William Michael

Writing as a fan of Richard Osman . . .

Revisado: 06-23-24

This is a well-written and witty book, especially considering it is Osman's writing debut. However, I found the story somewhat difficult to follow at times for two reasons. First, the narrator's voice was much the same for most of the characters, with only occasional accent changes. This occasionally made it difficult to tell which character was speaking.

The second, I suppose, is my fault for not being British. Much of the humor (or humour) depends on being a British native socially and growing up amid English norms and references, especially those of elderly and well-monied English in this case. I say this as someone who is a fan of Richard Osman and who watches quite a lot of British telly.

This is all to say that Brits will more fully appreciate Osman's writing and wit. Nonetheless, I very much appreciate Osman's character development, plot intricacy, and keen observation of human nature.

Evidently, a movie based on this book is forthcoming, and I'm looking forward to seeing it and perhaps understanding more of what I just listened to in this audio book. But I don't think I'll be listening to other volumes in this series.

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Making history

Revisado: 03-01-24

I hesitated to begin this book, expecting to be disappointed, despite the fact that I witnessed her testimony and saw her on a few talk shows and recognized her as an admirable patriot in the best sense of the word. I could also see that she is intelligent and articulate, so it didn't surprise me when I became captivated by the book from beginning to end, as well as by Ms. Hutchinson's reading. This book offers a remarkable combination of personal and political memoir, all fitting together with each aspect supporting the other. I truly appreciated her memories of growing up, including sketches of childhood events and of her parents. It was enlightening to hear, especially, about her father and his narcissistic bullying of her, both as a child and as an adult. Hutchinson's descriptions of interactions with her father helped me understand how such an intelligent person could be pulled into the Trumplican circle and become fiercely loyal to it. Once she saw through Trump's shenanigans and nasty bluster, it seems she was also able to see her father for who he is.

Ultimately, this book is about a woman's journey toward clarity in life, a requirement for true personal freedom and happiness. The narrative of Cassidy Hutchinson's political adventure is supported and made richer by her personal narrative. As a young woman in her first "real" job, she was about as close as a person can get to the center of political power in America. She was in a position to tell the truth about what was happening, which came at a huge cost. At the same time, however, her courageous action eventually cleared her mind and made her a stronger, more mature, and fuller human being. Although I'm not a Republican, she is the kind of person I would like to see more of in Congress and in government as a whole. I am grateful for her service.

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Good exegesis of Blavatsky's writings

Revisado: 07-20-23

The story itself is merely a framework for a wonderful explanation of H.P. Blavatsky's major writings and of Theosophy. At its heart, her philosophy is a 19th-century practice of Rosicrucianism mixed with esoteric Buddhism. The main character's encounter with spiritual masters in fantastical settings provides the perfect opportunity for a Q&A session in which an earnest student of Theosophy can inquire about the deeper aspects of that path. I suspect Blavatsky wrote this book as a kind of Cliffs Notes for "Isis Unveiled" and "The Secret Doctrine," as well as "Key to Theosophy." As a student of Rudolf Steiner (whose Anthroposophy grew out of Theosophy), I appreciated this book as a useful back-to-basics review.

The reader offers a clear voice and good narration of this well-edited edition of a late-19th-century book.

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A peek behind the curtain

Revisado: 04-14-23

Basically, I never read or listen to celebrity memoirs and confessions. However, I heard so much praise for Prince Harry's book that I figured I'd enjoy it. And I was absolutely right!

Having the writer also read for the audio book isn't always a good idea, and Prince Harry isn't the best reader. Nevertheless, I enjoyed hearing the book in his own voice. He tends to read in short, quick bursts without a lot of modulation, though I wouldn't call it monotone. It's just the way he speaks, much the way he conversed with Oprah. I admit, too that it was sometimes difficult to understand over ordinary car and road noises (I listen to books mainly while driving), but mostly he came through clearly.

Much of the book is devoted to Prince Harry's and Princess Diana's problems with the paparazzi ("the paps") and his and Megan's consequent move to the U.S. He speaks in intimate detail about his relationships with members of the royal family, especially the unique restrictions on his personal freedom and the deep love he feels for his mother, grandmother, and brother, through thick and thin.

Some of what the book discusses I've encountered in the media (or at least versions of those events), much of which Prince Harry counters with his own recollections. He doesn't paint himself as a saint and talks freely about his youthful misadventures, including his decision to wear a Nazi uniform to a costume party, setting off a media frenzy that many readers will recall. And "media frenzy" plays large in this book, and I find it difficult to understand just how callous (and dangerous) both the British and American paparazzi can be.

