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dustysummers's review against another edition
5.0
For the point is this: not that myth refers us back to some original event which has been fancifully transcribed as it passed through collective memory; but that it refers us forward to something that will happen, that must happen. Myth will become reality, however sceptical we might be.
travelingkayte's review against another edition
3.0
Struggled to decide my rating for this book. I LOVED 5 stars to have the stories and Disliked 1-2 stars for the other half.
deeerj's review against another edition
4.0
This read more like a book of short stories with a few odd themes running through them, primarily Noah's ark and woodworms. An unusual and engaging read.
kingarooski's review against another edition
3.0
You aren’t too good with the truth, either, your species. You keep forgetting things, or you pretend to...ignoring the bad things makes you end up believing that bad things never happen. You are always surprised by them. It surprises you that guns kill, that money corrupts, that snow falls in winter. Such naïvety can be charming; alas, it can also be perilous.”
This book was a very mixed bag for me: some chapters were fantastic: interesting and with good insight. Some rather dragged on and I found myself bored by them. I wanted more of some stories and would have quite happily cut out others. But it was n interesting look at human behaviour and the myths we create for ourselves as a species.
’ Why do we have Heaven? Why do we have these dreams of Heaven? ...
‘Perhaps because you need them,’ she suggested. ‘Because you can’t get by without the dream.’
This book was a very mixed bag for me: some chapters were fantastic: interesting and with good insight. Some rather dragged on and I found myself bored by them. I wanted more of some stories and would have quite happily cut out others. But it was n interesting look at human behaviour and the myths we create for ourselves as a species.
’ Why do we have Heaven? Why do we have these dreams of Heaven? ...
‘Perhaps because you need them,’ she suggested. ‘Because you can’t get by without the dream.’
aljosa's review against another edition
5.0
This is a weird book and that's why I loved it and read it twice in 15 days. The book is about exactly what it says in the title: history of the world. Not entire history of the world obviously, just some stories. While at first these 10 stories may seem random, each of them has something that connects them. It's usually some form of an a ship (an ark, a boat or a raft) and woodworms. I love each story. (with the exception of the sixth) Just like "The Sense of an Ending", this book is also philosophical.
The "half chapter" is not a story but rather an essay on love. It's probably one of my favorite chapters of all time. One of the funnies stories is the trial of the woodworms.
The other chapters seem to tell us that the history always repeats itself. People will always divide each other (by the type of an animal, nationality or religious beliefs) There will also be love. And love will always help us. Barnes analyzes and sometimes overanalyzes everything. And as an overthinker myself, I must admire his way of telling a coherent story.
2nd read:June 28-July 2
The "half chapter" is not a story but rather an essay on love. It's probably one of my favorite chapters of all time. One of the funnies stories is the trial of the woodworms.
The other chapters seem to tell us that the history always repeats itself. People will always divide each other (by the type of an animal, nationality or religious beliefs) There will also be love. And love will always help us. Barnes analyzes and sometimes overanalyzes everything. And as an overthinker myself, I must admire his way of telling a coherent story.
2nd read:June 28-July 2
oddreyloo's review against another edition
2.0
i don’t think ive read enough of the lords novels to understand some of the references
audreyx_'s review against another edition
4.0
what can i say, i love my non-linear postmodernist reflection on world history and many other things.
raquelssilva's review against another edition
4.0
É dos autores mais completos da sua geração e a sua versatilidade atravessa todos os temas possíveis e imaginários. A tarefa de Julian Barnes não era menos desafiante e ambiciosa neste 'A History of the World in 10½ Chapters', onde a realidade e a ficção se misturam sem medos.
http://leiturasmarginais.blogspot.pt/2017/04/a-history-of-world-in-10-chapters.html
http://leiturasmarginais.blogspot.pt/2017/04/a-history-of-world-in-10-chapters.html