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idrees2022's review against another edition
4.0
Terry Eagleton has many interesting observations to make on US culture, society and politics. He's often insightful, but his attempt at wit often comes across as forced and heavy handed. It is the unfortunate influence of Slavoj Zizek that otherwise serious thinkers feel the need to make gratuitous pop culture references to appear relevant. Enduring the indiscriminate volleys of witticisms appear the price one has to pay to get to occasional brilliant insights hidden in this book.
joeannemc's review against another edition
3.0
At times it felt like a Bill Bryson wanna be style book, though lacked the wit and humour. It was an interesting and easy read and there were some fascinating titbits.
I enjoyed the reference to English, American and Irish words, phrases and character which were very entertaining and elements of which I could relate to.
I enjoyed the reference to English, American and Irish words, phrases and character which were very entertaining and elements of which I could relate to.
virginiasg's review against another edition
tengo una redacción sobre esto el viernes, voy a fingir que lo he leído
brumback1's review against another edition
2.0
Amusing, but lacking cohesiveness. It seemed to ramble on in a way that wasn't easily discernible.
blackoxford's review against another edition
5.0
A Dangerous People
An outrageous book. Eagleton at his wittiest and most sardonic.
Only in comparison can we perceive our own insanities. British insanities do tend to be less malign and even less fundamental than the American sort, largely because the British laugh at themselves more readily. Put another way: Americans on the whole are more profound than their superficial silliness suggest. And that may not be a good thing.
Eagleton appreciates what Harold Bloom noted as the underlying Gnosticism of American metaphysical/materialist culture, its true religion (see: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1674879248). For Americans, Eagleton writes,
Thus the American fantasy of omnipotence as well as immortality which Donald Trump has so successfully exploited. What his Evangelical supporters haven't twigged onto yet is that this fantasy isn't Christian but Gnostic just as Bloom argues and Eagleton describes. The myth of the self-made man is a also a Christian heresy (Pelagianism), recognised since the 4th century.
And, irony of ironies, the origin of Gnosticism is ultimately pagan and Persian, that is to say, Iranian. Its essential doctrine is the idea of human deification, the gradual transformation of mankind into a divine species. This doctrine is most clearly expressed in Mormonism but, as Bloom points out, it has been transmitted to every Christian sect in America. It even affects America’s atheism with a triumphant optimism of a liberal Utopia.
When everyone believes they are heading for deification, the currency of the divine seems doomed to drastic depreciation, dragging the rest of us into a maelstrom of metaphysical and material hyper-inflation. Trump is a visible manifestation of the phenomenon, a leader whose only talent is of unlimited confidence in his own divinity, the ultimate debasement of the spiritual dollar. As Eagleton notes: "People who are both powerful and dissatisfied are peculiarly dangerous." Their particular faith, held firmly but largely without awareness, is the source of American power and danger to the world.
An outrageous book. Eagleton at his wittiest and most sardonic.
Only in comparison can we perceive our own insanities. British insanities do tend to be less malign and even less fundamental than the American sort, largely because the British laugh at themselves more readily. Put another way: Americans on the whole are more profound than their superficial silliness suggest. And that may not be a good thing.
Eagleton appreciates what Harold Bloom noted as the underlying Gnosticism of American metaphysical/materialist culture, its true religion (see: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1674879248). For Americans, Eagleton writes,
"The will lies at the core of the self, which means that the self is what bestows meaning and value on things. But the self is also orthodox of material reality. So we too are part of what must be hammered into shape. We are clay in our own hands, awaiting the moment when we will transform ourselves into an artefact of great splendour. The self is always a work in progress. It is a kind of wilderness which must be cultivated, mixed with one's labour, before it can become meaningful. It is part of Puritan doctrine that human labour is what makes things real. Before we happened along, there was just chaos. Ceaseless activity is what keeps the world in existence. American optimism thus conceals a darker vision. It springs as much from a scepticism about material reality as from an affirmation of it. In themselves, Nature and the flesh are chaotic stuff. They are worthless until the spirit invests them with significance. It is labour that transforms Nature into meaning. And this always involves a degree of violence. Body and soul are both subject to belligerent onslaughts, along with the rain forests and terrorist strongholds."
Thus the American fantasy of omnipotence as well as immortality which Donald Trump has so successfully exploited. What his Evangelical supporters haven't twigged onto yet is that this fantasy isn't Christian but Gnostic just as Bloom argues and Eagleton describes. The myth of the self-made man is a also a Christian heresy (Pelagianism), recognised since the 4th century.
And, irony of ironies, the origin of Gnosticism is ultimately pagan and Persian, that is to say, Iranian. Its essential doctrine is the idea of human deification, the gradual transformation of mankind into a divine species. This doctrine is most clearly expressed in Mormonism but, as Bloom points out, it has been transmitted to every Christian sect in America. It even affects America’s atheism with a triumphant optimism of a liberal Utopia.
When everyone believes they are heading for deification, the currency of the divine seems doomed to drastic depreciation, dragging the rest of us into a maelstrom of metaphysical and material hyper-inflation. Trump is a visible manifestation of the phenomenon, a leader whose only talent is of unlimited confidence in his own divinity, the ultimate debasement of the spiritual dollar. As Eagleton notes: "People who are both powerful and dissatisfied are peculiarly dangerous." Their particular faith, held firmly but largely without awareness, is the source of American power and danger to the world.
kkrez's review against another edition
2.0
I'm going to have to shelve this one. I know, it's sort of a disgrace considering I only read 63 pages of a 178-page book.
At first I thought it was really hilarious so I read quite a bit but then the book started to get dull to me. Eagleton lost his wit and went into some sort of professor road. And I know a lot of people may say something like: That's the natures of these types of books. But that's not true. This isn't my first book I've read about the culture between two countries. I'm a Francophile and I have read numerous books on French culture which I find fascinating.
And it's not like I'm uninterested in English culture. I was just living in London this past summer and I absolutely loved it. And so far everything I've noticed about the differences Eagleton has pointed out. So he is being through....he's even pointed out somethings that I didn't think about which I can agree with. I just find that I'm going to have to attack this book later on when I have time to dawdle around....like when I'm retired.
At first I thought it was really hilarious so I read quite a bit but then the book started to get dull to me. Eagleton lost his wit and went into some sort of professor road. And I know a lot of people may say something like: That's the natures of these types of books. But that's not true. This isn't my first book I've read about the culture between two countries. I'm a Francophile and I have read numerous books on French culture which I find fascinating.
And it's not like I'm uninterested in English culture. I was just living in London this past summer and I absolutely loved it. And so far everything I've noticed about the differences Eagleton has pointed out. So he is being through....he's even pointed out somethings that I didn't think about which I can agree with. I just find that I'm going to have to attack this book later on when I have time to dawdle around....like when I'm retired.
raehink's review
2.0
No behavior or ideology practiced by Americans is safe here. And he's pretty hard on his own countrymen too. For a "good old-fashioned roast" it's just not that funny.
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