Arguably: Essays by Christopher Hitchens

By: Christopher Hitchens

Narrated by: Simon Prebble

The first new collection of essays by Christopher Hitchens since 2004, Arguably offers an indispensable key to understanding the passionate and skeptical spirit of one of our most dazzling writers, widely admired for the clarity of his style, a result of his disciplined and candid thinking. Topics range from ruminations on why Charles Dickens was among the best of writers and the worst of men to the haunting science fiction of J.G. Ballard; from the enduring legacies of Thomas Jefferson and George Orwell to the persistent agonies of anti-Semitism and jihad.

Hitchens even looks at the recent financial crisis and argues for the enduring relevance of Karl Marx. The book forms a bridge between the two parallel enterprises of culture and politics. It reveals how politics justifies itself by culture, and how the latter prompts the former. In this fashion, Arguably burnishes Christopher Hitchens' credentials as - to quote Christopher Buckley - our "greatest living essayist in the English language."

©2011 Christopher Hitchens (P)2011 Hachette Audio

Love the Book; Hate the reading-- Way too fast

Would you try another book from Christopher Hitchens and/or Simon Prebble?

Hitchens puts a lot of thoughts into a few words; his economy of words make one want to enjoy the thought or, perhaps the way it is expressed by a master of English. But, alas, this is the first book I have encountered on Audible where the narrator spews out the words so fast that it is impossible to keep up with the author's train of thought, let alone appreciate the style of writing. Granted the hard cover book is rather large, but don't skimp on audio space by racing through the reading of the book...

After attempting to listen to this book, I had to go out and buy the hard cover. This is the first book I have had this issue with. I have listened to many of Hitchen's debates on my IPod and have had no issue when the author speaks himself. This is clearly the narrator scurrying hastily through the book. Do we get paid by the quantity of books narrated, so that a short book is paid the same as a lengthy tome like Arguably? Doubtable as this may be, it is the only possible reason I could see for the TV and radio-like

How could the performance have been better?

Read Slower. A lot slower.

Format was the only problem

Would you try another book from Christopher Hitchens and/or Simon Prebble?

I would and have.

Any additional comments?

My only concern is that the essays are not seekable by chapters. Skipping a chapter likely means I unintentionally skipped over two or three essays and landed in the middle of a third. This made book navigation very difficult and perhaps the first time I regretted getting an audio book.

I dare you to only listen once.

I have listened to this several times and will no doubt listen several more. because I learn something new that i missed on the last listen. I Love this book! and the narration is outstanding!

Hitch

A huge variety of essays and reviews very well performed. The reader’s tone is not dissimilar to hitchens’.

Excellent

This collection of essays gives us a supreme view of Hitchens' works. It is a must to have it

Intelligent and original

Hitchens provides intelligent and insightful essays with his original genius of analysis and writing. His range of subjects is deep and wide. One comes away smarter, but also envious of a dexterous and commanding mind and pen.

Eloquent and Intelligent

What did you love best about Arguably: Essays by Christopher Hitchens?

Hitchens' choice of words has always been a highlight to his articles. Considering the book is a collection of many of his articles, it goes without saying that the text will be full of wonder and clarity.

Who was your favorite character and why?

During his story of Taiwan, the introduction of the children there will forever stick in my mind. The book paints such an unfiltered, powerful image that, while reading, I had to take a few seconds to compose myself and journey on.

Have you listened to any of Simon Prebble’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This was an excellent performance. I've not heard previous ones but, when comparing performances to listen to in the future, his Mr Prebble's name will certainly be the one that I choose when searching for books with multiple narrators.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The final chapters of the book bring good humor to the collection. This is a good thing, considering the previous chapters deal with sometimes drastic historical issues. I laughed heartily and, though no tears were actually shed while reading, they did well up and begin to protest their containment.

Any additional comments?

Considering Hitchens enjoyed using little phrases of multiple languages to drive home a point every now and then in an article, it might help to have an online translator handy so you can type in a phrase and fully understand what the author meant. This is a trademark Hitchens occurrence and takes place within almost every article. So, as Hitch might say, 'Se preparer.'

Stirred and Shaken

I listened to the 28 hours 26 minutes, which covered 107 essays, most which had been published in The Atlantic, Slate, Vanity Fair or the NYTimes during the 2000’s. I had never heard of Christopher Hitchens prior to this and for whatever reason it was that the book caught my attention and on impulse, I purchased it, I will forever be grateful for the unknown motivation that propelled me to do so. I cannot remember the last time that I felt such amazement at someone’s ability to speak so interestingly and well about such a wide variety of topics. Repeatedly I found myself thinking, “How could one person be so brilliant?” Even if I didn’t always agree with the content of what he was discussing or even understand what he was talking about, I found myself amazed at his command of the English language, vocabulary, use of metaphors, wit and sarcasm, sense of humor, and on and on… I kept thinking, “Who talks/writes/thinks like this anymore?” In a world filled with “thx, u2, c u l8r’s, wat u doin?” etc., it was refreshing to hear his words and thoughts, some which made me laugh out loud, some which made me wince but always, they stimulated my mind.

To read a great review of the book by the NYTimes.

Some reviewers on Audible.com felt that Simon Prebble’s narration speed was too fast. I thought his pace was perfect and his reading flawless, however, I'd recommend listening to the sample to make sure you are comfortable with the reading. (I loved it)

Mr. Hitchens passed away in Dec. 2011. I regret not having discovered him decades ago so I could have enjoyed him while he was still alive but I am thankful that I stumbled upon his work and will certainly seek out more of his writing.

Like most people with busy lives that try to balance work, family, health, and as a writer, editing and writing, I don’t take spending 28 ½ hours on anything lightly, but I’d gladly spend 2600 hours listening to his work if it meant I’d be blessed with 1% of his mental ability.

I’d highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys having their intellect not only stirred but also possibly shaken.

A candidate for multiple re-listenings

Absolutely amazing. The sections on German National Socialism in the last third were, admittedly, a little dry. However, the rest is pure gold. The only improvement would have been to have the author record all the essays; the impossibility of this now is not lost on me.

HEAVEN HELL OR THE GREAT VOID

Hitchens’ capacious knowledge and clever phrasing intimidates and delights casual and committed pundits. Whether to heaven hell or the great void, Hitchen’s passing is a great loss. Hitchens’ proves that one may fail as a memoir maven (“Hitch 22”); yet brilliantly succeed with insightful essays about literature, other writers, and a Marxian view of the world.

This rough categorization of Hitchens’ essays is wholly inadequate because in truth Hitchens covers a gamut of historic events in the Middle East and a wide range of subjects from water boarding to the evolution of the word “blow job”. Hitchens is considerably more than the sum of this inadequate review.

At the very least, a reader of Hitchen’s essays will be exposed to a wider world of literature, politics, and belief than most slingers of solipsistic clap trap. Hitchens does not always hit the mark of enlightenment or entertainment in his essays but he is rarely boring. Hitchens’ forays into Pakistan, North Korea, and Iran and his offer to be water boarded are tributes to his manic effort to know the truth of what he writes.

One can salute Hitchens’ intellect and bravery without necessarily believing what he believes. His pursuit of first hand experience; his erudition and wide literary exposure are what any writer or reader admires. One believes he will be loved and missed by many. “Arguably” is a fun and fascinating profile of a very interesting human being.