Stephen

Doesn’t get any better than this

Revisado: 04-11-18

Of my seven years on audible and hundreds of books, this one is in my top five. Excellent on all fronts. If the topic interests you, then get it.

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A masterpiece

Revisado: 03-10-18

I’ve never enjoyed listening to a book as much as I have this one. I’m going to start from the beginning as soon as I submit this review.

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I was hesitant, but Krakauer did it again.

Revisado: 01-08-17

All I can say is this book has changed the way I see the world. If you want to be enlightened on a controversial subject that is often shrouded in reactionary groupthink then read/listen to Missoula.

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Still great, but not quite Looming Tower

Revisado: 09-01-16

Would you listen to The Terror Years again? Why?

Maybe, if I have questions regarding the subject matter and I want to review.

What did you like best about this story?

Incredibly well researched, nobody does their homework better than Wright.

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

When the surviving hostages explained their experiences and how they felt about the people who were left behind and eventually killed.

Any additional comments?

I was hoping for more information regarding the founders of ISIS similar to what Wright did with Looming Tower.

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Lalami's narrator seems disingenuous

Revisado: 04-11-16

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

I don't know much about Laila Lalami. I was initially impressed with her ambition to write about this subject considering so little is known, but so many have speculated on it. I've read a few pieces she wrote for The Nation, which I liked, but this was the first of her novels. That being said, I'm not sure who might really enjoy this book. Apparently the judges for the Pulitzer prize I guess.

What do you think your next listen will be?

I just downloaded One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Yes. The narration wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great either. Maybe that is part of my hang up. I can't really offer a specific criticism, he did better than I would do, but he's no Stephen Fry.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Moor's Account?

Every scene in Morocco. I actually skipped the last few Morocco chapters because they were slow and didn't help develop the character any. It's a fairly standard "he had everything and lost it" cliche. She didn't have to spend a third of the book telling me about how rough Portuguese imperialism was.

Any additional comments?

I'm a seventh generation Texan going back to the war for independence from Mexico. I also have native ancestry. I've read a lot on Texas history, and I've been especially interested in pre-Colombian tribes ever since I found some ancient arrowheads and a grinding basin as a kid. I've read the English translation of The Journey of Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca (which is where this story comes from), and I've given serious consideration to writing a historical fiction novel set about the same time as this one. This is what drew me to The Moor's Account. However, I grew up on Michener, and maybe it's his version of Esteban that I can't shake, but here is what bothers me the most about Lalami's protagonist (light spoilers ahead):Esteban (I kind of feel bad calling him this now) went on one of the greatest journeys in American history after being shipwrecked near or on Galveston Island. Virtually none of the natives he and the other three survivors encountered had ever seen someone from the other side of the Atlantic. He arrives in Texas (according to Lalami; it's important to remember essentially nothing is known about the historical Esteban as a person other than where he comes from) because he sells HIMSELF into slavery in a desperate attempt to raise funds for food so his family can survive, and is eventually bought by a Spaniard. He then spends the rest of the book complaining about how much being a slave sucks. Also, his internal dialogue is that of a Saint, and it's clear that he is the only one who can truly tell right from wrong, and thus predicts the impending disaster about to befall the Natives. He comes across as a tepid blend of Jesus and Oroonoko. I'm not going to argue that being a slave doesn't suck. It's essentially a life of hard labor combined with a death sentence. But instead of reminding himself that his continued sacrifice saved his family, he acts more like a captured West African who was forced into bondage. He is absolutely allowed to feel bad about being a slave, but his attitude of righteous indignation regarding slavery comes off weird considering how he got there. Did I mention that he used to sell slaves himself? Anyway, this is the backdrop to the narrator's attitude throughout the book. Instead of diving into the rich, mysterious histories of the native people, (which is what I was hoping for) Lalami tells us very little about their day-to-day life, and goes with a well-worn story of European abuse. I can see where she was going with it, although evidently not as well as Pulitzer prize people. I think it's supposed to be a tragedy/redemption story, but I don't buy it. The only true tragedy is what happens to the natives, but the sharpness of their ultimate betrayal is dulled because, as Lalami explains it, they were warned not to follow the Spaniards over and over again, but they still went. Also, all the struggle and pain does not result in redemption of the main character. Considering the potential of this story, this book is just meh.

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Left me wanting more

Revisado: 12-15-15

What did you love best about Redfish, Bluefish, Sheefish, Snook?

Helped me get through months of law school when I couldn't get out and fish. Don has a scientist's pragmatic view of things, which I appreciate, but he also can still tell an exciting story. I've been fishing my whole life, but I feel like I've barely scratched the surface after hearing some of the adventures he has been on in this book. Very inspiring.

What did you like best about this story?

Hard to say, possibly the Halibut fishing with a fly rod, but I also loved hearing about the GTs. Also good to hear someone with his expertise enjoys catching some of the same blue-collar fish I do.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, especially if you like fishing and have ever picked up a fly rod. Although I wouldn't limit this book to only people who fly fish, as I normally am on the water with a spinning rod and live bait.

Any additional comments?

Nothing on audible right now really compares in terms of satiating one's appetite for fishing stories like this book, and you might learn something.

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Inspiring

Revisado: 08-11-12

If you could sum up Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen in three words, what would they be?

Inspiring vivid superb

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

The anthropology aspect of human running

What about Fred Sanders’s performance did you like?

Kept me listening, very professional.

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

I felt the need to go out and run, and I did

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