Ask the Beasts: Darwin and the God of Love
By: Elizabeth A. Johnson / Narrated By: Donna Postel
Length: 14 hrs and 1 min
Hmmm… Even Eighth Time wasn’t quite the charm…
Oh, My Freaking. GOSH!
Where to start with this one, Ask the Beasts by Elizabeth A. Johnson? I mean, it took me eight days of on and off listening to get this listened to, and I only finished it because I absolutely REFUSE to post a review without having finished something. I, quite simply, always keep going through a story/audiobook thinking: Holy Cow; it's GOT to get better by the end. And sometimes it doesn't/sometimes it does.
This one got better for the last 6 1/2 minutes. I'm serious. For the earlier parts of the audiobook, I was zoning out or drooling on myself as I stared into space or just plain fell asleep. Perhaps a good chunk of it is the oh so desperately unfortunate narration by Donna Postel. Anybody who is familiar with me and my listening habits knows that I, as a matter of course, listen to EVERYthing on x1.25 narration (Maybe it's cuz I have a whole big deal of a problem with delayed gratification...), but this book DEMANDS that you listen at that speed. And just that speed. No matter who you are or what your own listening habits might be.
It's like this, see. At x1 speed, Postel's narration is plodding, so very slooow, the whole thing drags itself wearily along. Plus, her voice and tones are those of a bored schoolteacher speaking to really dumb kids. The thing is that her cadence is kinda weird, so when you say, in an attempt to not rip your hair out, speed things up to get it all over with, like, say to x1.5 speed, the narration just gets jangly and spastic and is totally unlistenable. So, ahhhhh... x1.25 speed? Juuuust right. Well, if by just right one means: Crikey, I'm barely making it through this.
But enough about the unfortunate narration, and let's go on to the book's flaws in and of itself. I checked the reviews on this after I'd finished, and I was quite surprised to see it so highly rated. There was, however, a problem between those who came to the book for a new perspective on Darwinism (And by the way, Johnson strongly suggests that to call it Darwinism is a No-No as he's not the only individual who contributed to the thoughts) and those who came to the book for a new perspective on religion. The Darwin camp thought it was all Bible-Thumping; the Religion camp really coulda done without the In-Your-Face Evolution Nonsense.
The trouble is that both camps have a right to feel dismayed. I went into this thinking it was going to be a blending of the two, perhaps even a way of saying that Yes! God exists, and said God's fingerprint on creation can be found by appreciating the process of Evolution that he used.
Uhm... nope. The first SEVeral hours are of Johnson/Postel droning on and on, covering every single point of (Yes) Darwinism, with the addition of statements along the lines of: He said and perhaps was thinking. It kinda reminded me of Gary Kurz's audiobook just reviewed where he took GREAT umbrage with Darwin being wishy-washy about his declarations, making statements without really declaring them. So that was a trifle annoying. But then the last half is total Biblical Scripture quotes, papal statements, church rhetoric, and on-and-on heavy sermonizing. Not an instance of how the two camps might come together and work with each other. Jiminy H. Cricket, if you're looking to be preached to, no matter your leanings, this book is it! Juuuust be prepared for HOURS of the other side of the aisle.
Like I said, I did appreciate the last few minutes (Okay, I was being Grinch-ish by saying 6 1/2 minutes when it's more like 20-45 mins). It's rather Johnson making her case for us all to pray that we each leave as little a footprint on the earth as is possible, and to start viewing our fellow creatures and the environment as parts of the only home we have.
I very, very much appreciated the call for empathy, the call for action.
I just wish I hadn't been bored to tears by the heavy-handed text and the danged-near unBEARable narration. Empathy, folks: Can you feel my pain...?!!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.