Michael T. Jorgensen

my favorite audiobook of all time

Revisado: 07-05-24

I've listened to the Stephen Fry HP books dozens of times. This book is my favorite in the series and the performance pushes it over the top.

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Fun premise, underwhelming humor

Revisado: 01-15-24

The premise is light and fun. It aims primarily for humor, but at its best, the humor is a mild chuckle rather than laugh-out-loud funny. My biggest issue was that more than a few attempts to be scatological just came off as record-scratch moments with socially regressive humor. These are the types of jokes that might have been worthy of a sub-par 90's comedy, but hard to stomach in the 2020s.

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Accent is thick, but you get used to it.

Revisado: 10-04-23

For the audio: Brand was a fun choice because he captures the snark, but his accent is so heavy that I had to work a bit harder to follow.

For the book:
I mean, he's a philosophy nerd who illustrates his points with movie references. What about this was I not gonna like?

This book is a scathing, even caustic, critique of culture. Interestingly, he addresses himself to capitalist-loyalists, which is implicitly and involuntarily everyone, rather than capitalism as an abstract idea.

He notes at the end that "anti-capitalism must be a rival (view of the world), not a reaction." Yet, what I kept thinking throughout the book was, "I'm totally on board with your arguments, what should I advocate FOR?" and I was left without answers.

Similarly, at one point he says something to the effect that "if everyone is responsible for global warming, then no one is, and that's the problem." A point well made, although the logic cuts against him as well. If everyone is responsible for capitalist realism, then no one is, and THAT is the problem. There is no particular "who" that he argues against and I doubt any such who will take up a counter-argument so Fisher's work will remain screaming logical syllogisms into the void.

I really loved this book and wish more people would read it. My criticism is that it is self-important, somehow cynical and naive, and invites you to join in a superior sense derived from a shared fatalism. The problem is, most of those criticisms probably cut against me as well.

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Story ok, narrators are great

Revisado: 09-12-23

I'm using the literal meaning of two stars here "it was okay." I liked it fine but it was a meandering sequel that resorted to the trope of split narraration. When things finally take shape and grt interesting you end on a cliffhanger. Not a very satisfying stand alone book which is not the first time I've though that about Carey's work. I liked it, but would have appreciated developing more character depth rather than expanding the number of characters.

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Fascinating book, good performance

Revisado: 09-05-23

Outstanding. Bad biographies err in two directions. The first is hagiography which this book certainly does not risk. The second is critical deconstruction. This is a great biography because it provides enough information to admire him, question him, and debate his legacy.

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Better performance, lesser book

Revisado: 09-05-23

Enjoyable, but a somewhat disappointing follow-up to the first book. Even for a series like this, the book was meandering. Significantly fewer heady conversations in this book. The most substantial of which was a redux of the ship of Theseus. The first book had a bit of a quest and a consistent theme of searching. This book seemed like it would be leaning in one direction and then wandering off in another direction. All of them are pleasant, but not cohesive as a singular story. This felt more like an appendix to the first book or even fan fiction.

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If you like Andy Weir, you'll like this

Revisado: 09-05-23

This is really a 3.5 star book... I can list my nitpicks, but I TORE through this book.

His writing annoys me in several ways. First, his characters seem to be mostly the same from book-to-book. They're mostly one-dimensional story props, including the protagonist. He likes to write the "smart guy who likes to be jovial in the face of grim situations." This aspect strikes me as Aaron Sorkinish, but less effective.

His sci-fi is...fun. Compared to someone like Neal Stevenson, Weir understands how to give you scientific data without pausing the story. You get "sciency vibes" from Weir and things seem plausible enough. Here's the thing, I'm not going to inspect every bit of scientific data and theory in the book. For me the question is, can you tell a good story that doesn't rely on absurdities? Weir can and does.

Basically, his character writing is to character writing what his scientific writing is to hard sci-fi. Yet, he has found an effective blend to move it all forward. He can craft a premise and is very good at unfolding a compelling narrative even while held back by his lack of compelling characters.

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Awesome story, awesome performance

Revisado: 09-05-23

Loved it! Sci-fi that doesn't get bogged down in unnecessary detail. Carey establishes the concept for about 50 pages and then it is all about the characters and the world-building.

I'm annoyed with myself for getting shocked by a twist at the end because it was foreshadowed at the beginning, but so much happens that I'd forgotten all about it.

In a story with so many character POVs there is usually a drag on the ticket. For me, it would be Moon or Pas. But even those stories got me invested. Carey knows how to juggle character development and world-building. What more can you want?

I'm docking this a star because it doesn't feel very self-contained. This is clearly a "part 1" rather than a natural ending to one story.

As for the performance, it is perfect. She has a wonderful voice and makes this very easy to listen to!

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esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Pretty good story, Great performance

Revisado: 09-05-23

I could pick a lot of nits with this book, but I finished it in one weekend because I was enjoying myself. At the end of the day, that is what earns it star ratings.

Carey is a master storyteller, there is no doubt about that. He is excellent and efficient at world-building (a rare combo) and he always finds a compelling character to follow. The only thing more I could want is some kind of scientific/philosophical/political commentary that the sci-fi genre lends itself too so easily. There are some salient points in this book if you strain for them, but ultimately it is just a good story and not much more.

Without spoiling, I will say that I felt uncomfortable with the stereotypical Japanese vernacular of the AI that Koli uses. However, this is intentional and is addressed as part of the plot. If you find yourself bumping on that, just know that it is addressed internally.

As for the narration, he was easy to listen to and I imagine this was a difficult book to read. As a regular audiobooker, I found him a bit slow but listened at 1.2x and found it to be a perfect pace.

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Clear your schedule, this is a one-sitting deal

Revisado: 08-14-23

I picked this up because it was likened to Piranesi as a "you'll read it all in one sitting book" and it lived up to the hype in that regard.

The first two chapters are a bit slow with a meandering nature, little exposition of the world, and long time jumps that make it hard to connect with the protagonist. However, the last page of chapter two creates a thrust that will carry you through the entire book.

Lots of great conversations and insights. I've heard some of these in other places, some I've longed to articulate. This is the heart and soul of the book...and the dialogue about onions.

Overall, I LOVED the robot. One of my favorites characters that I've read in a long time. There are a few pages toward the end where the robot recites 2020 zeitgeist-y self-help tips. It would be disappointing to believe that even after the world is remade, we still have to listen to the exact same drivel.

As I was reading, I found the ending a little disappointing as the book wrestles with prescient and relatable questions and snuggles into a cozy nihilism. Then again, both characters may verbally deny the need for any greater purpose, but their found friendship is the unspoken purpose that carries them through much of this book and beyond. This is important. Just because the characters believe they have resolved their question intellectually, the reader can observe the inconsistency between their words and actions.

As for the audiobook, I mostly read this book in print but I listened to two chapters of it while doing some chores and didn't miss a beat. Great audio performance!

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