Reviews with content warning for Suicide - When Breath Becomes Air

Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

34 reviews

thewordsdevourer's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

meditative and powerful, when breath becomes air journeys kalanithi's confrontation with his own close mortality, bringing to ironic physical fruition his lifelong reflection on life and death.

detailing his time in med school, the subsequent residency, and his diagnosis and treatment, kalanithi weaves the tale of a man in the unwanted yet unique position of being both a doctor and a patient, providing a rare POV of being on both sides of medical care. the memoir is seeped w/ an undercurrent of calm and mulling, all held tgt by kalanithi's poignant writing. im v glad that he's written and left this book as part of his legacy.

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caitlincurran's review against another edition

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challenging emotional fast-paced

5.0

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readandfindout's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

On first read in 2017: This has to be one of my favorite non-fiction books of all time now. I often find that, though I will enjoy a memoir, it doesn't really resonate with me. But this certainly did.

The entire time that I was reading this book, I was noting the similarities between my thinking and Paul's. I wish that we had been able to meet, because I think we could have had some very interesting discussions about mortality and meaning. I also found myself awed by his integrity, throughout his life as well as when he was facing death.

On 2023 reread

Overall rating: 4.75 stars

Style/writing: 4.5 stars
Themes: 5 stars
Perspective: 5 stars

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fynn_jls's review

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emotional inspiring medium-paced

5.0

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parasolcrafter's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

5.0

i needed a good chunk of time to let this book sit with me because it was soooo impactful, and much more than i had prepared myself for. its just...living in its rawest state; learning to know a man in his own words as he comes to terms with his life in the past, present, but not future as hes very quickly dying...its a lot to read about but Paul Kalanithi had such a way with words and for that many people will always be grateful to him and he'll always be remembered. i wish the best to his family 💖

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puterica's review against another edition

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emotional informative sad medium-paced

5.0

Banyak istilah kedokteran yang kurang bisa dipahami, tapi secara keseluruhan narasi dari Paul udah enak bgt utk diikuti. Buku ini ngingetin aku sm banyak hal yg seharusnya aku prioritasin. And im bawlinh my eyes out reading the epilogue😭

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