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justworm's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
an incredible reflection on humanity’s relationship with the eel, and what it means to the author specifically
cindypepper's review against another edition
4.0
(3.5 stars, rounded up to 4)
A charming, quirky read that is truly a memoir in a book-of-eel's clothing. It reminded me a little bit of H is for Hawk: meditative and introspective, with an animal species and familial grief as the lens for reflection. I did learn a lot about eels (I read this around Thanksgiving and was very surprised to find that eels were thiiiisclose to becoming turkey as we know it today!), and the different histories that Svensson chooses to explore (Aristotle, Freud, Schmidt) are quite fascinating. The book does tend to bop around a memoir, different historical moments involving eels, and philosophical surmising of the inscrutable nature of the eel -- perhaps in the same slippery nature of an eel! -- but it is a short enough read that the constant zigzagging of chapters shouldn't hamper the enjoyment of the book.
A charming, quirky read that is truly a memoir in a book-of-eel's clothing. It reminded me a little bit of H is for Hawk: meditative and introspective, with an animal species and familial grief as the lens for reflection. I did learn a lot about eels (I read this around Thanksgiving and was very surprised to find that eels were thiiiisclose to becoming turkey as we know it today!), and the different histories that Svensson chooses to explore (Aristotle, Freud, Schmidt) are quite fascinating. The book does tend to bop around a memoir, different historical moments involving eels, and philosophical surmising of the inscrutable nature of the eel -- perhaps in the same slippery nature of an eel! -- but it is a short enough read that the constant zigzagging of chapters shouldn't hamper the enjoyment of the book.
zaina90's review against another edition
5.0
Part memoir, part natural history. This book was beautiful, I didn’t think I’d like it, but I loved it.
pronkbaggins's review against another edition
3.0
3.0/5.0 stars
This was a good read, but again I am not a huge nonfiction person. I thought this book was going to be kind of a cold, hard look at the biological facts behind the eel. Instead, it is a book that centers around eels, but also weaves in the author's personal history, world history, and philosophy. I learned a bit, but overall it just was not what I expected. That is not to say it is not good!
This was a good read, but again I am not a huge nonfiction person. I thought this book was going to be kind of a cold, hard look at the biological facts behind the eel. Instead, it is a book that centers around eels, but also weaves in the author's personal history, world history, and philosophy. I learned a bit, but overall it just was not what I expected. That is not to say it is not good!
noxdawn7's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
mokydo's review against another edition
5.0
learned a lot about eels and bothered my friends for like 2 weeks with eel facts as a result. i do love niche knowledge
cloudss's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
3.5
literary review of eel in novels/literature very fun. 🤢🤢 freud. little snippets of swedish history interesting