With this review, of Abigail Hilton's The Guild of The Cowry Catchers 1-4 (TGOTCC), we will be uncharacteristic. This is a major podcast of PB.com, so TGOTCC cannot be ignored. So, a review we feel obliged to publish. We were torn as to whether to post upon this work, but decided one must not pick-and-choose for reasons of conflict - and we are conflicted. There weight two very heavy counter-balances which prompt us to be reserved. Ms. Hilton pours her very life and soul into this epic podcast, a well as a tremendous amount of her time. Her production is nothing short of brilliant. The world Ms. Hilton creates is fresh and her writing skills are top-notch. She gives us all outstanding cast, editing, and sound effects. Few podcasts are technically superior. These factors combined constitute one monument force on the scale we judge TGOTCC with. The other massive counter-weight is that, in spite of these attributes, is that TGOTCC earned a WSRH.
How is it possible for such a superb podcast to be shot-down with an ignoble WSRH? As we stress time and again, it's all about the story. A permutation of this credo is that it's all about what the author wishes to tell us, wishes to say to us. Ms. Hilton chooses to, for reasons she is very much entitled to express, hammer the listener over the head with repeated gay-sex scenes. One was one too many, but maybe it was needed, but several? Hardly likely. In all seriousness, we will announce our steadfast support of the quote often mis-attributed to Voltaire, "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." After volumes of brilliant story-telling, Ms. Hilton feels it incumbent upon herself to push into the listener's ears, in brilliant stereo, graphic sex scenes between two male characters. So be it. This literary device is clearly extremely important to Ms. Hilton and she is free to express it. We applaud her honesty with us in exposing to us her passionate desire to do so. Why on earth she feels such a need is well beyond the scope of our speculation, but - as the common-herd is so fond of saying - it is what it is.
We, Anonymous, are, well - duh - anonymous. We are a reviewer of art. That said, we feel that graphic sex is a wonderful thing if conducted between two (or, to be inclusive, one or three or twenty-five) consenting adults in private. Sex should always be so confined. We do not care if it is sex between males, females, or any desired combination of the two. We do not care if one is referring to graphic sex between fictional character which are human, or alien, or six-dimensional. Are we a prude? We think not, but the reader may differently. We simply feel that graphic sex in books, photos, and film, is a cheap-shot, an facile ploy for an author. We wish there was one hell of a lot more 'fades to black' in art. We get it, the man sitting on the bed tightening his tie and the woman presumably naked under the covers just did 'it', they gained carnal knowledge of each other, they hid the salami, they played slap-and-tickle - whatever! Why do we need to have the act depicted to use in cheek-blushing detail? For vicarious sexual arousal? One word: GROSS! Once safely past adolescence, vicarious sexual gratification is reserved for those who never matured out of adolescence. Wash, rinse, repeat. Detailed sexual encounters are gratuitous and those who derive gratification from them are not persons we would care to spend much time in the company of. Grow up people!
Well, we must restate that expounding graphic sex is for the vicarious as well as for those who have an agenda. We are oblivious as to which motivated Ms. Hilton. Her reasoning is her own and we support her right to soap-box them to the world. We, however, care not to expose ourselves to such low-brow entertainment. As a reviewer of PB.com material, we feel honor-bound to pass along our honest review. We hope it helps prospective listeners chose wisely. As always, it is never our intention to insult or impugn the artist. Critique is, in the end, personal opinion. Here it is offered with deference and with a heart-felt desire to inform.
So, should you, PB.com listener, select TGOTCC? It is a great story told brilliantly. If you can overlook the above mentioned flaws, go for it! You will be richly rewarded. If you actually want to hear graphic sex, well stop reading this review and download this bad-boy. But, for the faint-of-heart, it poses some potentially significant challenges.
Honest, no seriously, honest reviews of podcasts on Podiobook.com, plus a few non-PB.com notables. We can save you time avoiding lesser podcasts and target you to the greats.
What's The Blog About, Alfie?
We are avid fans of literature, good literature. We prefer great writing, we'll settle for very good work, but we cannot abide anything less. We will stop reading a book if the author demonstrates mediocrity, writes incompetently, or, worse yet, simply loses our interest. That said, we will always give you our honest opinions about the books we've listened to on Podiobooks.com. We'll tell you why the great ones are great, and why the forgettable ones should be avoided.
