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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
3.5 ⭐️ This book is actually about eels. But it’s also about science, philosophy and literature. Also eels r weird
I received a copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Overall, this book was a really solid example of nature writing. It’s a relatively short book but it feels like it’s just the right length, it’s competently written, and enjoyable to read. Svensson certainly chose a good topic for a nature book - it turns out, eels are fascinating! I know, it’s news to me too. I had no interest or knowledge about eeks going into this, but The Gospel of the Eels drew me in and kept me engaged throughout.
Like a lot of nature books recently, Svensson combines two main threads: his memories of childhood experiences eel-fishing with his father in Sweden, and an account of the biology of eels and the history of research into them (especially into the famous mystery of their reproduction). I’ve seen this combination of the scientific and the personal done in plenty of other nature books, but this is definitely one of the most well-executed examples. In particular, I found the father/son dynamics quite sweet and I enjoyed learning about the cultural impacts of eels (e.g. the fact Freud studied them in an attempt to find their reproductive organs)
Overall, this book was a really solid example of nature writing. It’s a relatively short book but it feels like it’s just the right length, it’s competently written, and enjoyable to read. Svensson certainly chose a good topic for a nature book - it turns out, eels are fascinating! I know, it’s news to me too. I had no interest or knowledge about eeks going into this, but The Gospel of the Eels drew me in and kept me engaged throughout.
Like a lot of nature books recently, Svensson combines two main threads: his memories of childhood experiences eel-fishing with his father in Sweden, and an account of the biology of eels and the history of research into them (especially into the famous mystery of their reproduction). I’ve seen this combination of the scientific and the personal done in plenty of other nature books, but this is definitely one of the most well-executed examples. In particular, I found the father/son dynamics quite sweet and I enjoyed learning about the cultural impacts of eels (e.g. the fact Freud studied them in an attempt to find their reproductive organs)
A very slippery tale.
Taking the recommendation from my sister-in-law, I put Eels on reserve at the library. After all, I enjoy both eating unagi and reading well-written nonfiction. Eels is partly the author’s memoir of eel fishing with his father in Sweden and partly natural history. Throughout the telling, the mystery of the eel is explored, if not answered. I learned a lot.
Here’s a sampling.
“To a person not acquainted with the circumstances of the case, it must seem astonishing, and it is certainly somewhat humiliating to men of science, that a fish which is commoner in many parts of the world than any other fish . . . which is daily seen at the market and on the table, has been able in spite of the powerful aid of modern science, to shroud the manner of its propagation, its birth, and its death in darkness, which even to the present day has not been dispelled. There has been an eel question ever since the existence of natural science.”
“No human has ever seen eels reproduce; no one has seen an eel fertilize the eggs of another eel; no one has managed to breed European eels in captivity.”
“We believe mature silver eels swim all the way back to the Sargasso Sea to spawn, that it’s the only place they breed and that none of them leave there alive. We believe it because everything points to its being true and because no one has offered any plausible alternatives…When we say we know the eel procreates in the Sargasso Sea, there are still some essential objections to that statement: (1) No human has ever seen two eels mate. (2) No one has ever seen a mature eel in the Sargasso Sea.”
Author, Patrik Svensson
“We all came from the sea once, and therefore anyone wishing to understand life on this planet has to first understand the sea.”
So many questions, still. And with the world’s eel population decreasing precipitously, how can we save them and perhaps ourselves from extinction if we can’t answer the most basic questions?
In short, I recommend this surprising, enlightening, and very enjoyable read.
Taking the recommendation from my sister-in-law, I put Eels on reserve at the library. After all, I enjoy both eating unagi and reading well-written nonfiction. Eels is partly the author’s memoir of eel fishing with his father in Sweden and partly natural history. Throughout the telling, the mystery of the eel is explored, if not answered. I learned a lot.
Here’s a sampling.
