Robert

Mixed Feelings

Revisado: 07-27-23

I think there are some good ideas within the book. however, looking into Mr. Hill further, it seems like he was, to some degree, discredited. I wanted to find out more about his son Blair, whom he discussed in the book. I can find nothing about him being born without ears. Although I didn't like the treatment of Blair, that was described as the refusal to teach him sign language seemed harsh. the story seemed compelling. if untrue, then it brings into question the lessons taught.

Further, there is very limited evidence that Mr. Hill knew many of the great people that he quotes, let alone, was one of their confidants. Mr. Hill was also involved in several schemes that were found to be fraudulent. All of this made me question the veracity of his claims. I don't think that some of the lessons can hurt to implement, but statements shouldn't be taken at face value.

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Your Mileage May Very

Revisado: 06-21-19

I became aware of Jordan Peterson because of his appearance at a local theater. I had friends that wanted to go to the event and others that wanted to protest the event. Given this response I had a desire to understand his message and how he could engender such strong feelings.

First to give Mr. Peterson credit the book was interesting and I believe that he conveyed difficult theoretical concepts in interesting and practical ways.

However, I found myself literally squirming in my seat over some of his views. His beliefs on women's place in society are particularly problematic and if Mr. Peterson is taken to mean what he says, and he chooses his words carefully, we would be much better off if the women's rights movement had not existed. he does not say this directly but makes points throughout the book about how women being able to choose a partner is not good as they are choosy. Also, how women have turned education into a sport that boys won't want to play as they are too good at it and boys dont want to win when their opponent is a girl.

The historical and biological references he picks are very narrow. he does not acknowledge animals that are matriarchal, like elephants and his favorite biological reference seems to be to compare individuals to lobsters. This allows him to give basis for his hierarchical view of life where there are winners and losers. He ignores examples of where cooperation either in animals or humans has proved beneficial and where the sacrifices of one for the whole is beneficial. For the environmental movement he basically says that this is a slippery slope to being mass murderers as if humanity is the problem then the elimination of humanity is the solution, hence an environmentalist may only be steps from the shooter's at Columbine.

I worry that the packaging of views like Mr. Peterson's in a slick format that expresses some of the frustrations that white men might feel (and I am a white man) could convince some that these views are correct which could lead to our society taking steps backward. This to me is the slippery slope. If we are not going to make changes to how we live our planet may not be able to sustain us. Mr. Peterson is an apologist for why we should not. Women should be able to educate themselves and be able to choose a partner that is of the same level as themselves. The alternative of saying that women should be discouraged from this or even prohibited would put us back to a society much like we had before women's rights and women scientists, doctors, lawyers, politicians, business people, etc. have done much to advance the common good.

If you are going to read this book just understand that Mr. Peterson's philosophy may feel expedient at explaining everything that is wrong with the world and give fixes that may feel good on the surface but I would encourage that other counter research be done as well and think about how the world as shaped by these views would look for your own children and grandchildren.

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Conflicted

Revisado: 06-03-19

The play is slightly humors, very dark, and by turns realistic and then unrealistic. Is it meant to be a search for what truth really is? The images that we portray to each other and even who we believe ourselves to be may be only a thin veneer. This seems like the most likely meaning. However, there are no easy answers and the characters by there nature are mostly unlikable.

If you are looking for a happy story I would say look elsewhere. Mostly it is set in one location and between the two brothers. The performances were not the greatest in my opinion which didn't help. may be better as an actual play where you can see the facial expressions to know when something is said tung in cheek or not. However, it wasn't as bad as many of the reviews say if you are ok with the caveats noted.

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A Novel Thoroughly of Its Time and Place

Revisado: 05-27-13

I think that there is a reason some novels of the early twentieth century are well known and still read by many such as the Grapes of Wrath or the Great Gatsby while others have left modern consciousness. I believe that one of the items that determines this is whether the story is a timeless one or one thoroughly imbedded in its time and place.

An American Tragedy firmly belongs in the later category. From the language of the novel to the general plot many of its elements will seem foreign to a modern audience. However, this is not to say that the novel is without merit. After adjusting myself to the language of the novel I found the story to be genuinely intriguing. It was interesting to see how teenagers and young adults behaved in much the same way in the early 20th century that they do now. Especially when your parents and grandparents can make it seem like they had none of the same impulses that modern teenagers have.

