Carolyn H.

Subtle and quiet, yet captivating in its realism

Revisado: 02-28-21

This is the tale of life incredibly ordinary in its accomplishments, sacrifices, and disappointments, yet described by an extraordinarily talented author of realistic narrative. Many reviews refer to Stoner's life as "mediocre," but I found it to veer more into the tragic, albeit an understated tragedy. While at times frustrating, there is also a painful recognition in the lack of passionate action by the protagonist, William Stoner, which makes the novel quietly sad. There is something that draws you into the story immediately and makes you want to stay. The narrative arc is ingeniously reflective life: hope and passion; disappointment; acceptance; willful amnesia; repeat. The depictions of academic life are wonderful in their mundaneness and detail, and the author is also particularly adept at describing social engagements and home life. All of the side characters, particularly Stoner's colleagues, are artfully crafted and seem to embody archetypes of those infiltrating the typical middling professional's life. Stoner's seeming uncaring about his own fate and unwillingness to fight for a richer and more rewarding life can be maddening at times, although some will find a certain dignity in this. Even the indignant reader is eventually worn down to a gentle murmur of dissatisfaction at the unfairness of it all. The story brings to mind the observation that most people are living lives of quiet desperation. This seems like a deeply depressing commentary, but it is somehow tempered by the noble qualities of William Stoner, his acceptance of his fate, and his one dogged and uncompromised pursuit in life, which is that of literature. The narrator is perfect for this role, providing a sense of restraint and evenness in tenor that is evocative of Stoner's personality.

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Despite some flaws, an eye-opening must-listen!

Revisado: 02-27-21

This audiobook provides a startling view into a world that is likely to never reach the consciousness of most people living outside of it, but with which we are all nonetheless inexorably linked. Despite some flaws, the important (albeit disturbing) education it provides makes this a worthwhile and highly recommended read. The level of exploitation and mistreatment of people, the environment, and animals that occurs on the high seas, as revealed in this reporting, is horrific and the complacency with which it’s met is shocking. In addition to the morality wake-up call, there is a lot of fascinating detail about life on the sea and even some fun high-seas hijinks. I particularly enjoyed the chapters on the so-called ‘raiders of the lost arks’ and on the battles between the Japanese whalers and anti-whaling activists. Other highlights include learning about the many intricate challenges and legal complexities that governments, environmental activists, and all members of the fishing industry must navigate. The main issues I saw with the book were an at times tedious redundancy, singularity of perspective, and lack of nuanced analysis of the issues. I realize some repetitiveness and a lack of integration of ideas and themes from different chapters is unavoidable with a collection of essays, but in this case, I found it somewhat dulled the reader into ceasing to be outraged by crimes against humanity, particularly regarding the sea slavery issue. There were also very few alternative perspectives other than the author’s own and those of the victims of the powerful or their advocates (the arguable exception to this being the Somali chapter, where the reader got to hear some varying opinions from locals). Something about it felt incomplete, and the reporting would have benefited from fairer balance, as the issues are incredibly complex. However, if your main goal is to raise much-needed awareness and empathy for sea slavery – which seemed to be the most consistent theme – deeper analysis and perspective will only muddy that message. Nevertheless, I was left with immense gratitude that I had listened to this reporting and that the author had made the arduous effort to bring back the tales he did. The narrator does a fine job and I think he was a good choice for this book.

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Disturbing yet oddly mesmerizing & highly original

Revisado: 02-27-21

The vernacular of the star rating system is woefully inadequate in this case: 'I love it' (as five stars is meant to convey) seems the wrong sentiment for a story as dark and disturbing as this one, which showcases a place and time that is unpleasant to imagine existing, but unforgettable once introduced. Yet I can't imagine giving it anything other than five stars. I found it to be very beautifully written and perhaps uncomfortably evocative in its depiction of the inner motivations and thoughts of characters brutally shaped by their experiences and helpless in their power to overcome them. I almost didn't want to know about these people, but once started on the narrative I couldn't help wanting to continue the journey. I listened to it primarily as I tried to fall asleep, which I'm sure added to the haunting quality of the story, as the despair and darkness infused my dreams and always lingered when I awoke. This was my first Flannery O'Connor, and my reaction was similar to reading William Faulkner and Carson McCullers: the story is darkly alluring, the writing style leaves a singular impression (O'Connor being my favorite of the three), and the characters stir powerful and often disquieting emotions. The story crawls into your bones, and once there, it lingers until it's almost hard to know if you're glad you allowed it in or not. The effect is made all the more dramatic by the narrator, who was so masterful it's hard to imagine that anyone else could have brought this to life so vividly as to make the events almost painful to bear witness to. I encourage you to press 'play,' in the end I'm glad I did.

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An inspiring and warm-hearted portal into a fascinating career.

Revisado: 10-06-20

This wasn’t the typical detached business book. It feels less like reading and more like a series of conversations with one of your favorite mentors. There is something very avuncular and...well, Disneyesque about it. But it’s by no means fluffy and there are plenty of surprisingly relatable career crossroads and business challenges to dissect. The fact that the author has worked his entire career (thus far) in the entertainment industry, has overseen mergers with some of the biggest names in the business, and helms one of the most beloved brands in the world adds an allure few authors could match. However, even without all that, this would be a great book. The author seems very real and human, and while there isn’t a lot of in-depth introspection or details about his management style, there is plenty of business and career insights to draw lessons from. The reader (Jim Frangione) has such a natural tone, conveying just the right amount of emotion and conviction, that I initially thought Robert Iger was narrating. The author’s voice and feeling jump off the pages and his words seem almost to be spoken not for the reading masses, but just for you, a colleague and friend sitting across the dinner table.

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Fun, interesting, & engaging introduction to material science!

Revisado: 06-26-20

I definitely recommend this! The information is really interesting, it’s presented clearly and in an engaging way, and in just the perfect dose. As others have mentioned, the author does tie in personal stories with each chapter, to varying degrees of effectiveness, but to me it added a quirky element to the book that I sort of enjoyed after awhile. This book is extremely entertaining and informative, but what makes it a real gem is how it makes you look at commonly encountered materials with real appreciation. The information sticks with you long after you’ve finished a chapter. I now see some actual beauty in concrete and I eat chocolate completely differently!

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A classic for a reason

Revisado: 04-06-19

A great story, with the perfect ending. In many ways, this Audible version made the characters come to life more so for me than reading it did. This was particularly true of Henry (Harry) Wotton, whose character and philosophical musings were perfectly reflected in the narration. As others reviews have pointed out, some of the main characters sound like old men throughout the story, not the young men they are when we first meet them. I must admit that after hearing the three central characters speak, I was somewhat startled to later hear all of them referred to as “young men” (I’d read the book too long to recall that detail). Additionally, the voices used for the females are almost laughable when you first hear them. Despite those weaknesses, I definitely enjoyed the narration overall, as it was strong in the most important places. And the story and writing is wonderful.

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