Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller

84 reviews

youngwessels's review

informative medium-paced

3.25

The chapters revolving around David Starr Jordan are a compelling look into a deeply troubled person’s experiences but the chapters revolving around Lulu Miller’s own life are just a sloggish look into a slightly less troubled person’s experiences.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Ableism, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, and Murder

erikamtini's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Ableism, Body horror, and Death

Moderate: Rape

booksareoxygen's review

informative reflective medium-paced

3.5

I don’t normally read biographies or autobiographies, but we picked this one to read as a pair! I enjoyed the interspersed narratives, which felt like watching the author explore portions of their lives, and themselves, through their relationship with David Starr Jordan. While I enjoyed the delve into human complexity, it was  interesting that nuance was offered to Jordan’s career and the inherent writing out of others, when that same discretion wasn’t extended to Charles Darwin, especially with the acknowledged contributions of Alfred Russel Wallace. Perhaps this was outside the scope of this discourse. It is a nice conversation starter, especially when it comes to one of my favorite ice breaker questions: Who has, or has had, a formative impact on you? 3.5/5 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization and Suicidal thoughts

mirto's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny informative inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

If I could give this 6 stars, I would. Brilliant book. I would even say Lulu Miller created a whole new genre. Memoir, biography, essay, nature book, history book, sociology, psychology, murder mystery, whatever, you name it. Made me feel so many things, all at once. I learnt a lot, from science to giving myself the life I want. Why Fish Don't Exist will stay with me forever.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Ableism, Gaslighting, Infertility, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, and Hate crime

Moderate: Grief, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Self harm, Sexual assault, War, Death, Emotional abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Murder, Infertility, Infidelity, and Rape

emsim's review against another edition

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Rape, Self harm, Ableism, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Death, Medical trauma, Infertility, and Suicide attempt

nquinlan's review against another edition

informative medium-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Abandonment, Forced institutionalization, and Murder

Minor: Rape

emilysbookishlife's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, and Ableism

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt

krillfilter's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Expertly told through the author's lived experiences and narratives of the life of eugenicist David Star Jordan, at times funny, but mostly somber look at how to avoid falling into the pitfalls of hero worship, over-classification, certainty, hubris, and despair. Miller shows how grief and fear of our chaotic world has lead many of science's "heroes" into fascism, eugenics or other violent follies. Miller challenges us to embrace chaos, embrace our differences, take care of each other, and respect nature's mystery, lest we miss out on snorkling, love, and other skeleton keys to life. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt

Moderate: Murder, Sexual violence, Medical trauma, and Forced institutionalization

kirtreads's review against another edition

dark informative reflective fast-paced

4.25

This book was good, but the sudden topic switch into eugenics with no warning was a little much. I thought this would be a light hearted memoir/science book like Spineless and instead it is a reflective novel on eugenics, forced sterilisation and the damage of labels. While it’s good it is a lot heavier than advertised. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Body horror, Forced institutionalization, Violence, and Hate crime

redrosemoth's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Animal death, Forced institutionalization, and Medical trauma

Minor: Suicide attempt