libbykerns's reviews
313 reviews

“Thus we distinguished the locutionary act (and within it the phonetic, the phatic, and the rhetoric acts) which has a meaning; the illocutionary act which has a certain force in saying something; the perlocutionary act which is the achieving of certain effects by saying something” (121). 

there! you got the most important takeaways! you can move on now. :) 

no, but seriously. there were a few points of real interest. otherwise—many, many weeds amongst which to get lost. the absolute highlights of this edition were Austin’s little asides. he can be funny, and i’m glad his little jokes were preserved.

otherwise, though? this could have been an article. also, and even worse, i don’t have a good sense of what’s at stake here, which is really my biggest problem with this text. while i’ve certainly developed an understanding of how we use language and what language doing something can/might mean, i’m not sure what this text has really done… besides create some theoretical categories to play with. perhaps my seminar tomorrow will show me how this isn’t more masturbatory theory, but i’m unconvinced of its real value right now, though i don’t doubt its significance. 

i have mixed feelings about this book. on the one hand, Harry has undergone some seriously rough stuff—and both he and Megan have been abused by the press. no doubt. and the family dynamics? not good. his treatment of his military service, which i know has been controversial, struck me more as long-winded than distasteful. 
on the other hand, and the bigger issue for me, is this: Harry strikes me as having serious victim and inferiority complexes, which he doesn’t seem to recognize. he also does not at all seem to recognize the privileges he’s been given… which makes him a rather unreliable narrator. 
it was an informative read… sometimes with too many details. and sometimes with details i don’t know if i can trust. 

i stumbled across this book while doing research for a paper last semester—and found the brief section i needed so useful and insightful that i wanted to read the entire thing! i’m really not the target audience for this book, doing as i’m not attempting to lead/aid others in the Ignatian exercises… and so found sections of the book repetitive or not particularly interesting. HOWEVER—i got so much out of this book that i nevertheless highly rate it. the insights that i garnered regarding the role of desire and imagination in prayer are honestly life-changing and formative. Lord willing, i’ll put what i’ve learned into practice. 

this was cute! the fact that the MC, who lived in NYC, referred to the city as “NYC” drove me a bit insane—but as an enjoyer of reality TV, i liked this! pacing was good, stakes appropriate, and i can recommend it to my little sister. 

this was a fascinating and informative read! one of the best nonfiction histories i’ve read in a while. i learned a lot about a battle and it’s politics of which i’d previously only had glancing (and primarily Shakespearean) knowledge. while there were many, many details, i didn’t feel bogged down by the information; Livingston’s voice and pacing kept me engaged and not overwhelmed. i also particularly appreciated his explicit discussion of biases/worldview and the way he oriented us to the academic arguments surrounding the battle. masterfully written, with a compelling argument. highly recommend.  

this was super cute! it took an unwholesome twist at the end that i wasn’t expecting and don’t think it needed, but i really liked both main characters and thought their relationship was well-paced and realistic in its development :) 

ave i… outgrown percy jackson ?? 

no. this just felt too self-aware. but did i have a good time overall? yes.

i read two chapters of this book for a poetics reading group and am going back to read the entire book. the form and analytical approach is super creative and engaging, and i think has the potential to be very effective. 

her analysis and the overall cohesion of the book fell flat for me, though. i’m no keats scholar, but the marxist superimposition wasn’t convincing per her explanation, and i fundamentally disagree with her discussion and explanation of negative capability. revolutionary thought is cool and all, but redefining words to make points you want to make is irksome. 

anyway! this was a cool read and i’m glad i went back to read the entire thing, even if i disagreed with the author at many points and wanted more of a connecting thread through the text. would recommend yfor people interested in poetics or alternative academic forms or who like keats! and feeling smart. ;)

this book was very long and very interesting. i’m glad to have read it

i really enjoyed this! a well-written memoir—easily read, full of heart and Jesus. a good way to start the year. 

my respect for Beth Moore 📈📈📈