David Bricker

Didn't Sizzle Like Shantaram

Revisado: 03-22-23

A good writer conveys truth through words.
A good reader seeks words that convey truth.

The above may sound wise but I made it up. It doesn't really mean anything. It's philosophical fluff. And that's one area where Gregory David Roberts sequel to Shantaram falls short. It's weighed down with just this kind of wordplay at the expense of delivering a tight narrative.

Here are my thoughts as a reader, author, and editor:

GDR is a formidable writer and when he's at his best, he's a poet. At times, a description or observation will jump off the page and demand that you stop and reread it. That's a rare skill, and it's one I wouldn't overlook. However, the book is packed with aphorisms, reversals, and philosophical asides that just don't move the story forward in any necessary way.

The journey of most authors includes early works that unburden the writer of their philosophical musings. If you've spent time traveling and observing life, your best stories usually lie several layers deeper than your thoughts about life. And so you write and write and dig and dig and finally find the "pure writer" underneath the principles and dogma. Catch a great writer's third or fourth book and you'll see that "pure writer" begin to emerge.

In GDR's case, the personal experiences behind the first book eclipsed the first-time writer's common need to overexplain how the world works. We met the gangsters and other characters, explored Bombay and the slums and the blind singers and standing babas as wide-eyed visitors. Shantaram needed very little philosophical thread to bind it together while The Mountain Shadow is utterly entangled in it—the aphorism contest between Carla and Lin being one example of an oh-so-clever-yet-painful exchange that felt more like the writer flexing his philosophical biceps and less like the work of an author who pushes the narrative forward on behalf of his reader.

In Shantaram, we meet Lin as a fugitive. He meets Probhu whom we fall in love with as he, along with the gangsters and slum-dwellers become our keys to the city. We're in it and we love it. In the sequel, Lin is a low-level criminal who has become accustomed to life in Bombay. He jumps from one fight to another, meets with Carla, Didier, and some new characters but his evolutionary arc is fairly flat until the very end. Though the characters are "interesting," we're just not given many reasons to love them. Unlike Probhu who was killed off in the first book, I can't think of anyone I'd look forward to reconnecting with in a third. They all - including Lin - seem a bit smaller than life, and in the shadow of book 1 which was so powerful, they just shrink.

Every story is driven by conflict. Shantaram was driven mostly by a foreigner's need to survive and thrive in a strange world. We've all experienced that whether it's going to a new school or moving to a new town; it's universal. In the Mountain's Shadow, the gangs fight, Lin pursues Carla, and the various characters engage in their own small struggles but there's no overarching universal conflict—nothing worth inhabiting Lin's head for for that many pages.

Finally, GDR closes with a statement about the constant drug and alcohol use being included for the sake of authenticity. But this is a work of fiction and storytellers are well-advised to "be a journey-ist, not a journalist." Liquor and pot smoke are omnipresent and—authentic or not—they do nothing to drive the story forward other than to make us wonder how these people can even function in dangerous or philosophical settings.

I'll close by reiterating my admiration for GDR's pen. If he finds the right editor and lets that editor win a few fights, his next book—hopefully with new characters and settings—will likely be a powerful read.

One plus: Humphrey Bower could narrate binary code and make it engaging!

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Possibly My Favorite Bryce Courtenay Book

Revisado: 12-22-22

A long story that rambles in the best way. Tune in and enjoy the winding journey. A large cast of colorful characters keeps this book interesting and varied in tone. And BC wraps their intricately interwoven stories up at the end without needlessly killing off his main character (as he too often does). Plus Humphrey Bower is the best voice over artist since Mel Blanc did the Looney Toons characters. I could listen to him read a phone book.

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More Brilliance from Bryce and Bower (with a flaw)

Revisado: 09-01-22

I came to Bryce Courtenay's books because of my admiration for Humphrey Bower's voiceover work so I'll mention that first. Bower is the best voice artist since Mel Blanc recorded the Looney Tunes characters. His flexibility and mastery of accents is unparalleled. He turns any book, especially dialogue-rich works like Bryce's into a "move in your head."

Watch out: Spoiler Alerts.

Bryce is a capable writer who masterfully brings his characters to life. Their strengths, weaknesses, and personalities are vivid and relatable. I've listened to and enjoyed several of his 20+ and 30+ hour audiobooks and they will take you on a long, wonderful ride.

That ride is always enjoyable up through the end—where, I suppose to make some statement about harsh realities—the main character usually dies (unless there's a sequel or two in which case the main character dies at the end of the final book). Jessica, Danny Dunn, the Potato Factory books—all of them lead to the same result. Though the journey is worth it, I have to wonder whether this might have been Bryce's way of getting his head out of one group of characters so he could focus on writing another book.