As long as you are willing to give the novel a chance and forgive some of the antiquated language, like repetition of gee this and gee that and references to haberdashers and dry goods stores then I think that you should give the novel a chance. You must give it until at least the half way point though as I found myself thinking that I should turn it off until this point.

I would also like to say that I think Dan John Miller does a very good job narrating the book.

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Not Just for Science Fiction Fans

Revisado: 04-23-13

Although some people may view this as a science fiction book there are really only two sections that deal with the future. The other sections deal with periods from the 1850s through the present day. What is remarkable about this book is that for a book that tells six stories each of the characters from the stories seems very fleshed out and fully developed. I also really liked the interconnectedness of the stories and I believe that if I were to listen to the book again I would figure out even more ways that each story is connected to the others.

Some people have said that they found it hard to figure out what was going on in this book because the stories are not told from beginning to end before the writer shifts to a different story. However, I didn't find this to be a problem for the most part. Although, I do have to admit that on the first jump which cuts off in mid sentence that I did rewind and play the section several times thinking that I was missing something. I decided to listen a little longer to the next chapter at which point the new character referred to how he had been reading the previous story in a book that he had found that cut off mid sentence. I guess that this particular problem wouldn't have happened if I had the book instead of the audiobook. Still other than that small problem I found that the multiple story lines were not hard to remember back to when they resumed later in the book. I also think that by intertwining the stories the author intends to show us how interconnected our lives are, without them being told in the way that they are I think the work would lose its meaning.

Another item that some people seem to have difficulty with in this novel is the multiple dialects/accents that the story is told in. The most difficult of these is the section told by Zachary in the distant future in which a made up dialect is used. I believe thought that after a small amount of time most people should be able to understand the section fairly easily. However, if you are a person that normally has difficulty understanding different accents English, Irish, or doesn't like more classical novels then this book may not be for you.

This is a great book that is hard to put down once you pick it up.

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Highly Visual but Lacking Soul

Revisado: 04-23-13

Throughout the book I thought that the descriptions of how events happened was wonderful however I never really found that I cared much for most of the characters. It seemed like the writer was trying so hard to make the place three dimensional that she forgot to make the characters this way as well.

The narration of the book was great and based on the outstanding imagery alone I would not try to dissuade anyone from reading the book. I would also say that for a debut work it seems like this book is a strong showing and I will be interested to see what else the author can do.

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A Very Thought Provoking Work

Revisado: 11-19-12

This book asks some very interesting questions and doesn't give easy answers. The form of the novel is interesting in that it reveals information in layers. Many of the characters hold secrets that are even kept from the reader until after events have already unfolded. I think that this adds an aspect to the work where readers may form opinions of characters only to find that they are mistaken, much like society is about things. I think that this novel tells an important story about not making assumptions about things based on their outward appearance and trying to think for oneself. It also helps that the novel is wonderfully narrated and is also a very entertaining read.

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A Truly Visionary Work

Revisado: 11-19-12

Would you listen to Angle of Repose again? Why?

I would definitely listen to the book again. There are so many levels on which the book can be viewed. The story is so engaging. I think that the fact that much of it was based on the life of real people adds to the appeal of the book.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Angle of Repose?

I won't give it away but the book has a terrifically interesting ending that will keep you guessing.

Which character – as performed by Mark Bramhall – was your favorite?

I particularly liked how he read the character of Lyman Ward, the main narrator of the story.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I found myself not wanting to stop in certain sections. However, it would be far too long of a book to finish all at once.

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See History From Both Sides

Revisado: 09-09-12

I really enjoyed how this book blended stories from both an American and Japanese perspective together to create more of a unified whole of the story. The book includes such vivid detail that it is hard not to feel like you can actually hear the screams, feel the wounds, and smell the smells. This is not a book for those that have weak stomachs. However, for anyone who thinks that war is glorious or a great adventure this book should be required reading. One thing that might be distressing to some is that the book paints a negative picture of Douglas MacArthur as both a coward and as a bad military commander.

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History Comes Alive

Revisado: 09-03-12

This book really makes Lewis & Clark come alive as real people and show not only where they succeeded but their flaws as well. The narration of the book takes some time to get used to but after the first hour or two Mr. Whitner's reading style to not overly detract from the underlying material. He has a habit of emphasizing the same part of each sentence no matter where the emphasis should actually be placed.

I think it is hard for a person in our interconnected world to truly understand what it was like to go beyond where their were maps. This book helps to emphasize how truly cut of the expedition was and how close to failure it came, many times.

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