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A review by sshabein
Burning Down the Haus: Punk Rock, Revolution, and the Fall of the Berlin Wall by Tim Mohr
funny
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
4.0
An interesting look at the various punk movements behind the Berlin Wall, with a short summary of what came after. I learned a lot, though occasionally I wanted the text to go a little deeper regarding the individuals involved (which may have not always been possible, I'm sure). However, that's my own taste because I always want to know more about the people, in addition to the broader social implications.
The book is mostly well-balanced, narratively. The punks that Mohr chooses to focus on are indeed the way into better understanding the movement. Having done a lot of DIY music and arts stuff in both my youth and adulthood, I also like knowing more about ways other people managed the process, particularly when these people had so much at stake.
I listened to the audiobook version, narrated by Matthew Lloyd Davies, and I don't know that I cared for his reading style. His attempts at conveying the seriousness of the punks' beliefs sometimes came across as... I don't know if patronizing is the right word, but it didn't feel sincere. Also, there is one man involved who has a lisp, and not having seen the text, I don't know if he was written that way, but I don't know that we needed to hear the lisp? Or maybe it would have come across less like it was mocking the guy, had it been a different narrator? Ymmv.
The book is mostly well-balanced, narratively. The punks that Mohr chooses to focus on are indeed the way into better understanding the movement. Having done a lot of DIY music and arts stuff in both my youth and adulthood, I also like knowing more about ways other people managed the process, particularly when these people had so much at stake.
I listened to the audiobook version, narrated by Matthew Lloyd Davies, and I don't know that I cared for his reading style. His attempts at conveying the seriousness of the punks' beliefs sometimes came across as... I don't know if patronizing is the right word, but it didn't feel sincere. Also, there is one man involved who has a lisp, and not having seen the text, I don't know if he was written that way, but I don't know that we needed to hear the lisp? Or maybe it would have come across less like it was mocking the guy, had it been a different narrator? Ymmv.