Almost Everything

Notes on Hope

By: Anne Lamott

Narrated by: Anne Lamott

Length: 3 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

From Anne Lamott, the New York Times best-selling author of Help, Thanks, Wow, comes the book we need from her now: How to bring hope back into our lives.

"I am stockpiling antibiotics for the Apocalypse, even as I await the blossoming of paperwhites on the windowsill in the kitchen", Anne Lamott admits at the beginning of Almost Everything. Despair and uncertainty surround us: in the news, in our families, and in ourselves. But even when life is at its bleakest - when we are, as she puts it, "doomed, stunned, exhausted, and over-caffeinated" - the seeds of rejuvenation are at hand. "All truth is paradox", Lamott writes, "and this turns out to be a reason for hope. If you arrive at a place in life that is miserable, it will change." That is the time when we must pledge not to give up but "to do what Wendell Berry wrote: 'Be joyful, though you have considered all the facts.'"  

In this profound and funny audiobook, Lamott calls for each of us to rediscover the nuggets of hope and wisdom that are buried within us that can make life sweeter than we ever imagined. Divided into short chapters that explore life's essential truths, Almost Everything pinpoints these moments of insight as it shines an encouraging light forward.  

Candid and caring, insightful and sometimes hilarious, Almost Everything is the audiobook we need and that only Anne Lamott can write.

©2018 Anne Lamott (P)2018 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Part memoir, part manual and part sermon from the church of Lamott, this satisfying escape points to notes of beauty in our uncertain world.” (People) 

“Like a feminist C.S. Lewis, [Lamott] talks about God, politics and other unmentionables, and gently exhorts her readers, as she does herself, to find joy in a bleak and chaotic world: a leftie guru of optimism.” (The New York Times) 

“[Lamott] cheers us on with her blend of sobering truth and essential inspiration.” (Parade Magazine)

Don't Let Them Make Us Hate Them

I really love Anne Lamott. Since reading Bird By Bird years ago, I have appreciated her common sense, her wisdom and simplicity - all so important in negotiating our world.

She's her usual inspiring, calming, thoughtful self in Almost Everything. Reflections on our scary times, loss, aging, writing, death, family, and the power of love (among others) are like gulping fresh air. Quotes like the one I headed this review with, and others like 'buy yourself some cute socks', '...joy, which every fear in you knows will lead to job failure and lost revenue' stay with me. Lamott and I do not agree on the subject of religion, but I respond to her thoughts on the human spirit, the joys of nature, and the value of love, forgiveness and humor.

Yes, I love Anne Lamott, but I wish I loved her voice. Dear Anne, please let someone else narrate your work!

I just can't get past the performance

I will confess that I'm only about a third of the way through the book thus far. I've never read anything by Anne Lamott, but I read an article about her take on self-righteousness that made me want to listen to this book.

Thus far, while I find it somewhat engaging, it's not my cup of tea. One of the big problems for me is the author's voice. Maybe I've become spoiled by the overly-produced audiobooks you usually get on Audible, but her voice is just gritty and tired-sounding. And she goes sort of fast, without the pauses or inflections of a more professional performer. If you're a big Lamott fan, you might like this. For me, it takes something away.

I'm also finding the ideas to be...well...not the most earth-shattering. It's nice to be reminded that we all "has value" but it's a little too cute by half. And it's hard to share those ideas without coming across as preachy, which she does sometimes.

All in all, the book is feeling more like a soft fuzzy bedtime story than a thought-provoking intellectual read.

Read It, Don't Listen

Some food for thought, but nothing that produced light bulb moments. Her voice is monotonous and totally devoid of personality. Could've found a better use of my time for sure.

Encouraging

I really enjoyed this collection of essays. I just find it a little overpriced for only a few hours of content.

Went by too fast!

I wish this book was three-10 hours longer. Other than that, perfect for me.

Short but not sweet

Personally this book wasn’t for me. There are great nuggets of wisdom but the continued political conversation was not of interest to me.

Whoowhoo but charming

Oh dear, what to say? I find her religiosity and whoowhoo spirituality unbearable, yet it's done with charm. In the reviews no one seems to mention her Christianity, but it's there; I wouldn't have bought the book if I'd known how immersed she is in it.

Hope Full

Anne Lamott Is my favorite author. She often writes from a perspective that feels like she’s inside my head saying what I’m thinking. It’s encouraging to know that others feel the same way about this life we live. I love that she is an afraid of being vulnerable and flawed and embraces hope and reality at the same time. I highly recommend this book. I love listening to a book read by the author as you get their inflections and hear their voice speaking their truth! Do yourself a favor read this book. You will feel hope full when you finish it.

Worst narrator!

I love her books but HATE her narration! There are no pauses, it’s like listening to a kid rush through a book report hoping to end it quickly. Her Bird by Bird book had a fabulous narrator- bring her back!! At least with the other narrator, I laughed- because her timing was impeccable. With this one, even my teenage son walked into the room and said, “Wow! Who is narrating that? It’s awful.”

W T F

Who is this woman? Her voice alone is terrible. I feel like this is the most desperate reach for deepness ever. When she goes on about jumping off a roof... ugh.