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read_all_nite's review against another edition
5.0
One of my favorite books of all time. Quick, but profound read.
shadmo's review against another edition
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
jbrieu's review against another edition
5.0
This is short, intriguing and reminds me a lot of Forest Gump.
jenthelibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Another one of my favorite books. So simply written yet so gripping. I read this in my "Philosophy in Literature" class and couldn't put it down. From the first moment to the last, I was hooked.
rachel_purple's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
krystianna's review against another edition
4.0
This was a book that I had to read for one of my classes at school. It was for a comm class, so of course the reading wasn't that bad. The story follows Chance, who basically spent his whole life in a garden. He soon becomes a national hit, after the man who lives in the garden's home dies.
This book, though it may not seem like it on the surface, is actually pretty funny. There are so many ridiculous things that happen that you can't help but laugh while you're reading it. My roommate took the class with me, and she read it before me. While she was reading it, she'd literally start laughing and tell me that insane things were happening in the book and that I'd understand more when I read it.
Being There is also a super short book, so you really fly through it when you're reading it. If you're looking for a quick, funny read this summer, then I'd definitely suggest picking this one up.
This book, though it may not seem like it on the surface, is actually pretty funny. There are so many ridiculous things that happen that you can't help but laugh while you're reading it. My roommate took the class with me, and she read it before me. While she was reading it, she'd literally start laughing and tell me that insane things were happening in the book and that I'd understand more when I read it.
Being There is also a super short book, so you really fly through it when you're reading it. If you're looking for a quick, funny read this summer, then I'd definitely suggest picking this one up.
lo_loverun's review against another edition
4.5
Rating my experience: 4.5 out of 5
I've read Being There by Jerzy Kosinski several times, first when a progressive high school teacher assigned it to me around 1988. I've always enjoyed it, and re-reading it in 2024 was no different. The storytelling is beautifully efficient, resulting in a short book that never feels lacking in detail. It's also worth noting that the 1979 film does an excellent job of expanding the visuals, but that's to be expected. I think it's fairly well-known that Being There is a critique of television. In some ways, it reminds me of the 1979 film Network, though Being There feels less like an explicit prediction of where media (especially news) would go. For me, the stronger theme here is confirmation bias—how humans tend to see what they want to see. That said, I don’t read this book to chase its profound ideas. I just enjoy the story. It's well-written, keeps me interested, and gets progressively funnier as it goes.
I've read Being There by Jerzy Kosinski several times, first when a progressive high school teacher assigned it to me around 1988. I've always enjoyed it, and re-reading it in 2024 was no different. The storytelling is beautifully efficient, resulting in a short book that never feels lacking in detail. It's also worth noting that the 1979 film does an excellent job of expanding the visuals, but that's to be expected. I think it's fairly well-known that Being There is a critique of television. In some ways, it reminds me of the 1979 film Network, though Being There feels less like an explicit prediction of where media (especially news) would go. For me, the stronger theme here is confirmation bias—how humans tend to see what they want to see. That said, I don’t read this book to chase its profound ideas. I just enjoy the story. It's well-written, keeps me interested, and gets progressively funnier as it goes.
bamandia's review against another edition
5.0
so, i really really really enjoyed listening to this audiobook. read by dustin hoffman (great performance), it tells the story of Chance the gardener...who is mistakenly taken to be a brilliant financial, political and literary genius....but is really a gardener. a gardener who cannot read, or write, or really socially interact with people in any normal way.
it was a short (just over 2 hours on audio) book...and it made me laugh and smile the entire time i listened to it.
it basically a satire, turning an eye on how the media, political figures and the rich can be so foolish and fooled. relevant today as it was in the 70's when it was written...
i highly recommend listening to the audio book. it really did make it even better.
(ps. i had no idea that this was a film w/ peter sellers, where he was nominated for an oscar. need to go rent that NOW)
it was a short (just over 2 hours on audio) book...and it made me laugh and smile the entire time i listened to it.
it basically a satire, turning an eye on how the media, political figures and the rich can be so foolish and fooled. relevant today as it was in the 70's when it was written...
i highly recommend listening to the audio book. it really did make it even better.
(ps. i had no idea that this was a film w/ peter sellers, where he was nominated for an oscar. need to go rent that NOW)
jiddle's review against another edition
4.0
Definitely a more prescient novel in the age of Trump than it was when it was published. Clearly a satirical novel, but one that is all too believable, and even with a somewhat lovable protagonist at the center. Chance's redeeming quality is that he honestly isn't trying to do any harm; in fact, he really doesn't know what he's doing at all. Chance is simply the embodiment of everything he's seen on TV in the package of an intellectually disabled gardener. A great little book.
kris_mccracken's review against another edition
4.0
Although very slight (finished in under three hours), it remains terribly enjoyable. It's aged quite well (better than the film), and reads as surprisingly contemporary. Highly recommended.