“To a person not acquainted with the circumstances of the case, it must seem astonishing, and it is certainly somewhat humiliating to men of science, that a fish which is commoner in many parts of the world than any other fish . . . which is daily seen at the market and on the table, has been able in spite of the powerful aid of modern science, to shroud the manner of its propagation, its birth, and its death in darkness, which even to the present day has not been dispelled. There has been an eel question ever since the existence of natural science.”
“No human has ever seen eels reproduce; no one has seen an eel fertilize the eggs of another eel; no one has managed to breed European eels in captivity.”
“We believe mature silver eels swim all the way back to the Sargasso Sea to spawn, that it’s the only place they breed and that none of them leave there alive. We believe it because everything points to its being true and because no one has offered any plausible alternatives…When we say we know the eel procreates in the Sargasso Sea, there are still some essential objections to that statement: (1) No human has ever seen two eels mate. (2) No one has ever seen a mature eel in the Sargasso Sea.”
Author, Patrik Svensson
“We all came from the sea once, and therefore anyone wishing to understand life on this planet has to first understand the sea.”
So many questions, still. And with the world’s eel population decreasing precipitously, how can we save them and perhaps ourselves from extinction if we can’t answer the most basic questions?
In short, I recommend this surprising, enlightening, and very enjoyable read.
Åh vilken intressant verk! Jag insåg inte att det var en faktabok när jag först hämtade upp den, och jag brukar sällan läsa faktaböcker men det här var något helt annat. Verkligen inspirerande, som en meditation i närheten av natur och reflektion på mysterium av själva existens. Vem visste att ålen var så mångsidig och gåtfull?..
Very much enjoyed this memoir of a son remembering his father growing up and the unique connection he and his father had to eels along with a history of the species.
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
I enjoyed this book, but I felt like it was more a story of his life than about eels itself. I was thinking I would maybe learn more about eels. But I am glad I read it!
informative
slow-paced
This was a very interesting read. I learned a lot about eels and the history of learning about and studying them. I really enjoyed the memoir bits and I wish we got a bit more of that. I thought the chapters specifically about the history of studying the eel dragged a bit and could've been a bit shorter. Overall, I did enjoy reading this and I'm glad I picked it up!
adventurous
informative
sad
medium-paced
I knew, vaguely, that there are things we don't know about eels-- I didn't know how deep those mysteries go, or-- more notably-- how far people have gone to try to solve them. I picked this up because I was craving a deep dive on some niche topic I didn't know much about, and this fit the bill pretty clearly.
This is a fascinating take on the history of the eel, the history of studying the eel, and the different ways it has intersected with all sorts of other disciplines and events-- from psychiatry to royalty to cooking to economics. And through it all, the eel remains elusive-- incomprehensible-- a little bit magical in its refusal to be understood. Honestly, admirable. I want an eel's willpower.
It's not a light read, I will say-- the history of overfishing and the effects of climate change are discussed in depth. It's also a memoir about the author's family life, growing up fishing for eels with his father-- and this story, too, has its difficult chapters. It has to, of course, because that's the truth. But it's worth going into it ready to hear that.
But your reward for steeling yourself will be the urge to grab everyone you encounter and tell them ALL about eels... whether they like it or not... and I'm gonna be honest that's the feeling I was chasing here.
This is a fascinating take on the history of the eel, the history of studying the eel, and the different ways it has intersected with all sorts of other disciplines and events-- from psychiatry to royalty to cooking to economics. And through it all, the eel remains elusive-- incomprehensible-- a little bit magical in its refusal to be understood. Honestly, admirable. I want an eel's willpower.
It's not a light read, I will say-- the history of overfishing and the effects of climate change are discussed in depth. It's also a memoir about the author's family life, growing up fishing for eels with his father-- and this story, too, has its difficult chapters. It has to, of course, because that's the truth. But it's worth going into it ready to hear that.
But your reward for steeling yourself will be the urge to grab everyone you encounter and tell them ALL about eels... whether they like it or not... and I'm gonna be honest that's the feeling I was chasing here.
Some inaccuracies regarding the European eel’s life cycle in the first chapter