What a lovely review of a difficult and important book — Hannah Arendt’s On Revolution, which is described as follows by the publisher: “From the 18th-century rebellions in America and France to the explosive changes of the 20th century, Arendt traces the changing face of revolution and its relationship to war while underscoring the crucial role such events will play in the future.”
My librarian/reviewer pal Francisca Goldsmith is a discerning listener, indeed, and I love that she captured my intention: to narrate at the pace of the brilliant Arendt’s thoughts.
Francisca writes:
“Tavia Gilbert…reads this one at a speed that frightened me for all of the first two minutes—and then I realized that she had accurately tapped Arendt’s own speed of thought rather than her speaking pace…
“Famous for her long sentences…Arendt required them in order to crystalize the prism of any one of her speculations, assertions, or analyses. And Gilbert, for her part, re-animates that speedy thought process by delivering aloud sentences that might take the eye-reader two or three goes to absorb.
“This new spate of audiobook publishing is most welcome, as long as it hews to the high standard of interpreting the author’s expressive pace. Gilbert has set the mark.”
I labored over this one. Arendt is not for the faint of heart or the distracted of focus. I’m thrilled that the audiobook of this timely work has been deemed an audio success.
