Anonymous

America’s greatest novel

Reviewed: 11-23-24

I’m 77 years old. I first read this book probably when I was 30 years old. In the luxury of retirement, I choose my favorite books and now listen to them. I hear them anew. East of Eden, in my humble opinion, is Steinbeck and America’s greatest novel. The language, the story, the characters, the violence and beauty, the biblical references, a queer labor of love and a masterpiece. You don’t hear me saying that about any other book.

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Comprehensive view of history

Reviewed: 02-19-21

This book was overwhelming in scope, covering hundreds and hundreds of years of history, culture, religion, and human development, from the end of the Roman Empire, up until the fall of Byzantium, the beginning of the Ottoman empire, and the beginning of the renaissance in Europe. Way too much to remember past the completion of the book past, at least for my mind

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A Historic Education and Illumination

Reviewed: 09-26-20

A good student of New York western education in the 1950s, I came to believe in Christopher Columbus and the rest of the European conquistadors. I had no clue except that there was any link between them and Turkish Ottoman empire of Selim of 1492, such a significant year in world history, one that saw the defeat of the Moors at Granada, the expulsion of the Muslims & Jews from Spain by Ferdinand & Isabella, and the departure of Columbus across the Atlantic looking for a a Western route to link up with the Great Khan in the East to help Christian Europe ultimately defeat Islam in the Holy Land.

This book explains the geo-political-economic-military power of Selim’s Ottoman empire at the turn of the 16th century and how it completely influenced both the original Sunni-Shiite conflict of that time, but also down to the 21st century, as well as the Ottoman-Islamic influence on the colonization of the New World. It’s an impressive reinterpretation of western history, and I think a believable and useful one.

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A lovely listen

Reviewed: 06-05-20

Beautifully written and read. Complex and believable family dynamics. Compelling and hard to put down.

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1 person found this helpful

Brilliant

Reviewed: 04-21-20

Brilliantly interwoven storytelling , cast of characters, Beautiful language, Challenging ideas, revolutionary politics, and great readers.

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A Window into expanded consciousness

Reviewed: 02-12-20

I’ve never read Michael Pollan before, although I obviously have heard of him over the years. The subject interested me tremendously and his thorough excavation of the science and the spirituality of psychedelics was absolutely thought-provoking and satisfying. I hope to proceed in his footsteps.

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A first-hand account of Russian’s brutal political gangsterism

Reviewed: 08-05-19

I commend Mr. Browder for writing this book about his transformation from successful hedge fund manager into a compassionate human rights activist. Bravo, and thank you.
Learning about the brutality of Russia’s common place, commercial and political gangsterism was terrifyingly eye-opening and shockingly enlightening.
I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in learning about this criminal side of Putin’s modern-day Russia.

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In the midst of right and left wing culture wars, Ayaan’s authenticity is invaluable

Reviewed: 07-07-19

The authenticity of this biography, from an actually oppressed, mutilated, and beaten Muslim woman, who nevertheless overcomes the 7th century Koran’s rigid and misogynistic dogma, to make her brave journey to enlightenment - absolutely transcends political correctness and cultural relevancy that we over sensitive bleeding heart liberals embrace and defend to the death. Fuck calling Aiyaan Hirsi Ali a ”right wing Islamophobe”, she is the painful and sensitive speaker of the truth about Islam.

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What a long beautiful book

Reviewed: 06-26-19

I always remember Bette Davis as Mildred in the movie, Of Human Bondage, walking down a staircase and declaring “What a dump.” Or did I just imagine it? Because after listening to hours and hours of this long and winding tale, I never heard it spoken!

I have also always been a fan of Maughm’s travel stories, but it has taken me 71 years to finally listen to this classic.

I found it beautifully written, painfully true, and deliciously smacking of life. I didn’t particularly like Mr. Griffin’s mannered British style of reading, which I found especially diminishing to the women, but I enjoyed the story tremendously and appreciated the central character of Phillip so much, that I ended up cherishing every single hour I listened.

Highly recommended. A literary and period classic. Maughm’s masterpiece.

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Brilliant and Depressing book

Reviewed: 05-22-19

What a book! Especially for this American reader! So educating and informative. But so depressing. Literally hard to believe -what's happened to Europe through this well-documented migrant crisis... from the end of WW2 to the critical year of 2015, when the floodgates opened at the discretion, compassion, and fool-hardiness of Germany Angela Merkel. How can the citizens of practically the entire continent be so welcoming, self-negating and blind - as to invite, usher in, and almost celebrate their own destruction of identity & cultural demise... which according Mr. Murray, seems so strongly set into motion as to be almost irreversible?

Makes me even re-consider the hated Mr. Trump's anti-Islamic immigration policy. If history can teach us anything, it seems that the United States of America, the "great melting pot," founded on immigration and assimilation, should be strongly forewarned of what has happened in Europe. Makes me even harbor resentment against Islamic immigrants who have been given such a political and economic opportunity - to immigrate, and even to be financially supported by these generous countries... England, France, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands... and then refuse to assimilate... to attack and terrorize European citizens, to gang rape white European women, and then want to assume political power through population growth and refusing to believe anything but fanatical Islam. And to have this idea confirmed by "enlightened" Muslims like Ayaan Hirsi Ali ("Heretic", "Infidel", & "Nomad"), who must live under the protection of bodyguards just for leaving the Muslim faith.

I hate to sound like a so-called "racist", especially being a life long Jewish liberal, but this book is eye-opening, shocking, and as I first said... depressing. Still 5 stars!

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1 person found this helpful