The Little Voice

Full disclosure: The author sent me an email requesting a review. I purchased the book rather than be indebted to him for a free copy so this review is as objective as I can make it.

Short review: It's a good book. It's short, set with large type, is easy and quick to read. Author's prose overuses similes but after a while you stop noticing them. It may be autobiographical to some extent and I am not one to disparage another person's life journey, so I would only say that this is a very believable story which has points of contact with the despair so readily seen in modern society. The main character's descent into hell and his "salvation" from it has many parallels among people I have known. The book never rises (intentionally, I imagine) above the level of commentary. It offers no solutions and posits no explanations for the way things are. If the main point is that we are to "get educated", this book only offers anecdotes about what's involved in doing so. But, it is worth the read.

Longer review: Sheldon's work fits into the same genre as Camus' "The Stranger", Gaarder's "Sophie's World", and Pirsig's "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance." It is in that genre, but it is not in the same league as those works. The question of "person-hood" as related to "authenticity" is a perennial human dilemma. Sheldon's character feels the weight of imposed social "expectations" on him. He is caught between wanting to "be" the person his teachers, his parents, his bosses desire and reward, and "being" that person, whoever it is, that is truly him.

Sheldon falls short in one critical area. His universal opinion is that the character shaping nature of social structures is oppressive and tyrannical. He reverts back to the 60's hippie culture and rails against "the man." OK... social structures do act in such a way as to reward conformity and punish non-conformity to social norms. That is inherent in the idea of human social structures period. Some societies may be more tyrannical than others... some may be so loose as to appear chaotic... but, when it comes right down to it, whether it is a free-floating hippie commune or a fascist state, there are acceptable norms for maintaining community in each. Violations of those norms have consequences. I think Sheldon's character, at the end, where he is living in acceptable solitude but yet "missing" the society of people, begins to recognize this.

The Greeks called it "paideia" and it was the purpose of education. A young person was supposed to be "shaped", both morally, intellectually and spiritually toward the goal of an ideal citizen in the city-state. Society, civilization itself, is dependent on this process. It cannot be abandoned if society is to be maintained. If a community is so open that every individual listened to the "little voice" inside of them and acted as that impulsive voice exhorted them to do, then there would be blood on the streets as well as frenetic bonding in impulsive movements that has more in common with lemmings rushing toward a cliff than true human freedom. Sheldon's character gives us a taste of this when he joins the radical revolution and finds himself destroying property leading to a few days behind bars. The difference between freedom and liberty is the difference between desire and acceptability. What Sheldon needs to address is to what degree is civilization the pathway by which man becomes "noble" while at the same time that pathway by which man is denied his individuality and rendered "faceless." Sheldon focuses only on that "negative" force (which is always present in any social structure) and never awakens his character to the possibility of the other end of the spectrum.

It is too easy, as I see in so many young rebels, to reject all restraint and coercion in the mistaken belief that some "Walden Pond-ish", get back to nature, become one with the universe dynamic, will smooth away all our chains and with the sounding chorus of "Alle Menschen" ringing in our ears we can skip and jump and sing with the birds in blissful harmony and with all creation and with each other. It works for individuals... it doesn't work for a social order. The American journey is replete with Mountain Men and Traders and Hermits, fleeing to the wilderness, living in splendid seclusion and a fierce, suspicious rejection of strangers and community. Their life stories are mirrors of Sheldon's character. But, and this important to note, the Native Americans who lived in that same natural setting, lived violent lives filled with wars on other tribes and predatory claims on food and property. Getting back to nature and living in the freedom to do whatever you want to do whenever you desire to do it, works OK in solitary.... once you add another human to the mix... well, it's right back to that whole "rules" thing. Yew Shodkin (Sheldon's character), if this is a primarily fiction work, could have achieved true freedom if he had been allowed to discover, that the highest freedom that man can gain, is that in which he voluntarily and willing lays down his life (including lesser freedoms) for another... or for others. True freedom is to embrace restrictions on ourselves.

Still... criticism aside... it's a good book. Take up and read.

The very beginning of the book starts with a quote from a song called "Get Educated" by the rap/hip-hop performer Akala. Personally, found that really stimulating as a background to the whole story. Just play it! Do not want to recall all the information from the book and paraphrase it in here, so I would simply share my impressions.
The book has thirty short chapters and an epilogue. Yew Shodkin, the major character and the storyteller, shares the major episodes of his life, from being a child to becoming a mature adult. The author's style is clear, straight and understandable, which in my view, makes it available to a vast audience of readers. Additionally, the experiences that Yew goes through are particular to the character himself. Meanwhile, they are painfully down to earth, which is what actually makes the book great and fascinating. Not many writers have the ability to make readers associate themselves with the fictional character. The algorithm of experiences might be different for each individual, but the aim of it all is the pursuit of happiness. This is what is all about. The everlasting clash between conformity and rebellion, individual and society, hedonism and self-restraint, widespread acceptance and self-rejection, material contempt and spiritual transcendence. The character's inner-self transitions from an 'egot' to a 'battle cry', turning into a 'little voice' that eventually disappears and gives way to a free self. The author communicates his wisdom and insights through numerous quotes of Lao Tzu plus psychological concepts and experiments.
All in all, that is a brilliant read for anybody who feels underrated, stuck, alienated, apathetic or just want to feel a sense of belonging.
Enjoy it!

A very good novel about not following the herd and being a conformist, and listening to the still small voice within. It quotes some interesting psychology studies as well that reveal the truth about our human nature. I hope he sales a lot of copies because it's a novel but with an important message about being yourself and not conforming to everyone else's point of view and finding one's own personal strengths.

This book tells the story of a white middle-class male, Yew Shodkin, from childhood to adulthood. It is a riches to rags to riches or coming of age sort of piece, wherein the main character enjoys the freedoms of childhood, but then becomes entrapped and frustrated by feelings of enforced conformity in late childhood and on into adulthood. Yew is stricken by low self-esteem, and consequently makes poor choices as he goes through life, particularly regarding friends and employment; and this eventually sees him succumb to depression, followed by a series of activities, including activism and drug use, designed to reignite the feelings of freedom that he remembers from his youth. A near-fatal overdose causes him to cross paths with a nurse-come-personal saviour, who shows him how to recapture his inner-child in its now-adult form, and to follow an alternate path to [alleged] happiness. It is a simple, not particularly novel plot. However it has the potential to convey important philosophical ideas regarding life, education, and how to retain individuality in actions and spirit in a world that rigorously imposes conformity.

This is a difficult style to master, and unfortunately, I did not feel that the book lived up to its potential. Rather than making his point using engaging narrative and nuance, which would have the ideas arise organically out of the main character, the author rather heavy-handedly imposes moral authority upon the reader. A more effective method may be to allow the reader to discover the main points by way of the character’s discovery of himself.

I did not feel that Yew was convincing as a regular person. These are everyday common themes, and yet the character reports them as though they are unique to him, like he is sharing some fantastical series of situations that could only happen to him. Consequently, the work does not entertain multiple points of view, much less attempt to evaluate them, except in the most superficial way. Making common cause with the audience may have been a more useful approach, as it would have made the character much more convincing. Also, I felt that the addition of more than one developed character may have been useful in this respect, as it would have given more robust dialogue and aided in further development of the main character as well as different perspectives.

The main character is self-centred and self-righteous, and conveys the opinions and values of others somewhat pretentiously. This is fine, as it is the writer’s prerogative to make his main character whatever he likes. However, the narrative construction unfortunately made the main character seem strikingly similar to what one might imagine the author to be. This is particularly evident in the incessant narrative interruptions/asides for lessons in Taoism and incorrectly interpreted pop psychology that litter the book, notably not to its benefit. Thus, because the division between author and main (only) character is not maintained, the book is uncomfortably autobiographical to the reader; and rather than telling a story, the book appears as a catalogue of the author’s values and opinions. There may have been some merit in the author backing away slightly from his convictions, in order to let the narrative flow from the main character more effectively/convincingly. I feel that such an approach would have been more effective, giving rise to a more mature narrative structure that would engage and instruct, and perhaps even enlighten, the reader.

Thus, although full of potential, The Little Voice was too preachy and lacked the maturity of literary style necessary to engage me and convey the message the author desired.

This book tells the story of a white middle-class male, Yew Shodkin, from childhood to adulthood. It is a riches to rags to riches or coming of age sort of piece, wherein the main character enjoys the freedoms of childhood, but then becomes entrapped and frustrated by feelings of enforced conformity in late childhood and on into adulthood. Yew is stricken by low self-esteem, and consequently makes poor choices as he goes through life, particularly regarding friends and employment; and this eventually sees him succumb to depression, followed by a series of activities, including activism and drug use, designed to reignite the feelings of freedom that he remembers from his youth. A near-fatal overdose causes him to cross paths with a nurse-come-personal saviour, who shows him how to recapture his inner-child in its now-adult form, and to follow an alternate path to [alleged] happiness. It is a simple, not particularly novel plot. However it has the potential to convey important philosophical ideas regarding life, education, and how to retain individuality in actions and spirit in a world that rigorously imposes conformity.

This is a difficult style to master, and unfortunately, I did not feel that the book lived up to its potential. Rather than making his point using engaging narrative and nuance, which would have the ideas arise organically out of the main character, the author rather heavy-handedly imposes moral authority upon the reader. A more effective method may be to allow the reader to discover the main points by way of the character’s discovery of himself.

I did not feel that Yew was convincing as a regular person. These are everyday common themes, and yet the character reports them as though they are unique to him, like he is sharing some fantastical series of situations that could only happen to him. Consequently, the work does not entertain multiple points of view, much less attempt to evaluate them, except in the most superficial way. Making common cause with the audience may have been a more useful approach, as it would have made the character much more convincing. Also, I felt that the addition of more than one developed character may have been useful in this respect, as it would have given more robust dialogue and aided in further development of the main character as well as different perspectives.

The main character is self-centred and self-righteous, and conveys the opinions and values of others somewhat pretentiously. This is fine, as it is the writer’s prerogative to make his main character whatever he likes. However, the narrative construction unfortunately made the main character seem strikingly similar to what one might imagine the author to be. This is particularly evident in the incessant narrative interruptions/asides for lessons in Taoism and incorrectly interpreted pop psychology that litter the book, notably not to its benefit. Thus, because the division between author and main (only) character is not maintained, the book is uncomfortably autobiographical to the reader; and rather than telling a story, the book appears as a catalogue of the author’s values and opinions. There may have been some merit in the author backing away slightly from his convictions, in order to let the narrative flow from the main character more effectively/convincingly. I feel that such an approach would have been more effective, giving rise to a more mature narrative structure that would engage and instruct, and perhaps even enlighten, the reader.

Thus, although full of potential, The Little Voice was too preachy and lacked the maturity of literary style necessary to engage me and convey the message the author desired.

When I started this book I was hoping for something that would open my eyes a little bit and change the way I view things and maybe even the way I think about things, but all it did was make me think the author needs professional help.

He goes through his life story starting when he has a young boy in school talking about how he didn't want to sit still in class and a creature inside of his head told him to misbehave and do things like throw chairs across classrooms and look up girls skirts, and yet he couldn't seem to understand why his teachers/parents did not approve of this behavior. It was infuriating at times and just whiny at others. If you can suffer though this phase of the book, you get to his young adult life, which is a less eye-roll inducing portion where he talks about not being satisfied in the various jobs he takes and his relationships with co-workers. As a college student I was especially angered by the part in this book where he complains that his parents did not thank him for going to school and going to school for free I might add (he says his father paid for all of his schooling including living expenses). If anyone paid for my schooling I definitely would not then be expecting them to thank me for the mere fact of attending!

The character in this book came off to me as a self-entitled brat that wanted to do whatever he wanted to do and for society to pay for him to do it and praise him. I think he was trying to compare societal expectations to the reality that not everyone fits in to the "norm," but there are far better ways he could have gone about doing this rather than complain that he had to follow rules such as "don't look up girls skirts."

One positive I can say is that this book does move along at a steady pace, so as to keep things changing and not lose the reader in boredom or irritation.

Sophomoric and pedantic at same time. I realize it has high praise from some smart people but it fell far short of literature for me.

I couldnt get through it. It seemed like such a contrived attempt at something creative and abstract, yet it kept on hitting one single note over and over, sentence after sentence. When i realized there wouldn’t be anything new or interesting developing, I let it go and sent it back. Thankfully, Amazon accepted my return request.

"The Little Voice," not a great title. It didn't really make me want to read it but I got a free copy so I did.

At first I was pleasantly surprised. The creature generating the little voice, called an egot, was interesting although I did find its description to be somewhat nauseating. I wondered if we were looking at the early stages of schizophrenia, which is a topic I have great interest in. The child in whose brain the egot lives, acts out erratically based on suggestions the egot makes. This has profound effects on his relationships with everyone in his life. Finally he squashes and kills the egot in his effort to fit into society. This also kills his uniqueness and creativity. Over time he loses all sense of self but continues to strive for the thrill he had experienced as a child. His life devolves into pointlessness with him finally ending up as a hermit living in the woods.

I loved the insertion of psychological theories and quotations. Some of these were new to me and very appropriate to the story.
There are a couple of things I didn't like about the book. The first and most obvious is that as the main character, Yew, felt his life was worthless, I began to feel the same thing about reading the book. At the beginning, I thought we were going somewhere with this, but it turned out we weren't. There was no deep insight or revelation. That would be okay if it were a fun read, but I did not find it so.

The second issue I had was with the long-winded descriptions of Yew's experience of his moments of exhilaration. The first couple of times this was okay, after a while it became tedious.

Perhaps the book was just not my cup of tea. Your experience may vary.

Joss Sheldon, with his novella The Little Voice: a Rebellious Novel, has offered us quite a send-up of a certain class of society, those individuals who are immersed in self-help books, who are constantly “studying” philosophy, and who are always searching for “self.” Sheldon tells of Yew Godkin, and in a brisk 150 pages or so, we follow Yew from his childhood years to his adulthood. We see the young Yew yearning to break free from the confines of the restraints his teachers and parents have placed upon him. As he ages, we follow his attempts at making a meaningful life—grasping onto anything that will enlighten him or expand his consciousness or advance his career path. And along the way, we are treated to endless quotes from the philosopher Lao Tsu and eventually learn why Yew is obsessed with him. The author, with this satire, has cast us as the main character. Yew=You. Get it? And he does a fine job of pointing out just how meaningless we can make our lives while searching for meaning. My biggest criticism is the epilogue. It is in this passage that author Sheldon spells out for us just what he has been trying to say. I believe he made his point quite well in the narrative. No explanation is necessary. And for those readers with some depth of thinking, that epilogue is almost insulting. But not quite. This is a good little book, full of humor.