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Reviews tagging 'Medical content'
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty
96 reviews
mirandaleighhhh's review against another edition
4.0
It was also pretty gross! But no grosser, I think, than being alive and having a body. I was surprised to hear that there are death industry "secrets" - WHY? I whole-heartedly agree that the stark separation we have from death in the modern day is a tragic disservice to us all. This book reminded me that I am a person and an animal and part of the earth, and I have a place in it all both in life and in death. I look forward to reading more of Doughty's work.
I didn't love the way she spoke about individuals who have died by suicide, but I don't think it was malicious and I did not get the impression that she is insensitive or uncaring - more the opposite. She is both giving it to us straight and weaving in her own anxieties surrounding death.
"In this way, my body's decomposition would also be a banquet. My corpse would not be a disgusting source of corruption, but a source of life, dispensing molecules and creating new creatures. It would be the finest acknowledgement that I was but one tiny cog in the ecosystems wheel. A blip in the majestic workings of the natural world. We all know how this story turned out. In spite of my fear of living, I chose not to die."
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Medical content
inthemoonlight's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Medical content, Car accident, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Suicide attempt and Cannibalism
angorarabbit's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Child death, Drug abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Suicide, Dementia, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Car accident
Graphic descriptions of the process of cremation, embalming, and other funeral practices.pandaintheshelves's review against another edition
5.0
A girl always remembers the first corpse she shaves. It's like a virginity, your first time is awkward, you're not really sure what to do, and it's over before you know it. But with each subsequent corpse, you learn a little more, make fewer mistakes, and figure out how to find pleasure in the little things
This is one of the best first lines I've ever read 😅
If someone had told me a month ago that a non-fiction book would make me laugh and cry to the same extent, I wouldn’t have believed them.
I wish this author were my professor because she made learning about end-of-life rituals and customs fun without being disrespectful or emotionally detached.
Brace yourself, this is not for the faint of heart. It also may be particularly difficult for people who've experienced a recent loss ⚠️ Be mindful of your mental health and check the content warnings, please. That's the most important thing 🙏
Graphic: Medical content, Suicide, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Child death and Cannibalism
veeples's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Child death, Grief, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Car accident, Dementia, Abortion, Cancer, and Cannibalism
iloponis's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Death, Medical content, and Gore
finnickdeservedbetter's review against another edition
5.0
Themes
• Death positivity and death plans
• The American/western Death industry
• Confronting the fear of death
• Death practices
My Thoughts:
Baby's (23yo's) first memior!
I was already familiar with Caitlin prior to reading this. Both through her YouTube videos and having read her other two novels.
Favourite Quote:
Graphic: Grief, Death, and Child death
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide
Minor: Medical content, Blood, Miscarriage, and Death of parent
harrimyers's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Death, Medical content, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Blood, Cancer, Terminal illness, Child death, and Dementia
Moderate: Alcoholism, Car accident, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Addiction, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Miscarriage, and Fatphobia
Minor: Cultural appropriation and Colonisation
alicroz34's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Medical content, Child death, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Excrement, Blood, Addiction, Miscarriage, Dementia, Cannibalism, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Racial slurs, Addiction, Sexism, Racism, and Misogyny
oranpeppermint's review against another edition
5.0
As Kafka said the meaning of life is that it ends.
Graphic: Medical content and Death