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A review by bookitalum
Cunk on Everything: The Encyclopedia Philomena by Philomena Cunk
4.0
Many sincere thanks to NetGalley, Hachette Audio, and Grand Central Publishing for an ARC of this audio book in exchange for an honest review. This book is an irreverently funny “encyclopedia” by Philomena Cunk. Or, as she describes it, “A helpful guide to the universe, but written by someone you trust.” This book is a natural extension of Diane Morgan’s comedy, so if you’re a fan of the clips you’ve seen on TikTok you should definitely give this a read. As usual, nothing is off limits. So, if you’re particularly sensitive about religion, politics, or the shape of the earth, you’d better steer clear. For me, the humor was on point. American audiences should be prepared for the characteristic dry, British wit, and several jokes that will go over your head. Fear not, there are boat loads of jokes for everyone. As I’ve come to expect from Philomena, I appreciated the insights into controversial topics. For example, on climate change she offers, “Not everyone thinks climate change is real. This hot topic has split the science community right down the middle 90/10.” She shared timely information on plagues, “Statistically, the only way to protect your partner from the Black Death was to die yourself.” And very technical information in the field of astrophysics, “Scientists know black holes are there because when they ask for money to study them nobody tells them to fu*k off.”
In terms of criticisms, some of the content was a repetition of previous material. Fortunately, it wasn’t excessive or problematic, just something I noticed. I did notice a glaring missed opportunity in the discussion of DNA. I kept waiting for a shout out to Rosalind Franklin, but alas this encyclopedia was equally as incomplete as every other by crediting Watson and Crick. (What the heck, Cunk?!)
In terms of audio adaptation, Morgan as Cunk is a spectacular narrator. I’m confident the audio experience surpassed a print-only reading of the book. The production quality is fantastic and exactly what I would hope/expect. No qualms or complaints.
Overall, stellar! I really enjoyed this and highly recommend it!
Finally, I’ll leave you with an excerpt from my favorite entry: END OF THE WORLD, THE. “Predicting the end of the world is tricky and you’re best leaving it to the experts. Probably the biggest experts are the Jehovah’s Witnesses who’ve predicted the end of the world in 1914, 1915, 1918, 1920, 1925, 1941, 1975, 1994, and 1997. So they’re getting really good at it.”
In terms of criticisms, some of the content was a repetition of previous material. Fortunately, it wasn’t excessive or problematic, just something I noticed. I did notice a glaring missed opportunity in the discussion of DNA. I kept waiting for a shout out to Rosalind Franklin, but alas this encyclopedia was equally as incomplete as every other by crediting Watson and Crick. (What the heck, Cunk?!)
In terms of audio adaptation, Morgan as Cunk is a spectacular narrator. I’m confident the audio experience surpassed a print-only reading of the book. The production quality is fantastic and exactly what I would hope/expect. No qualms or complaints.
Overall, stellar! I really enjoyed this and highly recommend it!
Finally, I’ll leave you with an excerpt from my favorite entry: END OF THE WORLD, THE. “Predicting the end of the world is tricky and you’re best leaving it to the experts. Probably the biggest experts are the Jehovah’s Witnesses who’ve predicted the end of the world in 1914, 1915, 1918, 1920, 1925, 1941, 1975, 1994, and 1997. So they’re getting really good at it.”