Wild Animus

by Rich Shapero | Mystery & Thrillers |
ISBN: 0971880107 Global Overview for this book
Registered by jmcbeth of Boothbay Harbor, Maine USA on 4/16/2004
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4 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by jmcbeth from Boothbay Harbor, Maine USA on Friday, April 16, 2004
[note: if you don't feel like reading the longwinded part of this review, just skip to the bold, italicised part, it gives my overall impression]

I've given a bit more thought to this review than I normally would for a book that didn't connect with me. This is due to the mode through which this book entered my collection, and in some ways, I don't feel that I can give it a rating which truly represents it, due to the tarnishing of my objective reading by the flurry of controversy surrounding it. This rating is qualified by my having made a special effort to take it outside the context of what's happened - I've tried to judge it on it's merits and faults alone. I've also tried to think thought my review to try and give the publisher and author some thoughts on the book that might aid them in any revisions they might plan (do people revise books that have been released already in this way?). Anyway, if anyone wants to contact me about this review, feel free.

A bit about me, since it effects my impressions: I enjoy reading books about spirituality and religion occasionally, however I tend to dislike new-age religion/philosophy books (into which this book falls). When reading in this genre, I prefer buddhist and other eastern philosophy books, some christian writings, or fiction or non-fiction works that do not have as their primary goal self discovery, but strangely have that effect on the reader. I think that is the value of a well written book - it can change the way you look at the world without your realizing that was their objective!

Wild Animus - Marketing thoughts:

I like the cover, I like how the designer has incorporated the symbols from throughout the book, that was great. I was disappointed that there were no credits in the front of the book for the cover designer, unless I missed that. I think the picture of Shapero would be more appropriate if it were of him driving sled dogs or hiking around Alaska. He looks like a casually dressed executive, which clashes with the image he seems to be trying to project.

My first impression was that this book was a Celestine Prophecy-esque attempt to manipulate its audience into following it's implied novel approach to spirituality. I'm not saying that's what the book was, I'm saying that's what the back cover told me. So if that's not the audience you are trying to market to (though I think it is) you may want to change that. Or at least word it so that it seems a bit less trite.

Leaving out Shapero's success as a businessman gives one the impression of duplicity in the presentation of the book. That is probably not the intention, I would guess that that detail of his life was left out since it was deems irrelevant in the context of the book. It is not irrelevant however, because without it the reader (or at least myself) is left with the impression that the author/publisher is caught up in a escapist fantasy world developed over a course of men's chest-beating retreats, and is choosing not to divulge his real life since it isn't as sexy in that context. I think Shapero should unapologetically divulge his career. But that's just me. Readers who haven't received the book through bookcrossing might not have the same interest many people have unfortunately developed in Shapero's motivations, picking at the scabby wound of his biography. If I were Shapero, I would probably publish under an nom de plume for a first effort (too late!), not to manipulate the reader, but to allow the work to speak for itself.


Wild Animus - the writing:

I read the first few chapters a week ago, then the remainder of the book over the past two days. Overall impression: readable but not well written, not memorable (except for the events surrounding the reading of the book!), I wouldn't recommend it to anyone unless they really liked new-age self discovery writing as a genre. It didn't really elicit any strong feelings in me, and it wasn't the worst book I've ever read [that honour goes to Stephen King's Needful things, what trash! I feel I can say that without guilt because I really loved some of King's other work, but that's beside the point.]

The author was trying to get a message across, fairly bluntly, of an approach to connecting with our inner love for life and the earth, and moving beyond the urge to control our own and others existence, but it just didn't connect with me. The characters were flat and didn't spark my interest. I'm not saying that just because Ransom was a jerk, Shapero knew who his character was, and tried to expose his flaws and strengths through the reactions of those around him. I've enjoyed books about characters who were anti-heros, for example, the protagonist in Iris Murdoch's A Word Child, Keri Hulme's child beating male protagonist from the Bone People, and Stephen R. Donaldson's Thomas Covenant character. In fact, their imperfections mixed with positive qualities create a tension that draws the reader in still further, and debunks the demonization of the archtypes they represent.

For some reason, Shapero's character failed to draw me in, despite his attempt to portray that mix of qualities. perhaps for me this is partly due to the excessive drug use, which I find extremely offputting and alienated me from the character from the start. But if it was well written, I could probably put that aside too. Though the "what he had to say" aspect of the book was probably worthy, it frankly just came up smelling of an unoriginal love your neighbour and gaia message. Not that I think that message is unworthy or dull in itself, it is a beautiful message, but not when it is banged over one's head. I think the book could have been better presented as a story rather than a lesson - delving into the characters more and trusting the reader to interpret the underlying message.

I think a major issue that could have helped create more connection for his character was the chanting and ram thoughts sections throughout the book. I didn't find them particularly poetic or moving, they left me cold and bored. I noticed in Shapero's interview that he described the chanting as having a very gutternal quality - perhaps the writing could be improved by showing the intonation and sounding out the words of the chants with phonetics. Or maybe not!

