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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
3/5. I tried so hard to read this with an open mind and fictional undertones and I liked it. I liked the plot, I liked the character of Ishmael, I liked the flow of the story.
I hated everything Daniel Quinn though… I had to resort to an audiobook cause the writing cadence drove me crazy. Then, the main pupil character is such a shallow minded idiot. It relies on such a black and white, pessimistic, one sided view of the world. I couldn’t stop rolling my eyes.
I hated everything Daniel Quinn though… I had to resort to an audiobook cause the writing cadence drove me crazy. Then, the main pupil character is such a shallow minded idiot. It relies on such a black and white, pessimistic, one sided view of the world. I couldn’t stop rolling my eyes.
I read this book when I was young, 8th grade I believe, and I believe it has influenced my thinking about civilization and culture since that time. I picked it up again a few years ago, expecting yet another profound mental shift, and found the ideas it presented more intuitive and less shocking. None the less, I cannot underestimate the effect Ishmael once had and still has on how I view the world. Every 8th grader should read this book.
I had to put the Gorilla, and this book, down. There are dogmatic people and pragmatic people, and I tend to stay away from both, in this way, I can consider my existence without the burden of a Gorilla or a lie.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Colonisation
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
one of my new favorite books of all time - this book changed the way I think and I hope changes society
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
i feel like this isn’t a five but i’m giving it five stars for the amount that it changed my perspective on all parts of western culture. it was frustrating af at times(as you can see by the fact that it took me a year and a half to read, but i will be starting the sequel right away. see you in two more years
Ishmael certainly presents some interesting and thought provoking ideas. In particular, there's a rather compelling take on a popular creation myth that I had never encountered or thought of prior to reading this that I am now almost certain is correct.
Quinn's writing style is neither all that sophisticated nor particularly interesting, but he does present his ideas in a clear and concise way, so it's hard to find fault with him.
My biggest complaint is that the titular character, Ishmael, is hard to like at times. He's kind of a jerk, to be honest. Really, there is an event at the very end of the book which probably explains his demeanor and urgency, but it doesn't make him any more relatable or likeable--at least not for me. He's clearly meant to be a Socrates surrogate and Quinn nails the his rhetorical style perfectly, but Ishmael himself doesn't possess 1/10 of the charm we see in Socrates in Plato's dialogues.
Quinn's writing style is neither all that sophisticated nor particularly interesting, but he does present his ideas in a clear and concise way, so it's hard to find fault with him.
My biggest complaint is that the titular character, Ishmael, is hard to like at times. He's kind of a jerk, to be honest. Really, there is an event at the very end of the book which probably explains his demeanor and urgency, but it doesn't make him any more relatable or likeable--at least not for me. He's clearly meant to be a Socrates surrogate and Quinn nails the his rhetorical style perfectly, but Ishmael himself doesn't possess 1/10 of the charm we see in Socrates in Plato's dialogues.