Consolations

The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words

By: David Whyte

Narrated by: David Whyte

Length: 3 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

In Consolations, David Whyte unpacks aspects of being human that many of us spend our lives trying vainly to avoid - loss, heartbreak, vulnerability, fear - boldly reinterpreting them, fully embracing their complexity, never shying away from paradox in his relentless search for truth.

Beginning with 'Alone' and closing with 'Work', each chapter in this life-affirming audiobook is a meditation on meaning and context, an invitation to shift and broaden our perspectives on life: pain and joy, honesty and anger, confession and vulnerability, the experience of feeling overwhelmed and the desire to run away from it all. Through this lens, procrastination may be a necessary ripening; hiding an act of freedom; and shyness something that accompanies the first stage of revelation.

Consolations invites listeners into a poetic and thoughtful consideration of words whose meaning and interpretation influence the paths we choose and the way we traverse them throughout our lives.

©2019 David Whyte (P)2019 Canongate Books Ltd

Truly incredible.

Beautifully written. David Whyte manages to weave together a tapestry of definitions in such an eloquent way where you not only understand the meaning at a deeper level, but you understand life itself and yourself at a depth that is truly rare.

Wonderful

First off, this is not a novel, a book of poetry, or a collection of essays. It's sort of a dictionary, with Whyte explaining the meanings of common words in short -- 2 to 7 minutes each -- entries. The audiobook has chapter names so you can just go to a word directly, if that's your preference, or listen to them in alphabetical order. As an example, the definition of Beauty is about 3 minutes long and begins thus: "Beauty is the harvest of presence..."

If a line like that resonates with you, you will enjoy this book. If it means nothing to you, you're best passing. To me, the book is worth every penny. I've listened all the way through 4 times since purchasing it. Wonderful work.