I realized when I began to write down memories of events in my own life that memory is selective and fairly unreliable. Prince Harry has the advantage (or disadvantage) that most of his life has been chronicled (truthfully or not) by the media, so that is recollections are far more likely to be accurate than most celebrity tell-alls. Many readers will dismiss this book as a spoiled kid lashing out, and others will see it as vindication and setting the record straight. Either way, it's an interesting and often entertaining memoir from a man whose life is singular in nearly every sense of the word.

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Ridiculous reading

Revisado: 05-07-22

First, I will say that I've loved every book I've obtained by Gary Lachman, beginning with "A Secret History of Consciousness." He shares his broad knowledge of esoteric and occult history, placing each step and individual in the context of general history and and the various streams of philosophical and spiritual inquiry. I'm familiar with much of what he has to say in his books, but I love how he connects the dots and fits it all together. I had been looking forward to beginning this book, and perhaps I should have read these reviews before hand, though I probably would have bought the book anyway.

The narrator is one of the worst I've ever heard. Each chapter seems to be one long sentence, and I even began to wonder if the book was being read by a computer. The material is all there, but it is nearly impossible to absorb the full meaning behind the words being read. On the plus side, in contrast to the reader of Lachman's "Politics and the Occult," Leslie James did generally pronounce names and terms correctly and consistently. It's a shame that this reading spoiled such a fine text.

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Comprehensive and encouraging

Revisado: 09-13-21

For anyone contemplating living full-time on the road in an RV, this is essential information before taking any action in that direction. I'm about to take that step myself, having thought about it for several years, and the authors cover numerous aspects and concerns I hadn't (and probably wouldn't have) taken into consideration. It's not that the endeavor itself is so complicated, but there are lots of choices to make at the beginning, and a few wrong choices could be very expensive and discouraging.

For me, there's just one problem: The authors mention numerous resources and organizations throughout the book that could be helpful, but it's not always possible to write them down as the narration progresses, especially since I listen to audio books mostly while driving. A PDF file of those resources, including online URLs, books, organizations, and videos on various topics would be an invaluable download here, since it will be difficult if not impossible to find relevant and most important references again in the audio.

Otherwise, this is an excellent resource for planning and executing the RV life.

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Please bring back the good stuff

Revisado: 05-14-19

Having been a fan of the Castle novels from the first, as well as a fan of the TV series, I've happily anticipated each new installment of the Nikki Heat and Derrick Storm series. "Crashing Heat" started out pretty good, but in the end is not up to the standard set by earlier Heat novels. The narrative here seemed to focus more on the hormonal interactions between Heat and Rook than on developing a real story. Where's the suspense of "High Heat" or the action of "Heat Storm"? This book turned out to be more of soap opera than a murder mystery. Please bring back the good stuff.

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As a Tolkien fan . . .

Revisado: 09-01-18

This is the first Tolkien book I've acquired from Audible to instead of a physical book. The Narrator has a wonderfully deep and resonant voice, which is probably great for video voice-over but not for audio books--at least not for me. I generally listen to books in my car, and some voices just don't work for me while driving. There are those who vary their voices from loud excitement to quiet confidentiality, which forces me to constantly adjust the volume, and there are those whose voices themselves become the center attention rather than the story, as I found with this book. I was unable to follow the story line and soon quit listening altogether. Perhaps if I had a nice quiet Rolls. Nonetheless, since this is Tolkien we're talking about, so I'll probably try listening again someday.

I would like to comment on the story itself, but never got far enough into it to remark intelligently on it.

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Not what I expected

Revisado: 08-16-18

I got this book because I, too, expect to hit the road and join those North American nomads when I finally manage to retire. I was looking for personal stories of people sharing their experiences specific to the ins and outs of being nomadic. I admit that I didn't finish the book, because I was not looking for detailed dramatic stories of hardship--with life on the road as the antidote. Rather, I was hoping for tips and information on that lifestyle from experienced nomads.

What I heard in this audio book was well written and interesting and well read by Karen White. Women, especially, are likely to empathize with these stories of hard luck, courage, and adventure.

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BIG FAN

Revisado: 01-15-18

I've listened to every Richard Castle story, and every one was exciting and fun. I have a feeling this might be the last one...sort of wrapping things up. This particular mashup of Derrick Storm and Nikki Heat should have been much better, especially the end, which seemed somewhat abrupt. As usual, the narration was good, and as usual no one will accuse the author of writing great literature, but also as usual the story hold up well. I would have like to have heard a little grittier story, much like some of the early Nikki Heat volumes. I will recommend this book for any fan of the Richard Castle books, but it is certainly not a good place to start either the Heat or the Storm series. I will be happy if this joint series continues, but I'm not holding my breath.

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