons of pots, grave sites, figurines, pots, a few more pots, skeletons, and another eight splashes of pots.

The author is an archaeologist, and that eventually shows. The last third or so of the book seems to reveal that his real interest is in the physical remnants of steppe culture, not their language or its influence. He revels in the artifacts, not really letting non-specialist the reader in on the secret (all that often) of why this vast array of detail is all that relevant to PIE except in broad strokes that he already expressed much earlier. Admittedly, there may be some final chapters left that reintegrate linguistic elements, but I’ve been on the steppes of his pottery and pit grave talk for about 5 hours and I’m not sure I’ll see Zion.

The book is honestly worth it for the first 40% if you’re interested in the root of European languages, hence the 4 stars. Just...be prepared.

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Good Book (as Far as I Heard), Bad Narration

Revisado: 01-26-19

Although this echoes the majority of reviews, and the general criticisms of the narration, I do think I have something to add that may put a cherry on top of the latter.

I hope you're sitting down: the word "Reformation" occurs many times in this book. Priority #1, 2, or 3 for audio production would probably be to make sure the narrator can say "Reformation" appropriately. (Disclaimer: I'm an American, but I think what I'm about to say applies to English as pronounced in all the major accents. Feel free to disregard if I'm wrong.)
You'd expect the narrator to say, "reh-fer-may-shun," "reh-fur-may-shun," or "reh-for-may-shun." Anne Flosnik goes with, as best I can render it, "REE-for-MAY-shon." This is what you'd get if you were trying to render each morpheme in the most precise possible way on its own...but that's just not how anyone (save her) pronounces it as a word. Additionally, she pronounces it with such apparent vocal...concentration or insistence that you get the impression that *she* knows she's got the yips over it.
I don't feel quite right trashing this apparently diligent narrator I don't know, but, honestly, that gets very distracting. If that were the only problem with the narration, I wouldn't bother noting it. The other reviewers, however, show why there's adequate grounds for adding this rock to the pile.

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