Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
A little more autobiographical than I was expecting. I wished it had dug a little deeper into the science of things, but I did really appreciate the analysis of the Eel as a myth, a symbol, and a reflection of human fears. The anecdotes about insanely old eels were both funny and sad, what an amazing creature. Super light and quick read, felt like it ran out of content towards the last quarter. Excerpt about Stellars Sea Cows was gutting.
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Overall an ok read. I enjoyed the eel facts and some of the dad stories, but something was missing from this for me. Much like the mating habits of the eel, I can’t quite seem to figure it out.
I also didn’t anticipate feeling quite as sad as I did at the end of this… is it me, or is it the general existential weight of knowing we’re killing the planet and everyone I love is going to die someday?
Maybe Patrik and Emily Austin would make good friends.
I also didn’t anticipate feeling quite as sad as I did at the end of this… is it me, or is it the general existential weight of knowing we’re killing the planet and everyone I love is going to die someday?
Maybe Patrik and Emily Austin would make good friends.
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
The narrator had a british accent and the information on eels wasn’t very interesting
The Book of Eels by Patrik Svensson is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in late April.
Through watching either Animal Planet’s The Aquarium or any number of Asian cooking shows on streaming media, I’ve been seeing a fair amount of eels, so, basically, this book is catching me at a good time. Originally published in Sweden, it reached way back into eels' primordial evolution, then its place in Greek philosophy, 18th, 19th, 20th century eco science paired with Svensson’s simple stories of fishing with their father, as well as fishermen who work or fish recreationally off the coast of Sweden. It also goes into cultural interpretation, anthropomorphic theory, and the threat of water pollution, overfishing, and global warming.
Through watching either Animal Planet’s The Aquarium or any number of Asian cooking shows on streaming media, I’ve been seeing a fair amount of eels, so, basically, this book is catching me at a good time. Originally published in Sweden, it reached way back into eels' primordial evolution, then its place in Greek philosophy, 18th, 19th, 20th century eco science paired with Svensson’s simple stories of fishing with their father, as well as fishermen who work or fish recreationally off the coast of Sweden. It also goes into cultural interpretation, anthropomorphic theory, and the threat of water pollution, overfishing, and global warming.
informative
medium-paced
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
Truly good book about way more than just eels that made me tear up at the end. A journey throughout scientific history focused around the eel and the personalities that were enchanted by it. Very big recommendation from me.
informative
reflective
slow-paced
This is essentially a tale of two books, one about eels—their lifestyles, biology, history, etc.—and the other about the author’s relationship to them. I like both books; quite a bit, even. The science side is very accessible, perhaps overly so, and succeeds in providing a tourist’s summary of these strange creatures, which is exactly what I wanted when I picked the book up. The memoir side is just as well-written, and features more nostalgic sincerity and ruminations than I expected. My hang-up is the spotty connective tissue Svensson uses to bridge the gap between those two books. His attempts at tying a familial memory to a scientific factoid can be flimsy, especially in the latter half where he seems to exhaust the conversation on eels. I began feeling impatient when Svensson started looping in stories of other creatures to further a point I felt he had already made pretty clearly.
It might read like a paper that was stretched into a book, but it’s still a solid read, with interesting takeaways about eels themselves and how our lives and hearts intermingle with the natural world. I’m glad I read it.