Suzy
I was really looking forward to reading this book. However, after the first 10 pages I knew I wouldn't be able to finish it. There are many inaccuracies in the author's attempt to place things into historical context. Bizarrely, for a history book, ideas and people are described using very emotional, petty language, which was off-putting and made it very difficult to take her seriously. It was also a red flag for me that early on I needed to fact check some things that I had doubts on (On a side note: I feel like a “highly entertaining and often hilarious” history book about the earth being flat shouldn't require multiple fact checking searches 10 pages in). Since I wasn't sure I would be able to stomach the rest of the book, I spent some time looking through various sections to determine if it would get better. In the end I was left feeling that this book wasn't for me, though it probably would have been had the book been edited well.
Interesting account of researching family history and finding peace with past events and people.
I read it as a bit of a cross between non-fiction and fiction, not worrying too much about the accuracy in the facts that were presented. It was light and kept my interest. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of the research he conducted on his family history.
One thing that bothered me was that the author writes disparagingly about relatives who lived in Birmingham, often comparing his level of education, mannerisms, and wealth to theirs (he had more of everything in his mind), which I found off-putting and almost caused me to stop reading halfway through.
It was an enjoyable book overall and has given me a renewed interest in getting back to researching my own family history.
Kept waiting for something to happen. Then, abruptly, the book ended as pointlessly as it began.
I definitely recommend the audio version, as it's entertaining and like listening to an extended version of her show. Never thought I would enjoy listening to a book on the oil industry!
This was a very, very detailed account of the history of intelligence that lacked a coherent narrative and had a lot of snippets of facts vaguely strung together by chronological order.
Overall, I would say that unless one has a very good understanding of military history spanning from practically the beginning of man to about a decade ago, then you're going to end up quite lost, or at least Googling lots of things for clarification, which can be fun if you know that's what you're in for. Places, names, events randomly pop up and a note about their spying or ability to gather intelligence is briefly mentioned before quickly moving onto the next place, person or random moment in time. There were many times that I had to go back to see if I had skipped some transition in the text to see if the book had moved on to a different time period as random facts from different periods were introduced in the middle of a story of one battle.
The last third of the book had a coherent narrative and a greater depth of analysis than the rest of it. I would give that part 4 stars.
I listened to this on Audible, and the reading on my version by Laurence Kennedy (this was UK Audible, sometimes US Audible has a different reader) was especially flat and horrible, so I wouldn't recommend him.
The book is interesting and overall a decent read, though I would avoid listening to the Laurence Kennedy version.
A powerful story of a mining family in Wales. One of those books your mind keeps revisiting and will never forget.
Honestly, I could hardly put it down. Wanted to gobble it down in a day but managed to stretch it to two. It is lovely and wonderful with bits of heartwarming, gleeful moments. It made me remember what a romantic I can be. Overall, truly delightful.
Unfortunately, this was maybe the worst biography I have ever read. Nietzsche was portrayed as uninteresting and dull. There were many, many blanket statements about people and relationships, but there was not much evidence presented to back things up.
This is one of the best examples of why you must show and not just tell when crafting a story. I am sure it is very well researched, but it left me feeling like I didn't have much confidence in the writer's statements because they didn't always align with how the character development was playing out.
Abelism at it's finest. This book is incredibly offensive to people who have ADHD, especially adults who are reading this, as she acts like they can barely function in society. She makes sweeping generalisations (for example, saying she knows of no person with adhd who is a morning person so don't plan anything in the morning–that is complete bs) and then goes on and on about how she doesn't really know how people with ADHD actually feel or respond in any situation as she doesn't have it herself and only knows how she, as someone who does not have ADHD (she keeps stressing this point), feels and thinks. 50% in, no good tips and generally insulting. She doesn't seem to realise that adults with ADHD can be highly functioning members of society and yet might want some tips on cleaning their home.
Historically inaccurate to the point of being irresponsible. Idon't care that it's a novel. It presents as historical fiction (even though it is only fiction) and people who may not be familiar with the underground railroad and that time period in US history will believe the things the author has made up. For instance, in the book the underground railroad was an actual railroad built underground by slaves (it wasn't) and there was a road called the Freedom Trail that was lined for miles with bodies of slaves and other African Americans who had been hung (there wasn't, though that seems to be some sort of disgusting dig at the Freedom Trail in Boston).
I wish I could at least have enjoyed the writing style, yet I found it to be as lazy as his research. His fondness for using gratuitous violence in place of meaningful action does not shock but bores the reader. While one is desperate to connect with the characters, they come across as one dimensional and boring caricatures of those expected in a book about slavery in the US.
Since it won the Pulitzer and the National Book Award, I began this book expecting and hoping to at least find it interesting and decently written. I have read better books from self-published authors on Kindle that I got for free. I cannot recommend this to anyone.
Listened to the audio version while painting furniture. David Sedaris and some of the other narrators made this average book enjoyable. I don't think I would have enjoyed reading it at all and would have skimmed through most of it.
If you love Tom Robbins, then it's a good read. I like him but was expecting the book to be more about his books and how he developed the ideas. Instead the book focused a lot on childhood anecdotes and all of his wives/girlfriends and the many children that came in and out of his life. Oddly, he seemed very unemotional about it all. At the end I was left feeling a bit empty and unfulfilled.
This would be a good book for someone who knows practically nothing about history. It is a collection of the most popular stories about people who are traditionally the most infamous.
To get the most from all of David Sedaris' work, one must listen to him read it out loud. There is just no way to mentally insert the appropriate inflection or tempo when reading.
I highly recommend the audible version of this book. It's like having a good friend with you telling you about their life and experiences, the good bits and the not so good bits. It feels honest.
Maybe because I have a twisted sense of humour, or maybe because I can relate personally to many of his stories, I found most of them to be exceptionally funny. I found myself laughing out loud so often I was not able to listen to it in public, which is definitely the sign of a good book.
Exceptional writing. Feels like the idea for Fight Club might have come from it. Couldn't put it down and wish the author had lived longer so that he could have written more. It is a hidden gem.
60% through the book. There has been little to no interesting or useful content, and it is painfully boring. Therefore, I have made the decision to abandon it.