One strategy was to get the Audible version of the book (free to new members, which you can immediately opt out of). I played it back at 1.5x speed. But I also had the text version that I could read in a browser on a large display. Because of this I was both audibly and visually kept on track. While I was at it, by using an earphone with a pause control, I could stop and mark the many, many instances where the narration differed from the text. These marked places are easily condensed into a document that I can send to the publisher or Audible.com, which will probably not initiate any re-aediting, but at least it’s on record. Oh, and I did this only while walking on my desk treadmill with the keyboard and display on the versa desk.
Reading the book is a tedious task, and without multiple inputs the reader could easily get lost, or lose much of the writing. There’s hardly any plot but the text explodes like a firehose of words describing in minutest detail things that are not essential to understanding what’s going on, hence the tediousness. On the positive side, there are engaging descriptions of addiction, addiction therapy (mostly AA), depression, suicide and family relationships. Its often funny, both in the action or in the premise or description. Read the Wikipedia entry on it and you’ll see that the whole thing has a gigantic tension between reality and hyper reality.
I read this book mostly because it’s been praised so much, especially on its 20th anniversary. But frankly, I don’t think I’m up to its challenges. And don’t know who could be. I think I understand addiction better, depression better and even suicide. But reading the book is like having a large neurotic pet that is physically ill. A lot of work, and you’ve gotta love it. Or else, like me, take it on as a challenge for private reasons.
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