Things Grak Hates, by Peter J Story
Exactly how a suggestion can be obtained? By looking at the superstars? By checking out the sea and also considering the sea weaves? Or by checking out a publication Things Grak Hates, By Peter J Story Everybody will have particular characteristic to get the inspiration. For you that are dying of books and also consistently obtain the motivations from books, it is truly terrific to be right here. We will reveal you hundreds collections of the book Things Grak Hates, By Peter J Story to read. If you similar to this Things Grak Hates, By Peter J Story, you could likewise take it as your own.
Things Grak Hates, by Peter J Story
Best PDF Ebook Things Grak Hates, by Peter J Story
Grak hates things. Lots of things. And with a peculiar intensity, too.
Grak's contempt is so strong, in fact, that it often leaves his fellow tribesmen bewildered. And when attempting to describe his personality, they find themselves in need of words with greater nuance. "Neurotic" is typically used. "Sociopath" and "narcissist" are also common terms. The most popular descriptor, however, is "pathological."
Grak, on the other hand, sees his situation in a rather different light. He finds his behavior "necessary" and "selfless," or even "benevolent" when his mood is just so. Most often, though, he simply attributes his nature to "being human."
But of all the things Grak despises, his antipathy for olives takes precedence. In his efforts to be rid of this nuisance, he gets his first taste of power and ignites a series of events with troubling consequences. Unwilling to give up his newfound influence, he sets about honing his only true talent: manipulation. But as his grip tightens, Grak's naively selfish exterior crumbles to reveal a dark and malicious evil....
In his debut work, author Peter J. Story brews a robust psychological satire infused with dry humor and a pinch of emotion. Set just prior to recorded history, Things Grak Hates chronicles the life of a bizarre nomad and his descent toward evil. Along the way, this unconventional and introspective allegory explores a variety of complex issues. Among them: power, politics, religion, redemption, the dissemination of ideas, and human nature itself.
Things Grak Hates, by Peter J Story- Amazon Sales Rank: #189467 in Audible
- Published on: 2015-05-14
- Format: Unabridged
- Original language: English
- Running time: 643 minutes
Where to Download Things Grak Hates, by Peter J Story
Most helpful customer reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful. Descent into Darkness By PJG "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Lord ActonLeaving behind all discussions with regard to intent, the Platonic concept of philosopher kings, or benevolent dictators, what remains are the all-too-unfortunate (and numerous) individuals whose characters are an unsavory amalgam of weakness of will, questionable morals, shaky ethics, narcissistic tendencies (i.e. "the ends always justify my means"), greed - or all of the above.Tragically, we know how events can transpire when the more "shaky" members of society grab some power with their acquisitive little hands. The course of human civilization abounds with a veritable legion of individuals who have taken power and corrupted it to serve their own ends; ranging from politicians (pick up any newspaper on any given day and you will be regaled and disgusted with their shenanigans), minor officials, and petty dictators, all the way up to a person who, through cold, canny acumen, manipulation, mendacity and intimidation, take over entire countries, committing crimes and evils against humanity that are almost impossible for an evolved individual to fathom.These themes are the structure around which Peter J. Story's novel is built. And, it should come as no surprise that we are not going to spend the next 300+ pages hearing about how kind and benevolent Grak is. So, make no mistake about it, by the end of this novel, I can tell you unequivocally:I hate Grak. No, not the novel. Just Grak.And so should you. If not, I hope you live in a galaxy far, far away.The novel has a rather innocuous beginning. We are introduced to Grak and the tribe of which he is a very unimportant member. This is a primitive society with a simple regard for each other. They follow the deer herds through the seasons and forage for the rest of their food (nuts, berries, etc.). They are industrious, content and happy.Well, except for Grak. Grak is never industrious and he is seldom content and happy. He harbors petty resentments against most of the tribe because they seem to be able to do - well, everything - better than he. No matter the job, his results (in hunting, carpentry, sewing, etc.) are mediocre at best. He is a paranoid little gnome of a man who thinks everyone in the tribe - except for his friend Doran - looks down on him and makes fun of him behind his back.Grak's trajectory to dictatorship begins, as many such journeys, very small and rather humorously. His trigger? He does not like olives. Actually he hates them, not only because of the taste, but also because of the way they make his mouth pucker - which provokes some good-natured ribbing from his fellow tribe members, and which he definitely does not receive in a good-natured way. Since olives are a major food source for the tribe, it