The Story of Danny Dunn is well-told, but at the end, the fate of his daughter and Danny's final rowing trip just don't feel necessary or even particularly realistic. Bryce's bold statement about the effects of PTSD on combat veterans would have been just as powerful—or more powerful—if everyone didn't crash and burn at the end of the story. I suppose we're meant to ponder the seriousness of the problem by experiencing the loss of characters we've come to love in the story. Whether the problem is PTSD or political/racial injustice or heroin addiction, BC resorts to the same tactic of killing off his protagonists to make us "feel bad about the problem."

While these problems really DO kill people, most real-life victims struggle on with their demons through good days and bad. Bryce Courtenay, in what seems like an attempt to wash his hands of characters he's finished with, misses an opportunity to end with that oh-so-authentic juxtaposition of struggle and hope. Is he serving the reader or serving himself?

As I said, this is good writing and I've read most of BC's books. I Just find myself growing tired of investing 30 hours in a great story only to have the author shatter it at the end so he can write the next one.

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Wonderful Book but Buy the Secret Sequel (Tandia)

Revisado: 12-03-21

I loved the story and Humphrey Bower's always incomparable performance. However, I slammed into a wall at the end. PK, the protagonist, meets his mentors, grows and learns, and then in the final chapters, he resolves one of the story's least important conflicts. After 21 hours of engaged listening, I was utterly disappointed by the ending.

Fortunately, I had the good sense to Google "sequel to The Power of One" and was delighted to find a resolution to this cliffhanger of a book. I'm halfway through "Tandia" and am enjoying it every bit as much as the first half of the story. No mention of a sequel is made at the end of this book, and that omission has undoubtedly been a source of "story anxiety" for many.

"The Power of One" combines immersive storytelling with Bower's unique ability to bring a book, to life with accents and emotional, theatrical delivery. Bower is the most talented voice actor since Mel Blanc did the Looney Tunes cartoons. Put this book on and take a 21.5-hour road trip. You'll be engaged with the story every second of the way.

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Well-narrated but lacks conflict

Revisado: 06-27-21

The author is upbeat and the syntax is better than you'll find in most books, though the performance becomes over-theatrical at times. Mostly, this is a chronicle of the writer's "green light" moments and lessons learned. But the narrative bogs down. None of the lessons feels either profound or hard-won. McConaughey becomes rich and famous without much effort and then runs hither and yon chasing dreams and discovering principles. Though his "notes to self" and "bumper sticker" platitudes may inspire some, it's never quite clear whether McConaughey is offering himself as a guide or celebrating himself as a hero or understands the difference and its impact on storytelling.

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Wonderful story and a stellar vocal performance

Revisado: 04-26-21

It's difficult to sustain interest when the story is long. Readers are reluctant to dive into a 944 page book, and 42+ hours of audio requires even greater commitment from the listener. While the story captivated me all the way through, Humphrey Bower's narration was a feat of its own. I felt as if I was watching a movie as Bower rendered every voice—the men, the women, the Indians, the Americans, the New Zealanders. Every character had a distinct and convincing voice and accent. I'm a professional speaker and speaking coach, and know a bit about vocal work. I am stunned and will one day listen to all 42 hours again!

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loved this book!

Revisado: 04-30-19

A delightful mix of storytelling and useful business tactics, narrated by a true artist. I've already put several of these concepts into practice and will circle back later for a second read.

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Exactly What it Aims to Be

Revisado: 04-10-19

Not everyone has reviewed this course so positively, but the problem is a matter of managing expectations. This is an academic course, a series of engaging lectures about the art of speaking and its origins. If you're looking for a "pep talk" course about the speaking industry or a fast path to making a fortune as a motivational speaker, this isn't it. But if you're truly interested in speaking, this course offers insights and examples that will provide insight into great speeches and what makes them work (or not). John Hale has done an excellent job organizing his content and curating historical examples that support his points. His advice is all valuable, and his unspoken message - that serious practitioners of any craft should understand the history and literature that have led to contemporary practice - is worth paying attention to. As a professional speaker, I plan to slowly memorize a handful of Hale's speech selections (Gettysburg Address, Patrick Henry, etc.) and learn to deliver them artfully. If you're a speaker - an art for which there is little academic support - approach this audio book as a student and you'll find plenty of good material to use on the platform.

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esto le resultó útil a 32 personas

Melville's Last Classic

Revisado: 06-09-18

As delightfully dense and poetic as Melville's other work, Billy Budd is a commentary on law and order, military command, the British policy of impressing merchant sailors into military service, and the human spirit. Unlike the 138 chapters of Moby Dick, this audiobook can be consumed in a little over 4 hours. Authentically Melville, it's Victorian in style, yet it lacks the extended tangents and long back story chapters that characterize Moby Dick. Perhaps as Melville aged he combined his dexterity with words with a certain efficiency born of experience or a need to finish the story before his time ran out. Predictably heavy work from one of the true masters of English prose.

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a classic worth re-experiencing

Revisado: 05-13-18

Masterful use of English, and especially well-performed by Mr. Muller. This is a true American epic that captures the history of whaling. the prose is as sharp as any harpoon.

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