Brian
Goddamnit. The ending just destroyed me. ESJM's work is my favorite discovery in a long time.
I love how Philip weaves together ruminations on grief, reflections on family and upbringing, and of course historical snippets about Bach and thoughtful analysis of his music (particularly the Goldberg variations).
This was a heavy book, but I admit that I had a hell of a laugh over the eggplant bit. It's funny in spots too.
I was always more of a post-Romantic and early 20th century guy when it comes to composers, but this book has invigorated my interest in Bach.
Pema does it again. She mentions Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva a lot here, which has led me to Ken McLeod's book on that text, also excellent.
My only complaint about this book is that it isn't twice as long, especially the chapters breaking down each album track by track. You really get to understand the band's personalities and dynamic through their voices and stories in the book.
As a beginner, I really appreciate the hierarchy of positions that Chris includes in the book. Beyond that, this was an inspirational read. One that got me thinking a lot about how jiu-jitsu relates to my life off the mat.
I so wanted to like this, especially given the high praise it has received. Instead, reading this felt like work that I couldn't wait to end.
This was my 2nd Bryson book, and I must say that I enjoyed A Walk In the Woods far more than this.
Summary: grumble grumble, bad modern architecture, mediocre meal, grumble grumble, annoying person, bad building, bad meal, grumble, rain. Sure, it was funny as hell in parts too but I'm hoping my next Bryson read is more light-spirited.
I'm in the midst of (at least) a year break from alcohol and reading this book was inspirational, and really made me question whether or not I'll want to have a drink at the end of the year. I give this 3 stars instead of more solely because I feel like she talks a lot about how by the end of the book you won't WANT to drink again but the book could use some more practical steps as to how to achieve this. I don't feel like reading it once “fixed” my subconscious beliefs about alcohol.