I found the dialogue to be a bit awkward, in the writing sense, not the atmosphere. It just stuck out for me, I don't know why, if I find a way to describe it better I'll put it up here.

[added comments, 18 April 2004. I've noticed many bookcrossers have said they found the writing wordy - I didn't find that to be a problem, or the case from my viewpoint. In fact I would say the problem was that it was too stripped down. As one person put it in the forums, it reads a bit like a play. Not that plays are not good reading! I do not think that criticism of the vocab Shapero uses is a fair one, I had no problems with this book in that sense. Then again, I'm a geologist-renaissance-scientist-academic-type, so most of the botanical/faunal/geological references were familiar - or maybe I'm just better at skimming over them! Nevertheless, I do not think his vocabulary is inappropriate per se, though the placement often, as nefertari put it in the forums, takes away from the continuity of the writing.]

Overall, I think that maybe the answer is not to rework the book (hypothetically). If Shapero's goal is to aid self discovery, he might be better off just writing a book on the philosophy he is trying to get across rather than a work of fiction. He is not a master storyteller, and with that in mind, might be better off focussing his ambitious efforts and considerable energy on something a bit more straightforward. Perhaps a manual for a sacred masculinity class or something like that. Seriously.

Afterthoughts

The biggest journey that this book led me to had nothing to do with it's content. What I got out of this experience, and will continue to evolve through as the months go on and we see how the reviews and discussions play out, is an inquiry into the ethics of bookwriting, publishing, and bookcrossing. The conclusion that I've come to personally is that all is fair in love and books. Shapero's publishing company generously donated books for us to read, and I'm grateful for that. I'm grateful for the opportunity to try applying a reviewer's eyes in a relatively very primordial first-go-at-the-pages sense. Even if Shapero actually was all the worst things bookcrossers speculated about in the forums, I think as a human being he would still would feel awful at the way he has been treated. And it is inappropriate to launch ad hominum attacks at the man, since fundamentally all that matters here is the writing. If my favourite authors were rich to start with and self-published, it wouldn't matter, I'd still love their work. And if they were poor, and self-published on the internet and sent out a spammy message to the world to market themselves, would that make them any less worthy of at least a quick read? And sometimes, yes, it does make a difference who they are, but ultimately the writing speaks for itself.

Journal Entry 2 by Lizzy-stardust from Salford, Greater Manchester United Kingdom on Wednesday, May 12, 2004
also got this one at a meetup. i've added it to my TBR list.

Journal Entry 3 by veganknitter from Bolton, Greater Manchester United Kingdom on Sunday, May 22, 2005
Passed onto me by jmcbeth.

Thanks! Have just started reading it and not impressed so far but glad to be part of Bookcrossing history.

Will pass it back as soon as it is read.

(Would rather watch a DVD of Peter Coyote reading it - yum yum).

Journal Entry 4 by veganknitter from Bolton, Greater Manchester United Kingdom on Monday, June 13, 2005
I've only read 5 pages so far and it's already annoying me!

Fantasy and the bestiality of man isn't my favourite theme at the best of times and this isn't even done particularly well.

And the references to drug taking are just cliched. The whole thing just doesn't ring true to me.

Think I'll skip to the end and return it to jmcbeth soon.

Thanks for the chance to read it though!

Released 18 yrs ago (7/23/2005 UTC) at Fopp Cafe, off Market Street in Manchester, Greater Manchester United Kingdom

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Given back to jmcbeth at our July meeting - thanks for the opportunity to read this work of genius :-)

Journal Entry 6 by jehanine from Manchester, Greater Manchester United Kingdom on Wednesday, August 17, 2005
A man's quest to find something that impresses him spiritually as much as his own ego. Written in the most banal, stilted prose that you've ever read - shallow enough to paddle in. The characters are laughably written, and the conversation between them makes one wonder if the author has ever had an interpersonal relationship that he hasn't bought - judging by the teeth-achingly sycophantic mini-biog on the back cover, he hasn't. All the 'spirituality' is derivative; there is not an original or interesting thought in the whole book. Go and read a Richard Bach if you want a conversational revelatory new age thang, it's at least honest. The drugtaking only bothered me insofar as it seems to have been written by a man who has no idea what drugtaking is like, and decided to get all his ideas of it from other people's novels and a government leaflet. And why doesn't he have a sense of humour about anything, ever? You'd think in 309 pages of blathering about himself, he'd manage to raise a smile at some point. All the great thinkers do.

Journal Entry 7 by jehanine from Manchester, Greater Manchester United Kingdom on Wednesday, August 17, 2005
To continue! The thing is - insofar as there is a thing at all here - is that it's the author's monstrous, flawed ego that is the most interesting thing here, and his method of unleashing it upon us. He's made me and JMcB write reams about his embarassing little tome, and generated more comment than countless worthier efforts. Despite hating it, and thinking it possibly the worst book I've ever read, I actually want to hang on to it for a bit, re-read it, and see if it really is the misshapen burger that I think it is. Then I shall pass it on, to someone else who probably won't be at all surprised to find that the main character discovers (spoiler) that he's god. Faugh.

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