A Philistine's Journal [Paperback]

W. Turmel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2003

An insightful and often comical look at the Classics and modern thinking. Comedian Wayne Turmel revisits the Dead White Males of literature to see if they can offer any pearls of wisdom to a middle-age male seeking answers to some of life's most pressing questions.

Product Details

• Paperback: 212 pages
• Publisher: New Leaf Books (May 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1930076134
• ISBN-13: 978-1930076136
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,524,668 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars what a teacher!, August 12, 2003

By 

Rebecca Brown "rebeccasreads" (Clallam Bay, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Philistine's Journal (Paperback)

If the Classics are writings about which you've never thought to chuckle or comment, then Wayne Turmel's efforts will either fill you with high-brow shudders OR, like me, make you want to crack open a book or two & discover long-forgotten ideas that once were earth-shaking & which now have become so much a part of our thinking & language, we can't imagine a world before them.

Wayne's questing mind tackles the truly ancient Epictetus; Cicero; Homer; Plutarch & Lucretius. The Dark Ages Omar Khayyam before coming out into the light of the Renaissance with Montaigne, Bacon & Milton.

Then he wrestles with the first ever best-selling novel--Daniel Defoe's ROBINSON CRUSOE published in 1719. On, on to John Locke's ground-breaking ideas about common people. Then Emerson's evocative look at the world. Bret Harte's Gold Rush stories. Robert Browning's poetry & Henrik Ibsen's plays.

Wayne has a far ranging, comedic way of breathing new life & modern connections into a dusty, old library.

[my site] hopes his book turns on many, many readers to find out for themselves what the Classics are about!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars what a teacher!, August 6, 2003

By 

Rebecca Brown "rebeccasreads" (Clallam Bay, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Philistine's Journal (Paperback)

If the Classics are writings about which you've never thought to chuckle or comment, then Wayne Turmel's efforts will either fill you with high-brow shudders OR, like me, make you want to crack open a book or two & discover long-forgotten ideas that once were earth-shaking & which now have become so much a part of our thinking & language, we can't imagine a world before them.

Wayne's questing mind tackles the truly ancient Epictetus; Cicero; Homer; Plutarch & Lucretius. The Dark Ages Omar Khayyam before coming out into the light of the Renaissance with Montaigne, Bacon & Milton.

Then he wrestles with the first ever best-selling novel--Daniel Defoe's ROBINSON CRUSOE published in 1719. On, on to John Locke's ground-breaking ideas about common people. Then Emerson's evocative look at the world. Bret Harte's Gold Rush stories. Robert Browning's poetry & Henrik Ibsen's plays.

Wayne has a far ranging, comedic way of breathing new life & modern connections into a dusty, old library.

I hope his book turns on many, many readers to find out for themselves what the Classics are about!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully entertaining, July 9, 2003

By 

"lllluv2bme" (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Philistine's Journal (Paperback)

A Philistine's Journal is very entertaining to read. Lately I have been blessed with literature that speaks for me and to me; this book did that. Mr. Turmel's humor and candid frankness about his own life fill this Journal with pearls. His comedic nature about the classics and his own mid life crisis had me laughing-out-loud. This may be because I am "truly, deeply, dangerously crazy," so read it yourself and let me know what you thought!