@MrBookChief

In some parts overly sympathetic to “poor Tiger”

Revisado: 09-03-20

I didn’t like how the author reduced tigers sex scandal to a “stiletto parade” of newspaper results. One of the women he seduced was the young daughter of a neighbour/friend but this wasn’t mentioned at all in the book.

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Great story of a magnificent passion for running

Revisado: 11-06-19

Well put together story of a man's passion for running and self discovery. A broader view on how life can be explored. Well read

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A tension filled tale of 17th century Japan

Revisado: 12-29-16

Any additional comments?

Quote of the book: ‘Christ did not die for the good and beautiful. It is easy enough to die for the good and beautiful; the hard thing is to die for the miserable and corrupt.’

I listened to this book in two mammoth listens while on the road this Christmas and it kept me on edge for the relatively short listening time of 7hrs and 44mins. It had been on my reading list ever since the cover caught my eye in a Dubray’s bookshop last summer and with the impending release of a Martin Scorsese film, I badly wanted to get to it before it hit the cinema next month.

I loved this book for several reasons.

The historical fiction element: The more books that I read from this genre, the more that I feel it is underrated. Books like these have the added attraction of being based on actual truth or real events that happened in the past. This makes the story more authentic and believable. The story in this book centres around Jesuit missionary priests sent to 17th century Japan. It is fantastic to read how the Western Christian culture clashes with the Japanese culture at a time when Japan had all but closed its borders to European ships.

This book reminded me of the Joseph Conrad classic Heart Of Darkness: The story centres around two priests sent to find out what happened to the legendary figure of Fr. Ferrara. All we know is that Fr. Ferrara has dramatically apostatised his Christian beliefs and disappeared after twenty years of missionary work in Japan. His former pupils Fr. Rodrigues and Fr. Garrpe refuse to believe these apparent lies and set out to find their former mentor. It takes us a long time to finally meet Fr. Ferrara and this is similar to the tension-filled search for Colonel Kurtz in Heart Of Darkness. Conrad’s book inspired the Francis Ford Coppola film Apocalypse Now starring Martin Sheen and Marlon Brando. Will Scorsese use the material here to create another classic? Watch the trailer for Silence here.

This book challenged me and my own beliefs: Christianity was outlawed in Japan in the 17th century and anyone caught practising it was punished severely. The Japanese quickly learned that killing missionaries made martyrs of them and so changed their approach. Instead of torturing their captives physically, they focused instead on spiritual and psychological destruction. Getting a priest to stand on an image of Christ or spit on a likeness of the Virgin Mary was a much more effective way of counteracting the spread of Christianity amongst the peasantry. As I listened to these tales of torture and mind games, I wondered what beliefs of my own would I be willing to suffer for and what beliefs would I renounce easily. I love books like this that make you think.

This book has some unforgettable set pieces: The search for Fr. Ferrara, the similarities and parallels with the betrayal of Jesus, the water punishment, the pit, the Judas like figure of Kichijiro and the despicable character of Nagasaki magistrate Inoue who masterminds the dissolution of Christianity in Japan…without giving too much away this book has many characters and moments that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.

The strong theme of silence throughout the book: Many times in the book, the narrator questions why God sits back and does nothing while his worshippers suffer. In two key scenes, the ocean waves continue to roll and music continues to play while people are dying. God’s ‘silence’ makes it seems as if nothing has happened and normal life seems to keep on going despite these horrible events. It is this ‘silence’ that troubles Fr. Rodrigues and his beliefs the most as the novel builds to its conclusion.

‘Behind the depressing silence of the sea, the silence of God …. the feeling that while men raise their voices in anguish God remains with folded arms, silent.’

Would I recommend this book to a friend?

Yes. I really enjoyed it and it can only enhance my experience of the upcoming film. This book is a great work of historical fiction and yet another great export from Japanese literature.

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A timeless classic in the art of storytelling

Revisado: 01-20-16

What made the experience of listening to Heart of Darkness: A Signature Performance by Kenneth Branagh the most enjoyable?

The most interesting character was 'off screen' for most of the book

Who was your favorite character and why?

Colonel Kurtz

Any additional comments?

This book is undeniably racist in some aspects but more so reflects the ignorance of its time. If you get past this, there is a powerful story about one man's lust for an ultimate and dark power.

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Another detective series worth exploring!

Revisado: 11-04-14

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

I did wonder where it was going and how it was going to be tied up at the end. There were no loose ends when the book finished which is always good in a detective novel.

What does George Guidall bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He made the Icelandic accents and place names more real without being over the top.

Any additional comments?

For anyone that watched The Killing...don't expect an ending where everything comes out rosy. Very bleak listening throughout.

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My favourite listening experience to date

Revisado: 10-12-14

Where does The Child rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It reminded me very much of HBO's True Detective and was a very different listening experience to other audiobooks. It felt more akin to a good film and I thoroughly enjoyed each listening session that I had with it.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Child?

The Voice

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

Robert Stern

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It opened my eyes to child trafficking

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A fine example of excellent storytelling

Revisado: 04-20-14

What did you love best about The Hobbit (Dramatised)?

I loved the sense of nostalgia that I got while listening to this. It brought the characters and events to life using very little special effects.

Any additional comments?

If you have enjoyed the books and the recent films, have a listen to this to remind yourself of what is essentially one of the classic stories of our time. Its amazing how this production covered the story so excellently in four hours when Hollywood needs about seven hours of CGI to impress. Tolkien originally told this story to his children at bedtime and I imagine that this version of the tale remains very close to that experience.

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Have you lived 70 years or the same year 70 times?

Revisado: 04-20-14

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend it to someone who likes a classic work of fiction that does not excite through it plot but rather through the deep thought provoking questions that this piece of work raises.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Stoner himself presents an interesting case study of a life lived like many others. Its interesting to see how certain decisions and choices affect his future self.

What about Robin Field’s performance did you like?

Excellent. An understated performance that quietly goes about it business in an impressive way.

Any additional comments?

Well worth a listen if you do not have time to read the original.

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A hilarious trip through time

Revisado: 04-20-14

If you could sum up The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared in three words, what would they be?

Original black humour

What other book might you compare The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared to and why?

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. Similar characters and similar black humour. An aging pensioner goes through a series of unexpected adventures while looking back over the past events of his life.

Which scene was your favorite?

Alan and his relationship with Stalin and other (in)famous world leaders was quite entertaining!

Who was the most memorable character of The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared and why?

Alan for his sheer deadpan humour and eternally optimistic and simple outlook on life.

Any additional comments?

An excellent listen that I would thoroughly recommend to anyone who enjoys a laugh and a small bit of world history.

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A good teenage conspiracy thriller

Revisado: 01-26-14

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Every now and again I delve into the young adult fiction genre to give myself a break but that does not mean I want to skimp on action or plot. This story has both in great amounts and I found it very entertaining. The concluding scene reminded me of The Matrix in some ways and I can't wait to continue the series. For Hunger Games fans out there, I would strongly recommend this book as you will not be disappointed.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The action scenes had me on the edge of my seat. Potential for a great film in there.

Any additional comments?

Well worth a look, don't expect your life to be changed by reading this but you will be entertained and come away feeling you got great value for money. I liked the way it wasn't too much in your face futuristic also, the plot should always be at the forefront of a good story, not the setting

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