Reviews and Comments

Really intrigued about this book after listening to an interview with the author, which left me feeling very conflicted about my continued use of Meta products

Very excited about this book, big Ash Sarkar fan!

Really interested to see how the author addresses this moral dilemma of great art made by problematic people

Quite excited to listen to this, given it is narrated by Rory Kinnear, Laura Haddock, Nina Sosanya, Samuel Barnett, Toby Jones, Emilia Fox, Sian Clifford, Clarke Peters, Mark Meadows, Alan Moore and Matt Reeves!

When I mentioned to a friend I was reading this book, their first reaction was "oh my god, brace yourself!!!". Having finished it, I can see why it gets such a recreation, given it deals with some very taboo subjects.

It reminded me of the film Kinds Of Kindness by Yorgos Lanthimos, as what they both have in common is I have friends who found the stories too subversive, despite being fans of Convenience Store Woman and Poor Things respectively.

However, if dark black comedy is your thing, I would highly recommend this as there were moments listening to this book where I burst in laughter because of the ridiculous depravity of some scenes.

A straight forward and well written book on autism, ADHD, and late diagnosis from a female perspective. As someone who was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder as a child, I initially found the book a bit confronting in referring to it as a disability, as I've never considered myself as disabled.

However, as I progressed through the book, it made me appreciate the challenges other neurodivergent folk face. I learnt a lot about autism, particularly when it came to communication, and the book has lots of great advice on making workplaces more accommodating.

Intrigued about this after learning that Sayaka Murata contributed a story

After several months listening to the 32 hours of this audiobook, with a story that spanned several decades, I feel I've been on a massive journey with all these characters, which was as beautiful as it was bleak. I've not read many books that explore male friendships in a way that go me thinking about my own, and often reminded me of the film Stand By Me.

I didn't know much about this book when I started listening to it, which perhaps was for the best as I didn't know how bleak it would become at times, and later a friend would tell me it has received much criticism for this. However, I feel very grateful for all the very tender and warm moments in the book, which were perhaps enhanced by the incredible narration from Oliver Wyman.

Thanks to @acb@mastodon.social for making me aware of this book's existence

Been looking forward to reading this, much gratitude to the friend who gave it to me for Christmas

I bought this book on a whim, not knowing much about the author or the book, and found myself captivated. The short stories have a common theme of relationships, particularly familial ones, and all the joy and challenges that come with them.

I found this book highly relatable and pertinent, because the sad truth is, I've been so busy that it took me a whole year to finish reading it. When the author, who is a psychoanalyst, recounted how his patients would tell him how exhausted and busy they are, it felt very much a reflection of my own situation.

I was captivated by the ideas discussed, delving into workaholics including Orson Welles and Andy Warhol, and how lazy people are demonised in society, yet in popular culture, you have characters including Homer Simpson, Garfield, and Snoopy are celebrated for their laziness.

Whilst the book doesn't often a simple answer, it has got me ruminating over how I can make my life less busy and encumbered by work.

As I progressed through this audiobook, I wasn't sure how I was going to review it. When it comes to the climate crisis, it's not the kind of book you want to read, as it explains the horrors ahead of us if we don't address it urgently. Part two, which makes up the bulk of the book, goes into great detail of the various ways the earth could be rendered uninhabitable, and was a gruelling read at times. Part three was my favourite part of the book, discussing the capitalism, history, philosophical aspects, and how technology will and won't save us from climate change.

I was told about this book by a friend, now time to read it myself, and find out how grim things could become with climate change

Before listening to this, I didn't know much about The Green Deal, and by the end of the book I was inspired and hopeful of the transformation it could be bring to society and the economy.

The book is quite sobering at times, as Klein discusses the challenges ahead, and the limited time to act. However, it feels very much like a call to arms to demand the stop of new fossil fuel extraction, preempting groups such as Just Stop Oil.