Happy Camper

An exploration of loss

Revisado: 02-25-24

City of Glass is a strange and masterful work. It borrows elements of detective fiction, but is mainly an exploration of loss and its deep effect on the main character Quinn. Loss and the way Quinn’s identity is affected is at the core of this fascinating novel. The writing is compelling and the narrator is superb. Highly recommended.

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Superbly crafted life story

Revisado: 12-09-23

While no one else should have read Andre Dubus III’s own life story, the author is not the best reader. A bit of a conundrum, I realize, but nonetheless this shouldn’t hold you back from listening. He’s not outright terrible as a reader, and most emphatically he is hugely gifted as a writer. I’ve enjoyed a few of Dubus’s novels, notably The House of Sand and Fog, and the recent Such Kindness. Had no idea of the life of the author behind these works. His journey, from a lost and bullied boy living with little parental oversight in a rough town to a major author is wonderfully told, with much to say about what it meant to discover himself as a writer. Go for it.

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Moving and magnificently told

Revisado: 09-16-23

What can one say, other than this is just damn powerful and feels just as fresh as if it were written yesterday, not 175 years ago. The reader/actor does full justice to Douglas’s magnificent, ferocious prose and incredible storytelling.

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Compressed brilliance

Revisado: 08-30-23

Durant was a gift to those interested in the scope and scale and lessons of history. Be aware that this is his compressed, highlighted historical effort. You may find yourself wanting more depth and detail about certain topics. But what’s here is enriching and eloquent. Beautifully narrated too!

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A moving though flawed novel

Revisado: 08-02-23

Dubus is a powerful writer and excellent storyteller, though there are flaws that occasionally make this book drag. One to mention immediately is the narration by Dubus himself. He isn’t a terrible reader, and since the novel is in first person it works better than it might have, but it was a mistake for the author to use his amateurish voice instead of hiring a professional. The story of Tom Lowe is moving and expertly crafted. Ultimately, the author slides into sentimentality and repetition in his desire to convey an uplifting message about a benighted life. Yet, Such Kindness has many shining moments, and feels like a critical counterweight to the negativity we see around us. Most people are good, and are redeemable, says Dubus, and we must focus more on such goodness…on “such kindness.”

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Unforgettable

Revisado: 07-26-23

This is an essential work of Holocaust literature. It is searing and devastating and unforgettable. A must listen. A book such as this continues to tell us why we must never forget the horror and possibility of man’s inhumanity to man, yet the enduring nature of the human spirit.

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A good if limited introduction

Revisado: 07-16-23

While I learned much of interest about Judaism, especially historical elements and Jewish practices, I felt the lectures were too light on the core beliefs and philosophical underpinnings of this impressive, resilient religion and its people. But this is billed as an introduction, so you can’t have everything in 12 30-minute lectures. The professor is an excellent presenter and his deep enthusiasm and knowledge of the subject matter shines through.

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Greatness, marred on occasion by certain prejudices

Revisado: 07-13-23

This is a brilliant short work by the Durants, well worth at least one listen as it is so compressed in form and style a second hearing might be needed. The narrator does a fine job, too. Be aware that the authors are focused mainly on Western civilization. There are also some passages that may strike the modern ear as somewhat misogynistic. The audio book also contains a number of interviews with the Durants, and the interviewer asks good and probing questions. Overall, quite insightful and thought provoking.

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Informative and brilliant

Revisado: 06-23-23

A remarkable course by a great professor. He uses Gibbons’ Decline & Fall as a vast template to tell the history of the Roman Empire, set in the context of Gibbons’ life and times, as well as the context of the magisterial work in light of 200+ years of additional historical and archeological findings and analysis. One could not ask for a better guide to all of this!

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Listen and be inspired!

Revisado: 06-06-23

A superb reading by the great character actor David Strathairn of an inspiring life story. Howard Zinn was a radical with heart, a man of deepest conviction, who was not just a fine teacher but an activist who threw himself into the most important causes of the era. Along the way you will not just learn his life story but also a history of his time. Highly recommended.

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