wotsallthisthen

I should have liked it more

Reviewed: 07-03-24

The author, a one time Catholic turned atheist, presents an interesting overview of the many branches of the early Christian church while seeking out the purported resting places of the 12 Apostles. The travelogue chapters of the book did not hold my attention as intensely as the historical chapters, but this is just personal preference; both are well written. I think what kept me from truly engaging with the content was that the author is not a believer. This is not a slam on him; he is always respectful of the faith though at times his atheism pops through in unobtrusive and inoffensive ways. I cannot really say exactly why I wish a believer had written this. Reverence for the subject matter perhaps, though I have enjoyed other scholarly books on Christianity written sans faith. Perhaps the presented information would have held an added luster for me if it had been written in the shadow of faith. At any rate, I did learn quite a bit about the early Church, which spurred me to pick up some more in depth studies.

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Old News to Gen X

Reviewed: 04-12-24

Gen X has been living under the shadow of nuclear war all our lives, so the macro view of the information here is often a rehash of things I grew up with. However, I did learn many specific details about the current nuclear weapon levels, the weapons themselves, the government’s executive branch protocols, and much more. I did have a few issues with the scenario presented (the Russians wouldn’t have detected the launch of an ICBM from North Korea even with a wonky early detection system? A mid-level Russian bureaucrat would hang up on the Secretary of Defense reporting the US’s counterattack on North Korea because the Sec Def “isn’t the President?”). Overall this was a worthwhile, utterly terrifying and unique presentation of the first minutes of World War 3. It has no political slant of any kind, which is refreshing. You will learn things both interesting and chilling. And I’d highly recommend that anyone born after 1990 read/listen to this, as nuclear war has never been presented to these generations as a very real possibility.

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A Revelation!

Reviewed: 04-07-24

This is easily the best audio drama I have ever heard. I confess that 1984 is my favorite book of all time, but that hardly matters because this production stands firmly on its own merits. When I first learned that there was to be a new audio drama of 1984, I was disappointed that it wasn’t to be a new reading of the book. It’s been my experience that audio dramas never live up to the experience of the book it’s based upon. Until now. It is its own thing, parts of the story are cut for time; parts are condensed and combined, but these things are done masterfully. The tone of oppression and terror remain; if anything they are heightened over that of the book. I was concerned about the use of music, worried that it would distract from the story and performances, but it actually disappears into the story, becoming part of it. Likewise the background effects, pitch perfect throughout. What really sets this production on a pedestal are the performances, particularly Andrew Garfield. He is a revelation as Winston. It is, quite honestly, one of the best examples of acting I have ever experienced. He holds nothing back. Andrew Scott, one of my favorite actors, is the perfect O’Brien, so chillingly calm in his brutality. Tom Hardy as Big Brother has become *the* voice I will hear for Big Brother no matter the medium. Cynthia Ervino is the perfect, confident and cocksure Julia. But it is Garfield who turns this already shining experience to pure gold.

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18 people found this helpful

Have yourself a jaded little Christmas

Reviewed: 12-19-23

As this book clearly lays out with no small amount of glum elitist snobbery, the upper middle class, megachurch attending, suburbanite way of celebrating Christmas is largely superficial, commercial, and soulless. While there is doubtless truth in that, the author’s snarky disdain for the holiday and those who actually find joy in it (commercial, or especially religious based) made this an annoying, vexing read. I came away from this book pitying the author for clearly having no sense of joy or magic in his life.

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The Mandy Matney story

Reviewed: 11-17-23

If you’re looking for an in depth examination of the Murdaughs and their crimes, look elsewhere. This is the story of how Mandy Matney became aware of the Murdaughs and helped expose their crimes. It’s well told for what it is, but to say it’s about the Murdaughs is misleading. I also had to speed up the narration because Mandy has a…very halting…way…of speaking. It’s not a criticism, but it’s something to consider if this speech quirk gets under your skin. If you’re a fan of the podcast, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this behind the scene, expanded look. However, if you’re looking for in-depth Murdaugh information, look elsewhere.

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Outstanding

Reviewed: 08-06-18

I've read several Donner Party books, and this is easily my favorite. Though very detailed, it flows like a novel. You come to know the characters and end up caring for many, especially the children who had no say in the fate that awaited most of them. The author prefaced the more gruesome parts of the story with some historical context of cannibalism before and during the Donner period, which was helpful in perhaps knowing the mindset of those involved a bit better.

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Can't believe I'm about to say this...

Reviewed: 08-06-18

...but the movie was better. I'm not going to spoil the book, but the changes the screenwriter(s) made for the movie tighten up the narrative and eliminate a distracting, extraneous, and dated story line. The other major deviation comes near the end, but that didn't affect the overall enjoyment of the story as much as the extraneous story line. The narration was solid. I'm glad I listened to the book to satisfy my curiosity, but going forward I'll stick with the movie.

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1 person found this helpful