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A review by mcclarty03
In Pursuit of Silence: Listening for Meaning in a World of Noise by George Prochnik
2.0
I was incredibly intrigued by the subject matter as someone who LOVES quiet.
Still, there have been a number of cringe moments. A focus on the musings, philosophies, and paradigms of men that don’t seem necessary. Waxing nostalgically about the Greeks while mis-attributing to them.
Then I came across this sentence this morning. After the author talks about an Italian Futurist that brags about war being the “worlds only hygiene”. Note, the author euphemistically/dismissively calls this tirade a “regrettable formulation.” *eyeroll*
“Marinetti’s [the futurist] rhapsody to war sounds like the birth of gangster rap.”
What in entire hell is he talking about?
For a book that dives headfirst into the nuance of sound and silence, he misses nuance every where else. He speaks authoritatively on matters he’s either had no experience in or limited exposure to. Which I’m assuming by how myopic and binary he is in discussing them.
It’s a shame, I’m curious about the subject matter and I’m a book finisher.
If you can read past all of the personal musings (which is a lot) you will probably find the book enjoyable. His musings don’t at all reflect my experience, and are incredibly limited to a Western European approach and ethos.
I’m good.
Still, there have been a number of cringe moments. A focus on the musings, philosophies, and paradigms of men that don’t seem necessary. Waxing nostalgically about the Greeks while mis-attributing to them.
Then I came across this sentence this morning. After the author talks about an Italian Futurist that brags about war being the “worlds only hygiene”. Note, the author euphemistically/dismissively calls this tirade a “regrettable formulation.” *eyeroll*
“Marinetti’s [the futurist] rhapsody to war sounds like the birth of gangster rap.”
What in entire hell is he talking about?
For a book that dives headfirst into the nuance of sound and silence, he misses nuance every where else. He speaks authoritatively on matters he’s either had no experience in or limited exposure to. Which I’m assuming by how myopic and binary he is in discussing them.
It’s a shame, I’m curious about the subject matter and I’m a book finisher.
If you can read past all of the personal musings (which is a lot) you will probably find the book enjoyable. His musings don’t at all reflect my experience, and are incredibly limited to a Western European approach and ethos.
I’m good.