We hope, when we've reviewed enough, you will come to this blog to see if a particular book is worthy of your time. We plan to be frank. You have come here to elicit our opinion and we shall not disappoint. Additionally, we hope this blog becomes a resource for PB.com authors to read honest and objective reviews of their efforts; no smoke blown-up the butt at any time. We have observed over time that reviews left on an author's site or iTunes are basically of two types. The first is the pie-eyed-hyperbolic-praise version of a review by a real fan. While excellent for the ego of said author, this form of assessment aids neither the potential listener nor the writer's development. The second type is the snarky-hit-and-run-slap-in-the-face negative review which may contain the kernel of an insight, but is actually significantly less valuable than the first type. Ours will be decidedly neither polar extreme. We will be as fair and complete as possible. An unavoidable off-shoot, indeed a desirable off-shoot, the clever reader will quickly appreciate is that we will undoubtably be squewering a few sacred-cows. If that happens, please keep in mind the fable of The Emporer's New Clothes and the fact that we would not review them in a less-than-stellar manner if they did not deserve it.
Our reviews are not placed on PB.com, iTunes, or any other public site. We do not wish to embarrass or ridicule any particular authors. Many of the authors are our friends, or at least were up till they read our review. We dearly appreciate that each PB.com author has poured their creative guts out for all to see with very little chance of monetary reward. This is not easy. We will not generally say anything but positives on public sites as we, in our alter ego, want the authors, even the poor ones, to have their moment in the bright-shiny sun. At the very least we want them to be happy little fish in their little ponds.
Finally a term defined, a dreaded term, one you wish never to see, one which strikes despair in the heart of any author - WSRH. This is short for "We Stopped Reading Here". Background. Our less than sainted father was a college English professor. When grading essays and term papers, especially freshman courses, we observed him many a cruel time to slash across the page with his red pen. Just below the horrific line, he would write, "I stopped reading here... F." Clearly, papa was a professor, not an editor, so he was an I while we are, well, a we. Hence, ISRH transforms into WSRH. However you begin it, it is not a good thing. Avoid writing something which earns WSRH, you will not be happy with yourself.
Your comments on our comments are most welcome. You may be as frank as we are. Contrary opinions, supported by rational argument not finger-wagging, will help the prospective PB.com readers find the books which are right for them. Bottom line: our comments plus your comments, along with author rebuttals, will in the end benefit us all, and help PB.com listeners choose wisely.
Based on the success of this blog, we have started a Forum where you can share your insights and reviews. The more information and discussion, the better informed we will all be.
We hope, when we've reviewed enough, you will come to this blog to see if a particular book is worthy of your time. We plan to be frank. You have come here to elicit our opinion and we shall not disappoint. Additionally, we hope this blog becomes a resource for PB.com authors to read honest and objective reviews of their efforts; no smoke blown-up the butt at any time. We have observed over time that reviews left on an author's site or iTunes are basically of two types. The first is the pie-eyed-hyperbolic-praise version of a review by a real fan. While excellent for the ego of said author, this form of assessment aids neither the potential listener nor the writer's development. The second type is the snarky-hit-and-run-slap-in-the-face negative review which may contain the kernel of an insight, but is actually significantly less valuable than the first type. Ours will be decidedly neither polar extreme. We will be as fair and complete as possible. An unavoidable off-shoot, indeed a desirable off-shoot, the clever reader will quickly appreciate is that we will undoubtably be squewering a few sacred-cows. If that happens, please keep in mind the fable of The Emporer's New Clothes and the fact that we would not review them in a less-than-stellar manner if they did not deserve it.
Our reviews are not placed on PB.com, iTunes, or any other public site. We do not wish to embarrass or ridicule any particular authors. Many of the authors are our friends, or at least were up till they read our review. We dearly appreciate that each PB.com author has poured their creative guts out for all to see with very little chance of monetary reward. This is not easy. We will not generally say anything but positives on public sites as we, in our alter ego, want the authors, even the poor ones, to have their moment in the bright-shiny sun. At the very least we want them to be happy little fish in their little ponds.
Finally a term defined, a dreaded term, one you wish never to see, one which strikes despair in the heart of any author - WSRH. This is short for "We Stopped Reading Here". Background. Our less than sainted father was a college English professor. When grading essays and term papers, especially freshman courses, we observed him many a cruel time to slash across the page with his red pen. Just below the horrific line, he would write, "I stopped reading here... F." Clearly, papa was a professor, not an editor, so he was an I while we are, well, a we. Hence, ISRH transforms into WSRH. However you begin it, it is not a good thing. Avoid writing something which earns WSRH, you will not be happy with yourself.
Your comments on our comments are most welcome. You may be as frank as we are. Contrary opinions, supported by rational argument not finger-wagging, will help the prospective PB.com readers find the books which are right for them. Bottom line: our comments plus your comments, along with author rebuttals, will in the end benefit us all, and help PB.com listeners choose wisely.
Based on the success of this blog, we have started a Forum where you can share your insights and reviews. The more information and discussion, the better informed we will all be.
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