Reviews and Comments

Nathan John Cooper

nathanjohncooper@bookwyrm.social

Joined 3 years, 4 months ago

Student at Arts University Bournemouth

This link opens in a pop-up window

Ray Bradbury: Fahrenheit 451 (Paperback, 1953, HarperVoyager)

Fahrenheit 451 is a 1953 dystopian novel by American writer Ray Bradbury. Often regarded as …

Do your own bit of saving, and if you drown, at least die knowing you were heading for shore.

There are so many quotes that I have taken away from this book and that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I think one of the main (or, most impactful) ones is 'if you drown, at least die knowing you were heading for shore' - such a beautiful way of saying die doing what's right. It reminds me of the quote from Stéphane Charbonnier who stated, 'I'd rather die standing than live on my knees' (he was later killed by Islamic terrorists who did not agree with the viewpoints he published). I know that many people reading this review might argue that I should have read this book earlier in my life (and they're likely right) but I want to attempt to rebut this by saying that I think, if I were to read Fahrenheit 451 at any younger age, I might not have been …

Christopher Hitchens: Hitch-22 (2010, McClelland & Stewart)

Over the course of his 60 years, Christopher Hitchens has been a citizen of both …

Another Side of the Hitch

There are so many quotes from this book that I would love to present to you now but I think it's probably best you just read it. I feel that, in the modern era, Hitchens is predominantly known for his views on religion and his debates on the same topic. That is one of the many reasons I loved this book, it provided a completely different side to Hitchens whilst also explaining the context behind his religious viewpoints. Despite occasionally skipping over details that I think would have been rather fascinating and lingering on details that seem unimportant, this book is a rather good memoir.

Marc Aurèle: Meditations (AudiobookFormat, 2011, Naxos AudioBooks)

One of the most significant books ever written by a head of State, the Meditations …

A Little Dense

I'm well aware that books this old are going to be a little dense but I think the combination of this translation specifically and the medium of audiobooks doesn't combine well. It leaves you with a book that is too dense and continues at a pace that does not linger on words nor allow for any reflection of their meaning. I will make sure to return to Meditations again in the future but I may have to try another translation/version... I've heard the Penguin Classics one is rather good. That being said, for a free audiobook from Audible, this wasn't too bad at all and I'm always happy to receive a free read/listen.

Susan Napier, Susan Jolliffe Napier: Miyazakiworld (2018)

"A thirtieth-century toxic jungle, a bathhouse for tired gods, a red-haired fish girl, and a …

Wonderfully Intellectual and Eye-Opening

Okay I spent a little time reading this one... Although I should mention that about 75% of the book was read in the last week (4th - 11th). Miyazakiworld is a fantastically intellectual recount of the world-renowned director's life and work, told through the analysis of his many films and their connections to Miyazaki's pivotal life occurrences. Whilst the book was brilliantly intelligent and fantastically in-depth, it did occasionally feel a little disjointed or incongruous through it's structure that traverses it's readers film-by-film, through Miyazakiworld.

Susan Napier, Susan Jolliffe Napier: Miyazakiworld (2018)

"A thirtieth-century toxic jungle, a bathhouse for tired gods, a red-haired fish girl, and a …

Okay I spent a little time reading this one... Although I should mention that about 75% of the book was read in the last week (4th - 11th). Miyazakiworld is a fantastically intellectual recount of the world-renowned director's life and work, told through the analysis of his many films and their connections to Miyazaki's pivotal life occurrences. Whilst the book was brilliantly intelligent and fantastically in-depth, it did occasionally feel a little disjointed or incongruous through it's structure that traverses it's readers film-by-film, through Miyazakiworld.

Haruki Murakami: The Wind-up Bird Chronicle (The Complete Classics) (2007, Naxos Audiobooks)

Japan’s most highly regarded novelist now vaults into the first ranks of international fiction writers …

Absolute Perfection

I am vaguely new to listening to audiobooks and just reading in general so my thoughts are not backed by much experience but from the few books that I have listened to and read in the past, this is by fast the best.

The narrators voice is incredibly soothing and calm while pronouncing every word with impeccable accuracy this makes the experiencing much easier when compared to some other narrators whose voice you have to pay an extreme amount of attention to so that you can understand the words being read.

The story is amazing and creates such a beautiful and clear view in the listeners mind as to what the world surrounding our characters is like. It's the kind of descriptions that takes a location and turns it into a character.

This book is simply incredble. The story, the characters, the beautifully described locations from 'enveloping moonlight' to the …

Albert Camus: The Stranger (Hardcover, 1993, Everyman's Library)

Thirty years after its original publication, The Stranger remains among the most influential books of …

Started listening to the audiobook of this today on my evening walk. The clouds were overcast and dark, and lighting split the moonlit sky into pieces. I only read (or listened to) one chapter, but I am enjoying the book so far. I have not read any blurbs or synopses so do not know what to expect, however, I am enjoying the introduction of characters thus far.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: We Should All Be Feminists (Paperback, 2014, Vintage)

In this essay -- adapted from her TEDx talk of the same name -- Chimamanda …

More of an Adaptation of a Speech, but Concise and Appropriate.

For a little while now I’ve been wanted to read more feministic literature but I hadn’t gotten round to it till today. I decided that We Should All Be Feminists should the start of my journey through feministic literature. Above all else this book started a desire within me to take up public speaking, to speak for those who have no other means of public communication, to speak to those who otherwise won’t or don’t listen, and most of all, to share, further, and develop ideals that should be globally accepted.

One point in the book that really stood out to me was the mention of the differences between referring to yourself as an egalitarian rather than as a feminist. To quote Adichie, ‘to choose to use the vague expression human rights is to deny the specific and particular problem of gender. It would be a way of pretending that …

Kazuo Ishiguro: Never Let Me Go (2006, Vintage International)

From the Booker Prize-winning author of The Remains of the Day and When We Were …

A Memory

Content warning Spoiler Alert.