Overall rating and opinion of "And Then I Met Margaret"
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Re: Overall rating and opinion of "And Then I Met Margaret"
Though, in a sense, I will say I do agree with MarissaRose about the formulaic setup. I think I found it thoroughly irritating that he was always introducing this thought process that someone else had helped him come to and then giving himself a large pat on the back for bringing those lessons to others. It just...had an almost arrogant tone to it that I wasn't very fond of.
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- SPasciuti
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I thought about this a lot while I was reading, actually. It almost read like fiction the way he always conveniently had a story for how he turned the lesson around. And as a result it ends up feeling less real. It also makes it seem almost less genuine, if only because it feels as though he went out of his way to create a story for his life lessons that he could put into the book.
I’m willing to give Rob White the benefit of the doubt here, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that this is something I felt a lot while reading.
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This is exactly how I am feeling reading this book. It is too neatly tied up. The stories all follow the same formula. Life doesn't usually work that way, so it is definitely feeling contrived. And I too, will give the author the benefit of the doubt and keep reading with an open mind through to the end.SPasciuti wrote: ↑09 Jan 2018, 07:11I thought about this a lot while I was reading, actually. It almost read like fiction the way he always conveniently had a story for how he turned the lesson around. And as a result it ends up feeling less real. It also makes it seem almost less genuine, if only because it feels as though he went out of his way to create a story for his life lessons that he could put into the book.
I’m willing to give Rob White the benefit of the doubt here, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that this is something I felt a lot while reading.
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Going through reading all of your comments I have been trying to decide whether or not this book was worth a read for me personally. Among the most positive things you've said, I like that it seems to have short chapters and I'm intrigued by the idea of "myths" at the beginning of each chapter. However, the responses about how the stories grew repetitive and narcissistic are turning me off. I don't have a lot of gumption to read stories about someone else's trials and tribulations if they're just tooting their own horn for the audience. Any other reasons I should give it a try?
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I liked the first parts, especially his struggles with small-town living. I find the notion of "flat-earth thinking" very relatable. BUT:
The narrative lacks HUMILITY. The author offers an incredibly self-absorbed perspective of his life. I cringed at the many instances when he cast another person in a bad light just to illustrate how much he has changed for the better. I disliked how he used the grief of the Maasai mother to demonstrate a vague point.
I expected a little more DEPTH in the author's motivations. Throughout the book, his actions were almost always motivated by the search for glamour, or a standing ovation, or glorification. Not very inspiring at all.
There were editing ERRORS. Granted, the errors were minor, like misplaced quotation marks and such. However, for a self-confessed control freak and someone who can afford to buy a Porsche, I fail to see why this book shouldn't be error-free.
Final verdict? A potentially good book that devolved into a monologue of a man repeatedly demonstrating how awesome he is--oftentimes, at the expense of other people. I didn't find it inspiring. And oh, if you're wondering about Margaret, you wouldn't really meet her either.
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Your writing is refreshing. I haven't quite finished the book but am in agreement with your conclusion here. I can't help but thinking this book would have been better as fiction, based on real events. I kept thinking he was taking great creative license with elements of his formulaic stories. I will look forward to reading your review after I write my own. Thank you.inaramid wrote: ↑10 Jan 2018, 00:27
Final verdict? A potentially good book that devolved into a monologue of a man repeatedly demonstrating how awesome he is--oftentimes, at the expense of other people. I didn't find it inspiring. And oh, if you're wondering about Margaret, you wouldn't really meet her either.
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I totally relate. I think a lot of "positive psychology" is bunk. There are benefits to focusing on what you want and minimizing negativity but the world is full of outside forces and even the people around you have a huge impact on your life.AliceofX wrote: ↑01 Jan 2018, 05:15 I should probably start by saying that I've never been a fan of self-help type books. I don't really have much to compare this book to, but I'll probably stay away from this genre in the future. What I disliked most about the book was how arrogant the author came off. Maybe I'm just a huge cynic, but I don't believe our destiny is entirely in our hands. There are people who say, "What doesn't kill you make you stronger." To me, that just means you weren't hit hard enough. You could have easily been left cripled and broken, but you weren't. That brings me to the crux of the problem. Sure, the author, like all of us, worked hard to get what he has, but in the end he also had the luck to not be given a heavier burden than he could carry. But then to go on and preach that you can achieve anything if you just work hard ... The world doesn't work like that. The world isn't fair and just. In the end, all we can say is, "There but for the grace of God."
To be completely fair, it was a well-written book with interesting stories. The "myth I believed" at the start of every chapter always made me intrigued, and made me want to continue reading. But in the end I just couldn't get behind the overall moral of the book.
I look forward to reading this but, having been through some pretty horrible things in my life, especially as a child, I do not believe we have as much control as some people assert.