…and someday may be. I suspect after a few years maturity and reflection, the authors will look back and wish they had written this differently, or even better, give it a second go.
I am definitely ambivalent about this book.
POSITIVE
First, I applaud the Gordon brothers for their fire-in-the-belly commitment to take the fight to the enemy. I share their Catholic faith, their frustration and their social critique (at least the ones in this book). I am greatly encouraged to see younger Catholics so zealous for their faith and for calling out the abominations of our day. I hope they are the tip of the iceberg, and that they have a following they are motivating to action. This gives me hope for the future of the Church in America, and for our culture.
Second, even though I found this book wanting in significant ways, I encourage you to read it (or listen to it.) It is short enough that its shortcomings are tolerable for the few hours it will take, and you will likely walk away with a little less film over your eyes, as I did.
NEGATIVE
The book should simply have been an essay or article in an online Catholic magazine, in something like “The Catholic Gentleman.”
Beyond the bullet points of the “rules,” it reads like the rant of a couple of fired-up college students who all too often digress into cliches and sweeping ad hominems. The only words to describe it I can think of are shallow and intellectually immature. Perhaps this style appeals to a less informed, 20-something reader, and perhaps that was their target audience. I, however, was disappointed and would have benefitted from a more seasoned understanding and presentation.
I suspect the authors would respond that those who are seasoned are not writing these kinds of books, have dropped the ball, and so it falls on them to do their best. Fair enough, and again, I am in their corner as far as that goes and am fighting alongside them.
A final comment on the audio narrator. I have enjoyed Kevin O’Brien’s narrations in the past, but those have always been fictional works where he is so good at using voice to bring out the characters in the story. Mr. O’Brien did a fine job in his narration of the prose sections. However, it was simply a bad decision (on whoever’s part) to use different voices for the many quotations embedded in the book. That was very distracting and at times just silly.