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A review by erine
Fathoms: The World in the Whale by Rebecca Giggs
4.0
I found the pacing uneven, the language incredibly flowery, and the topic deeply depressing. All that being said, this book had some kind of way about it: I found myself distressed and horrified into self-reflection. You know those books or documentaries people tell you not to watch if you want to keep eating meat? I would say don't read this if you want to keep using plastic, at least in the volumes you currently make use of.
But for all that, I enjoyed reading this. I learned a lot, and I really appreciated the way Gibbs draws connections between whales and humans, throughout history. She brought a depth and nuance to the topic, and a respect for the creatures of the world that reminded me of [a:Sy Montgomery|13364|Sy Montgomery|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1530470075p2/13364.jpg] or [a:Aimee Nezhukumatathil|207022|Aimee Nezhukumatathil|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1611444279p2/207022.jpg]. This was simply full of interesting and thoughtful tidbits and had a fascinating way of looking at the world.
Honestly, my biggest irritation is the lack of footnotes -- there are abundant resources listed, but no real way to figure out which fact comes from which resource. If I was curious about a particular point (and I was), I could not go back to its source. I found this incredibly unfortunate, and this is what knocked a star off the review. The uneven pacing was manageable, the flowery language somewhat compensated for the tragedy and horror within, and the depressing topic reflects reality and so would never merit a poor review.
Took me right back to fifth grade and our Voyage of the Mimi days. Whales continue to fascinate, and Gibbs fully examines why they are so intriguing, and how humans have both helped and hurt the global whale populations (sometimes at the same time). A satisfying read.
But for all that, I enjoyed reading this. I learned a lot, and I really appreciated the way Gibbs draws connections between whales and humans, throughout history. She brought a depth and nuance to the topic, and a respect for the creatures of the world that reminded me of [a:Sy Montgomery|13364|Sy Montgomery|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1530470075p2/13364.jpg] or [a:Aimee Nezhukumatathil|207022|Aimee Nezhukumatathil|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1611444279p2/207022.jpg]. This was simply full of interesting and thoughtful tidbits and had a fascinating way of looking at the world.
Honestly, my biggest irritation is the lack of footnotes -- there are abundant resources listed, but no real way to figure out which fact comes from which resource. If I was curious about a particular point (and I was), I could not go back to its source. I found this incredibly unfortunate, and this is what knocked a star off the review. The uneven pacing was manageable, the flowery language somewhat compensated for the tragedy and horror within, and the depressing topic reflects reality and so would never merit a poor review.
Took me right back to fifth grade and our Voyage of the Mimi days. Whales continue to fascinate, and Gibbs fully examines why they are so intriguing, and how humans have both helped and hurt the global whale populations (sometimes at the same time). A satisfying read.