is difficult for him to avoid them. To rub salt into the wound, the tribe loves the very name, "olive", and so begins a tradition of naming their daughters Olive.Olives the food source, and females named Olive, are everywhere.What begins as a series of seemingly innocent lies (lying is an unknown concept in the tribe) told in order to avoid the hated food, is so surprisingly successful, it gets Grak's reptilian little brain clicking as he reflects upon his gratifying and effortless success (Grak is all about obtaining things with the least amount of effort). Inevitably, he begins to explore how to expand his methods, attacking and eliminating other things he hates (which becomes an ever-expanding list) and how to get what he wants (which is also an ever-expanding list).Up to this point, we are a little uncomfortable, but still laughing at this rather pathetic little guy who has no skills, and is smelly, awkward, boastful, and intensely hungry for approval. Someone who longs to possess a sense of importance and rank within the tribe. He wants their approval, their love, but, most importantly, their recognition and acknowledgment that he is special.It is in how Grak strategizes to attain his desires, and how those desires evolve into an insatiable appetite for obeyance and adulation, that Mr. Story weaves his disturbing tale.During the course of the novel we discover that, contrary to our initial impression, Grak does indeed possess an entire arsenal of innate talents. He is a master of deceitfulness, manipulation, intimidation, fear-mongering and quick-wittedness, combined with a complete lack of empathy, and a disturbingly cold-blooded, merciless approach when it comes to levying retribution for violations of his long lists of rules. All of this is as easy to him as breathing, and he comes to enjoy his ability to manipulate and persecute the tribe. For him, it's not only rewarding, it's fun.Mr. Story does an excellent job of developing Grak's mental pathology and escalating violent behavior as he gains more and more control over the tribe. We can easily equate Grak's dark, disturbing trajectory with other human monsters in our history, the endless rationalization for actions taken..."I wouldn't have to do these things if they didn't make it necessary"..."If they would only listen"..."If only they would stop questioning my authority and realize that I know what's best for them". As their behavior escalates, so does their paranoia, and they project their own dark tendencies upon the personalities of those with whom they surround themselves. Everyone becomes a foe, an enemy, someone not be trusted - because they themselves are not to be trusted. Liars and manipulators always assume that everyone else must be lying and manipulating as well.This is Mr. Story's first novel and the writing is generally tight and well-constructed. As I said, he absolutely nails the mental pathology of someone with narcissistic personality disorder and what can happen when such individuals are allowed free, unrestricted rein over others. We usually assume that a dictator's rise to power - be it over tribes, districts, cities, states, countries - are the result of some sudden coup. As Mr. Story reminds us, this not always the case. Instead, such takeovers can begin very small. These monstrous manipulators are like spiders spinning webs. The web oh-so-gradually becomes bigger and bigger, one small, sticky thread at a time. At first, just a few people are ensnared or enthralled...then more...then more. Until, everyone is caught in some way - either as a victim...or as an active enabler.However, as much as I appreciate Mr. Story's impressively successful portrayal of a cruel despot in the making, I found it was a book I more appreciated on a clinical, intellectual level than I actually enjoyed reading as a novel. Although Grak's behavior and hold over the tribe becomes increasingly dangerous; as much as he literally destroys the balance and harmony of the group, replacing it with fear and violence, it is difficult to appreciate how truly chilling these events are. This is partly because of the rather shallow, cartoony nature of the portrayals and events. I believe I read somewhere a suggestion that this would make a good graphic novel and I would agree. I think Mr. Story's tale would be well-served in that format. Perhaps this would be an interesting adaptation project he could pursue.The other weakness in the novel is that we spend almost the entire time riding around in Grak's head. We see others and experience events only through his eyes and how he perceives them. This is a problem. Narcissists have no empathy for others. Other people aren't really people to them, they are merely human tools that only have relevance in how they impact the narcissist. A narcissist feels about people like you "feel" about your refrigerator. It has importance to you, but you don't think about it at all unless it gives you trouble or it doesn't hold everything you want or makes too much noise. It's just something you use, something that serves your purpose. And that's it. If it gives you trouble and doesn't live up to your requirements, what happens? You become exasperated with it...and maybe you just get rid of it.Such is the perception of the narcissist.Because Mr. Story never personalizes the other tribe members so that we can perceive their reactions (pain, fear, confusion) to Grak from their viewpoint, because Grak feels no remorse at all for the pain and violence he wreaks upon the tribe members, because he has no empathy for others, because they are not really "real" to him, because of all these things, they never become real to us. Throughout the book, we never get to really know any of the tribe members. Sure, we know "of" them and we know some facts "about" them and some of the group dynamics, but again, only through Grak's perception - which is, of course, extremely narrow and limited in scope. As the book proceeds, it becomes more and more claustrophobic to be sitting in Grak's twisted little brain and it would have been nice to get a better, more personal sense of what the tribe is going through and how they are reacting to all the horrific events and disintegration of the group society. However, I will say that this viewpoint is very interesting and gripping when Grak eventually starts "drinking his own Kool-Aid" so to speak, and we get to experience firsthand his mental breakdown.I don't know whether or not this was the effect Mr. Story intended. Perhaps it was. Perhaps he wanted us only to experience the cold, calculating detachment of a fledgling bloody dictator and how they treat others as nothing more than game board pieces - moving them around to suit the will, and amusement, of the game player. If so, he was successful.But for me, the result is a little one-dimensional. I would have appreciated more depth and insight into someone besides Grak. The confined viewpoint made the book feel long to me. I think cutting about 75 pages of repetitious beatings and comedic gags - or replacing them with narratives that would have brought the other characters to life - would have maintained a better tension in the overall arc of Grak's reign.All in all, this is a good, solid first novel. Mr. Story writes well; he has very interesting ideas, easy, intelligent prose, and knows how to build and tell a story. I very much look forward to what he writes next.3.5 STARS
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. When Does a Victim Become Culpable? By Lisa P. As a society, we tend to take it a little easier on victims. In many cases, we’ll take horrible acts almost in stride and simply chalk those acts up to the difficulties faced by the perpetrator. This seems to be the case with Grak. This neurotic nomad obviously had a rough go of things as a child. He didn’t really have any desirable skills, and even his best attempts (at building, crafting, etc.) were maligned and mocked. He experienced great loss, was the brunt of bullying, and dealt with tragedy. Thus, his community takes his rather awful nature in stride for a long time.Of course, everyone has a breaking point. Some arrive at that point sooner than others, but eventually, Grak does push everyone too far. However, the author poses a very intriguing dilemma. Obviously, a victim deserves care, comfort and sympathy. But when does sympathy give way to tolerance of awful behavior? When do we hold a victim culpable for their own actions?I don’t assume to know the answers here, but it’s certainly a topic worth exploring further – and Peter J Story does so quite well in this book. It was quite intriguing to see Grak’s gradual decline, and it was more interesting still to see how his descent was (in some ways) sped along by the well-meaning actions of those around him.I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. A very thought-provoking tale By Adam Wilson There was quite a lot that I liked in this book. I guess because it’s the sort of book that makes you think. The author introduced a number of interesting concepts – specifically those mentioned in the synopsis (power, politics, religion, redemption, etc.) – and they’re all woven together to create a very thought-provoking plot.I particularly liked the thread following the Doran character. To me, this thread seems to show how religion is often misused and abused by those in power. While that isn’t exactly an original concept, the way it starts in this story is interesting. Doran’s simple experience with something he can’t explain is questioned and dissected by those around him. Naturally, people turn to speculation, and this ultimately creates an explosion of art and culture (at least as much of an explosion as this simple tribe can muster).The author doesn’t directly talk about religion, and he doesn’t actually indicate his feelings for or against religion; however, he makes some very interesting points. I think that people throughout history have had experiences that cannot be explained or proved or validated. Others often jump to debunk or dismiss those experiences simply because they cannot be explained. If nothing else, the author brings that approach into question – and I think it’s a question worth asking.Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book for an honest review.
See all 33 customer reviews... Things Grak Hates, by Peter J StoryThings Grak Hates, by Peter J Story PDF
Things Grak Hates, by Peter J Story iBooks
Things Grak Hates, by Peter J Story ePub
Things Grak Hates, by Peter J Story rtf
Things Grak Hates, by Peter J Story AZW
Things Grak Hates, by Peter J Story Kindle
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar