OYENTE

Walter

  • 42
  • opiniones
  • 236
  • votos útiles
  • 736
  • calificaciones

Illuminating biography

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 01-12-25

This is an excellent biography of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, providing a solid account of his life and the near constant calamities he faced during his reign.

Even more so, it provides great insight on how he applied his Stoic philosophy to the way he faced and overcame those challenges. It’s an excellent introduction to Stoicism, without setting out to be such.

For me, this book helped dispel some widespread myths about Stoicism. Does Stoicism seek emotionless indifference?Marcus Aurelius was known to have wept publicly in the face of tragedy. He was warm and affectionate.

My biggest “aha” moment came when I learned that Stoic “apatheia” did not mean “apathy,” or indifference, but instead freedom from overwhelming, destructive emotions. Apatheia is not emotional indifference, it is emotional mastery.

Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Long strange trip

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 07-30-24

Fascinating series of stories with a cast of hundreds, many of whom are larger than life characters. When most people think of the Eurythmics, they think first of Annie Lennox, but it’s clear that Dave Stewart was just as important to their success. I was unaware of just how much he accomplished beyond the success of the band. This book offers a glimpse into the music and entertainment industry from the 1980s onwards. Very informative and very enjoyable.

Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Maybe not for audio…

Total
3 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
3 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 01-02-22

I love the Pythons, and it’s good to hear all of their best Flying Circus sketches, but there’s something lost without the video. The Dead Parrot sketch is still funny, but without seeing John Cleese screaming at the dead bird to try to wake it… well, it’s not quite the same. If you can’t get enough of them, try their autobiographies and other books on Audible instead.

Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

No research - only outmoded biases

Total
1 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
1 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 06-14-21

This book is full of inaccuracies and outdated stereotypes about the backwardness of life and people of the Middle Ages. Here’s just one example of the kind of idiocy included in this “history.” About the Date of Christmas: “The Eastern Roman Empire picked January 6 as the day, but later in that same century December 25 was chosen, apparently at random.” In that one sentence I count at least three inaccuracies. Rather than gracing such balderdash with a response, I’ll recommend Wikipedia as a more accurate source on this particular question.

If one wants to criticize the established churches of that time, one can find accurate information with which to do so. Read instead Edward Gibbon’s 18th Century “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,” which for all its biases, and all the information that has since been proven wrong at least attempted in its day to be reasonably accurate.

I’ll be honest - this book is so bad, so indulgent of erroneous stereotypes that have long been disproved, it casts doubt on every other work by Manchester - including his three volume biography of Winston Churchill, which I’ll probably now never finish. Too bad I’ve owned this audiobook (and the Churchill volumes) too long to be able to return them. Also too bad I own this in audiobook form, since it precludes me from throwing it across the room, or even better, out the window.

William Manchester describes the period he writes about here as the “Dark Ages.” The only thing dark in this book is the author’s ignorance, carelessness and superficiality. If you want to learn about the Middle Ages and the Medieval mind - do not read this book.

Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

A story about people haunted by ghosts

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 02-06-21

I can't help but compare The Glass Hotel to Emily St. John Mandel's excellent 2014 dystopian novel, Station Eleven. This is a very good novel, nearly as good as Station Eleven. Her prose is as dazzling here as it was in the earlier novel. In both books she shows herself to be a master of painting and examining the relationships - especially the unlikely and almost random relationships - between people.

One of the chief differences between the two books is that The Glass Hotel refers explicitly to ghosts (perhaps real, perhaps imagined). It is, like the ghost stories that some of the characters make up for amusement, about hauntings and about people who are haunted. In Station Eleven, any figurative haunting lies in the afterglow of people who are - and remain - dead, and in the reverberations of their acts and relationships. And yet by contrast, The Glass Hotel is set in a largely familiar and recognizable world, while Station Eleven is largely set in an unsettling world different from our own.

Despite these differences, I disagree with the assessment that The Glass Hotel is a departure from her previous novel. They are something like binary stars that rotate around each other. Station Eleven was often labeled as science fiction - but it is not, or it is that and much more. On reading The Glass Hotel, I'm a little surprised that it hasn't been called a horror story - because stories about people who are haunted by ghosts usually are labeled as horror, or at least fantasy. It is of course so much more than that.

I'm think it was only the expectations I brought to each novel that affected my reactions to them (The Glass Hotel get 4.5 stars, Station Eleven got 5 stars from me). Or perhaps it's the distractions of the ongoing pandemic and the momentous events that occurred while I was starting reading The Glass Hotel (I had to put it aside for a while before returning to it at the very end of January, not because of the book, but because of my inability to tear away from events). Whatever the case, I plan to reread it again in a few months to see if I find more in it once I am better able to absorb it.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the excellent performance by Dylan Moore. She is one of those narrators whose work enhances the books she reads, which is certainly the case here.

Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Must-read for our times

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 01-16-21

This book came out in 2020, before the recent tragic events in Washington DC, though the storm has been gathering for years. Culture Warlords is a book for right now.

Talia Lavin is a one woman online anti White Supremacy army. If you look up her Twitter profile, she’s brandishing a sword. I’m going to say it’s a sword of righteousness. And while I’m sure she doesn’t use it as an actual weapon, she uses her online skills much like a sword in battle.

Before I get too carried away, let me add that the book provides an taxonomy of right wing hate groups, with some background on each, along with her interactions with them (and the damage she’s managed to inflict on them). Talia narrates her own book, which gives it an immediacy and at times intimacy that would otherwise be lacking.

If, like me, you’ve been concerned by the insurrection / attempted coup of January 6th, it’s well worth reading this book - and supporting the work that Talia and others like her are doing every day.

Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Can’t wait for the next one!

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 11-03-20

I’ve been enjoying the Nils Shapiro series, and flew through all four in rapid succession. I love that they are set in Minnesota (except this one, which is mostly in L.A.).

The first three were enjoyable, but this one is a bit of a revelation. Is it Bronson Pinchot’s narration? The previous narrator did a good job, but Pinchot brought out a completely different side to nearly all the characters - especially Nils. His smart ass attitude was there in the previous books, but muted and a bit too deadpan. Here, it’s clear Nils views most people he meets with a jaundiced eye and his tongue firmly planted in his cheek.

Or is it something more? I’ll avoid spoilers, and just say there were a few elements that felt a little like something out of Douglas Adams or Umberto Eco.

And finally, I can’t help but wonder if the whole thing evolved from a trip (or 20) that the author took to Hollywood to discuss a possible movie deal. If so, Nils isn’t the only one with a snarky attitude. Great stuff!

Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Painful, Difficult

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 09-14-20

The title of this review may seem odd for a book that merits five stars.

This is a personal account of a man who survived the hell of Treblinka, one of several Nazi death camps (as distinct from the concentration camps such as Dachau or Buchenwald). These places existed for only one purpose: the industrial slaughter of human beings (overwhelmingly Jews).

The inhumanity that people inflict on their fellow human beings is a painful and difficult subject. Yet, in a world where so many avert their gaze so that their pleasant lives remain undisturbed - while others echo the hateful slogans of that dark era - this book serves as a a sobering reminder and a warning of the abyss into which hate can lead.

Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Earthshaking!

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 08-05-20

The Broken Earth Trilogy (The Stone Sky is the last of the three books) is phenomenal on so many levels it’s hard to know where to begin! Complex characters, as messy as we all are in real life? Yep. Intricate world building? Yes - and then some! Social commentary on current (and perennial) problems and conundrums? Very much so. There’s a reason all three books earned Hugo Awards.

But instead of me trying to tell you, run out and get these - and “see” (better yet hear) for yourself. Robin Miles’ always excellent narration adds still another dimension to the experience. I’ve got more N.K. Jemisin in my “to read - soon!” list.

Great stuff!

Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

What was that?

Total
3 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
3 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 05-15-20

This short audiobook is a puzzle. It’s either completely over my head or it’s really just a stream of consciousness monologue by a not-so-hard boiled cop who has extreme anxiety attacks. Just as I thought it was going to start getting interesting, the story ended.

Was the cop actually the murderer he was searching for- either actually or metaphorically? And what about his strange obsession with the murder victim, to whom he addresses all of his thoughts? Or what about the cop’s mistreated girlfriend? I guess we’ll never know. And yet, I did enjoy it after a fashion.

Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña