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annoyance's review against another edition
5.0
I listened to this on audiobook. Caitlin's voice is as wonderful as her story. I loved hearing her tales "from behind the black curtain" and her experiences with her own near-death, witnessing death, and caring for the dead. She maintains a friendly tone like she's telling you over coffee various stories she knows but brings in the research of other cultures, methods, and how they see death and how it can influence or has influenced our own death culture. The book was fascinating and I'm so glad I experienced it.
autumnrook's review against another edition
5.0
A must read for anyone needing answers about what happens when we die, or planning their own funeral arrangements.
cinnamonandsoy's review against another edition
5.0
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes was recommended to me by a friend who likes the weird, aimless books I always love and I'm grateful she pointed me in the direction to this one. Doughty's writing is engaging and hilarious, making the subject matter easier to absorb. I didn't know what to expect given how funny she starts off but the tone becomes serious very quickly in some sections. This book is heavy and graphic. Doughty accurately and bluntly describes decaying corpses and the guttural shrieks from grieving families. She mentioned the thin line between despair and joy you feel when you're in a line of business that deals so closely with death and how that changes your view of your own life. She did this respectfully and she was honest about her failures and disappointments.
The only problem I generally have with non-fiction is that there is a dump of useful, interesting information.... and then the book ends. It's uncommon for a story arc to be so engaging when reading about a regular person's life and what they think you should know about the job they do. Halfway through the book I felt I had a better understanding about my culture's relationship with death as well as my own fears and beliefs. Doughty is a modern hero for nature and living in reality. What I didn't expect was at the end for shit to get real. Without giving any spoilers, the last third of Smoke Gets in Your Eyes becomes a hero's journey for every 20-30 something who is grappling with harsh realities and trying to get by. She brings it all together and leaves you feeling hopeful for a future that is guaranteed to end with you and everyone you love dying.
Note to my family- please cremate me if I die before you. The idea of being pickled and displayed in the wrong shade of lipstick is sickening to me. Thank you, Caitlin Doughty for giving me the resources to make an educated decision I would probably never have thought about.
The only problem I generally have with non-fiction is that there is a dump of useful, interesting information.... and then the book ends. It's uncommon for a story arc to be so engaging when reading about a regular person's life and what they think you should know about the job they do. Halfway through the book I felt I had a better understanding about my culture's relationship with death as well as my own fears and beliefs. Doughty is a modern hero for nature and living in reality. What I didn't expect was at the end for shit to get real. Without giving any spoilers, the last third of Smoke Gets in Your Eyes becomes a hero's journey for every 20-30 something who is grappling with harsh realities and trying to get by. She brings it all together and leaves you feeling hopeful for a future that is guaranteed to end with you and everyone you love dying.
Note to my family- please cremate me if I die before you. The idea of being pickled and displayed in the wrong shade of lipstick is sickening to me. Thank you, Caitlin Doughty for giving me the resources to make an educated decision I would probably never have thought about.
hellabellaofficial's review against another edition
5.0
This book reveals how death is not pretty. Nor should mourning be quiet. Bodies shouldn’t be shuffled away and hidden from families. Death should be fully acknowledged because if forces the living to face their own mortality in a way that might make them change the way they live their life. The book divulges how the funeral industry plays us all for suckers, something most of us already know. It also does a good job of showing us how to avoid that. Planning your death ahead of time is morbid, but it’s the best thing you can do if you want your family to focus on mourning instead of planning what outfit you’ll be wearing to your grave. Caitlin has an amazing writing voice that is dark, dorky, and truly sensitive of the needs of others. She tells personal stories of her life before being a mortician that help you understand why she would choose the field to work in. I have a deep respect for anyone working in the death industry. It is a job that faces you to see the worst parts of people in grave detail that stays in your mind and sometimes on your clothes long after you’ve gone home for the day.
maxerblaster's review against another edition
3.0
Well written and interesting but very judgemental of people who didnt have a funeral the way the author approves of. I dont think people in mourning should be judged so harshly for saying goodbye to loved ones the way that helps them get through it.
lizmarcobello's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
andreads12's review against another edition
4.0
3.5-very funny but didn’t quite pack the punch I was looking for