Mere Mortals Book Reviews

Is there greater isolation in the Australian desert, or being unable to fit in with society?'Voss' by Patrick White is a story of adventure into the Australian wilderness. It is set in 1845 and revolves around 2 principal characters: Johann Ulrich Voss and Laura Trevelyan. There are complex weavings of love, passion, inner turmoil and religious symbolism as Voss follows his path of self-destruction and Laura struggles to communicate with others.I summarised the book as follows. "Much like the central character Voss, the book itself is enigmatic & at times hard to understand. I feel like you could pick it apart many ways & that I've done a disservice to all the other unique characters by only focusing upon Voss and Laura. I see why this book is an Aussie classic and why Patrick White was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:35) - Synopsis(3:36) - Doom: Why do some people seek self-destruction?(15:42) - Communication: The imperfection of language(26:08) - Observations/Takeaways(31:04) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Maybe Russians are the most wise, but also the most depressed of us all.'Great Stories By Chekov' by Anton Chekov (and translated by Constance Garnett) is an anthology of 7 tales, of which 4 are short stories and 3 are novellas. They all showcase Russian life in the 19th century and detail deprivation, abuse, harsh conditions and strained relationships. I summarised the book as follows. "It's a Russian author so you know there's going to be suffering and also some deep insights gained from this misery. It's very nice writing with deep yet playful scenery and characters. I personally preferred the longer stories and am not the biggest fan of collections so only wish that the novellas had been fleshed out into full length novels."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:40) - Synopsis(3:24) - Misery: Why do Russians obsess over it?(11:02) - Cognisance: What can be gained from experiencing misery?(22:00) - Observations/Takeaways(30:54) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Would you condemn a complete stranger to death?'The Stranger' by Albert Camus is a 1st person account from a man who lacks normal feelings. It is set in Algiers and follows the Frenchman Monsieur Meursault in his daily routine after the death of his mother. He kills a man and is put on trial for being a cold blooded murder with no regret nor emotions.I summarised the book as follows. "I found it a slow start but became more engaged as it progressed. It's great for highlighting part of the reason life hard, everyone is a stranger and some people are really strange. Unfortunately the indifference of Mssr. Meursault was contagious and I didn't love it."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:36) - Synopsis(2:49) - Applying Justice: Apathy vs Indifference(16:30) - Observations/Takeaways(23:58) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

We had a lot of people sending in messages (because I did a thing) and I also realised that I'm done with philosophy for a while.In September 2022 we covered 4 books on this channel (but I also threw in a cheeky small one just for this recap). I just noticed that it was a pretty diverse crowd with an Englishman-cum-Australian, French Algerian, American and a fanatic Japanese. That's a good bunch.I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:35) - The Sound of Waves: Yukio Mishima(4:41) - On The Beach: Nevil Shute(6:58) - The Stranger: Albert Camus(8:59) - The Fire Next Time: James Baldwin(13:41) - Ego Is The Enemy: Ryan Holiday(15:17) - Boostagram Lounge(20:33) - October 2022(22:12) - Value For ValueConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

How would you find satisfaction in a nuclear holocaust?'On The Beach' by Nevil Shute is a story set in Melbourne of two naval officers and their friends/family as impending death from radioactive fallout comes ever closer. The Northern Hemisphere is uninhabited apart from a mysterious signal coming from Seattle. It examines people reactions to mortality and how they mentally cope with the realisation of inevitable death.I summarised the book as follows. "I had to set aside some time after reading this for some pondering as there is a lot to digest. I liked how the plot was moved forward by the submarine cruise and that it started off with the holocaust already well underway. It's not exactly a fun read but I think will inspire some worthwhile introspection."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:31) - Synopsis(2:58) - Nuclear Holocaust: How would humanity behave?(11:07) - Satisfaction: What brings individuals pleasure?(17:57) - Observations/Takeaways(22:28) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Can a book be overly simplistic?'The Sound Of Waves' by Yukio Mishima is a simple tale, a love story in fact, of a young boy and girl who persevere through hardship & gossip. It takes place on Uta-jima, an island off of mainland Japan with a small population that lives an artisanal fishing lifestyle. Shinji has to prove his worth to Hatsue's uncle, whilst dealing with a competitor for her affection.I summarised the book as follows. "It's a beautiful & relaxing read about young love. It is very simplistic in many ways but I quite enjoyed it. Mishima has a distinct style that is worth trying to see if you like it. It hasn't hit a chord deep inside of me and I generally prefer books with a bit more meat to them but after reading a lot of philosophy books this was exactly what I needed."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:32) - Synopsis(2:56) - Perseverance: Continued steady belief in spit of opposition(9:56) - Prudence: The ability to govern & discipline oneself by use of reason(14:41) - Observations/Takeaways(18:57) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

'Ego is the Enemy' by Ryan Holiday was the eagerly anticipated next read in my trails of absorbing everything Ryan Holiday. Find out just why Ego is truly the enemy.I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Juan out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(1:17) - Synopsis(3:40) - Themes(6:48) - TakeawaysConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Either philosophy makes little sense ...... or I'm just a little stupid.'Either/Or' by Søren Kierkegaard is a two volume work designed to investigate the life views of the aesthetic (art, beauty, pleasure) & the ethical (commitment, marriage morals). It is written in the unique form of two unknown authors and compiled by a pseudonymous editor. I summarised the book as follows. "My overall feeling coming out of this was an exasperated 'why'. There was a lot of words but it didn't feel like much got said. There were some hints of interesting topics but I became bored by the lack of clarity and wasn't even able to finish the book."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:45) - Synopsis(4:12) - The Either/Or: A seemingly unavoidable choice between two alternatives(8:00) - Observations/Takeaways(13:21) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

We had a lot of people sending in messages (because I did a thing) and I also realised that I'm done with philosophy for a while.In August 2022 we covered 3 books on this channel (but I also threw in a cheeky small one just for this recap). My favourite of the bunch was easily Camus's book. I drew a lot of parallels between this and my fav book of all time (George Orwell's '1984').I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:36) - The Plague: Albert Camus(3:19) - Either/Or: Søren Kierkegaard(5:05) - The Shirts I Love: Haruki Murakami(6:01) - The Obstacle Is The Way: Ryan Holiday(8:24) - Boostagram Lounge(19:52) - September 2022Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

'The Obstacle is the Way' by Ryan Holiday begins a journey of discovery personally into Stoic teachings and Ryan's workStructured phenomenally, the book uses three key sections to impart its wisdom. Perspective, Action and Will.I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Juan out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:48) - Synopsis(4:28) -  Themes(8:57) -  Takeaways(12:10) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show