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The Story of B
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Customer Reviews
Rating:  - Good story...very preachy
I purchased the Story of B excited to read the continuation of the thought provoking Ishmael. While Ishmael opened the door to new concepts (at least new to me), The Story of B simply reiterated those concepts using a different story with different characters. There was a point in the novel where the magic of the message got lost in redundancy. There was an "I get it, move on" moment for the reader that actually made me consider putting down the book. I felt like the book was written as a brainwashing mechanism to perpetuate the author's point of view. While I understand all written works function to perpetuate a point, the novel came off as pushy and forceful. There were a lot of questions I wished I could ask, that were not explained in the text. The redundancy is explained by the author in the beginning of the novel. The main character "B" explained that he uses redundancy for the same reason people attend mass every Sunday. You have to hear the message more than once to make it your own.
I can see how this novel could be described as anti-Christian. Another reviewer attempted to dumb down this aspect of the book by saying that the novel is not anti-Christian, but it is anti totalitarian Christian (meaning it is anti Christian as the only religion). I disagree with this statement emphatically. I believe it is anti-Christian but not exclusively anti-Christian. It is anti-taker religion. Not in a hateful way that one would expect when talking about "anti" positions in general. However, the novel almost views these religions how a Christian would view modern day scientology. These religions were created ten thousand years ago. Humans have been around for much much longer than that. Believing in them is therefore ridiculous (according to the novel) because it is ludicrous to think that God simply appeared to people once modern culture began shunned those who lived previously. The novel also speaks of the absence of the Judeo-Christian God in our everyday lives. Would the ultimate God be so distant and detached from his people? I must point out that this is not the main theme of the novel in anyway. It is just a point I thought would be important to people.
The book also works to propagate the idea of animism. I found this section of the book boring and least enlightening. I liked Ishmael because it spoke in a cultural language rather than a religious one. The original ideas in Ishmael could appeal to a broader range of audience. The novelist might say that the reason I found this section so unappealing is because I'm so rooted in "taker" culture. This might be true, it might not. Regardless, if you choose to read this novel, prepare to be preached to about animism throughout the later part of the novel.
I have to admit his ideas on culture make sense. They explain the void that humans continue to search to fill. Whether this is just an artist interpretation of a solution is beyond the scope of this review. However, the story was good and a recommend this book as an interesting read.
Rating:  - A necessary tale
Don't miss this one. This deceptively simple tale may be the most profound critique of agricultural civilization that I have ever read. It cuts to the heart of the experiment we began about 10,000 years ago -- the way of life which has come to dominate our planet and which threatens to undo us all. (See Wes Jackson's work, BECOMING NATIVE TO THIS PLACE, Counterpoint, 1996, etc. for an agronomist's perspective on the same issues.) B opens a window on the preceding 3 million years in which humans exactly like us lived, created, dreamed and invented without choosing to dominate the rest of nature, and then indicates a door through which we might exit our failing paradigm. This is the part of history you were never taught in school and might only have inferred from the work of Louis Leakey, Margaret Meade and other students of the "uncivilized" past. The inevitability of farms, cities and nations that is assumed in classic history is artfully shown to be anything but inevitable. It is also a good story. Whether you emerge from this book, as I did, convinced as never before of the imperative change demanded by the dangerous path we now tread, or choose to oppose Quinn's challenge, you will be shaken by this book. To your core.
Rating: - Rip Van Wrinkle coming out of his sleep.
I think both books have some truths in it. I am awakened to find there is a nation of people who did fall asleep they lost 10,000 of their history and Quinn has been bold enough to put it in fiction. What a revolution the question is now when the people wake up from the forgettfulness does anyone knows what that will do to the world or will the world already be at the end of its story and those people ascended to the blue ethers from the disaster.
Science is beautiful. Creation is something unseen yet everything manifested is after creation. The thought was the creation. What a mighty good thought it is. Leavers. Leave this place of limited life. A hologram. When one knows that begins must end. They have meet the leavers.....Leavers never began and they will never end.
Rating: - Read this if you dare know the truth.
As always Daniel Quinn delivers. Great reads for anyone alive today facing the reality of change.
He is a writer for all, with a vision that wakes the soul, mind and consciousness of all who dare pick the books up and open Pandoras Box. Happy Journey. "B" creative and learn from those who know. .....
Fast and friendly service from Amazon, many thanks.
Rating: - My Bible
Mr. Quinn's best work yet. All the pages in my book are dog egged and most of the text highlighted. Everyone needs to read this book!
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