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monikasbookblog's review
4.0
Snakes scare the f*** out of me! I’ve had repetitive snake bite dreams when I was a kid and it still is a nightmare to watch snake horror films.. But I requested this book about SNAKES to know more about them. Its like the saying “know more about your enemies”.
Before requesting this I never knew Object Lessons was a series and I’ve added other books to my tbr. This book particularly deals with atmosphere of snakes, their nature, what they represent right from the mythology times to the current fashion/art creationism. Wonderfully written but repetitive at times, I recommend this to anyone who is looking for a science + nonfiction + informative read!
3.75/5 ⭐️
Thank you Bloomsbury Academic, NetGalley and Erica Wright for the arc. This review is my own and is not influenced in anyway!
Before requesting this I never knew Object Lessons was a series and I’ve added other books to my tbr. This book particularly deals with atmosphere of snakes, their nature, what they represent right from the mythology times to the current fashion/art creationism. Wonderfully written but repetitive at times, I recommend this to anyone who is looking for a science + nonfiction + informative read!
3.75/5 ⭐️
Thank you Bloomsbury Academic, NetGalley and Erica Wright for the arc. This review is my own and is not influenced in anyway!
spencerw1995's review
4.0
This book is well-researched, informative, humorous, and gave me, as someone with a lifelong fear of snakes, a few things to appreciate about the otherwise horrifying danger noodle. I liked the author's straightforward prose, and her analysis of poetic works that center snakes as creatures of beauty, rather than classical terrors. Her anecdotes about family run-ins with venomous snakes raised the hairs on my neck, as well as her deep dive into pentecostal preachers who use snakes as religious props. I'm still so very scared of snakes, but reading this book, at the very least, allowed me to see them through somewhat friendlier eyes. That being said, I refuse to entertain anyone that owns one as a pet. Stop it. You're scaring us. Just stop.
Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy!
Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy!
unwrappingwords's review
5.0
Part of the Objects Lessons series, a collection of short books which take a look at everyday objects, encouraging the reader to see them in a new light. Snake is part textbook, part memoir, as Erica Wright details her own experiences of the fascinating animals, paired with facts about them and their links to mythology and symbolism.
I have to admit, I’ve had a fascination with snakes since I was a kid. They’re intriguing animals, often portrayed poorly, sometimes harmless, sometimes dangerous, and much less scary than spiders. As Wright explains, they’re often linked to evil, to the bad guys, whether it’s in the Garden of Eden or the prince’s right-hand, er, snake in Robin Hood, or even the intriguing, unusual hairstyle of Medusa.
Wright does a great job of giving her own experiences alongside everything else, and there wasn’t a moment in this short book – which could really be considered a long essay – when I felt the text was boring or dry. One thing I found really intriguing was that Wright herself has a fear of snakes, but set out long ago to expose herself to them, and learn what she could about these animals.
There was nothing particularly new here (‘we might be born with a fear of snakes and spiders’ is one of my favorite factoids) for me, but it’s still an engaging read, told in a conversational tone that allows the reader to really follow it, without it becoming over-bearing or perhaps too academic. The ties to the snake as symbol, links to femininity, negative connotations and the like were laid out well and do provide food for thought, made better by the way it’s all laid out and connected.
I think this is a really good book that does well to dive into the snake, in an easy to follow manner while conveying a lot of information. It’s interesting, and worth checking out, especially if you want to know a little more about these fascinating animals.
Rating: 5 Stars
I have to admit, I’ve had a fascination with snakes since I was a kid. They’re intriguing animals, often portrayed poorly, sometimes harmless, sometimes dangerous, and much less scary than spiders. As Wright explains, they’re often linked to evil, to the bad guys, whether it’s in the Garden of Eden or the prince’s right-hand, er, snake in Robin Hood, or even the intriguing, unusual hairstyle of Medusa.
Wright does a great job of giving her own experiences alongside everything else, and there wasn’t a moment in this short book – which could really be considered a long essay – when I felt the text was boring or dry. One thing I found really intriguing was that Wright herself has a fear of snakes, but set out long ago to expose herself to them, and learn what she could about these animals.
There was nothing particularly new here (‘we might be born with a fear of snakes and spiders’ is one of my favorite factoids) for me, but it’s still an engaging read, told in a conversational tone that allows the reader to really follow it, without it becoming over-bearing or perhaps too academic. The ties to the snake as symbol, links to femininity, negative connotations and the like were laid out well and do provide food for thought, made better by the way it’s all laid out and connected.
I think this is a really good book that does well to dive into the snake, in an easy to follow manner while conveying a lot of information. It’s interesting, and worth checking out, especially if you want to know a little more about these fascinating animals.
Rating: 5 Stars
urlphantomhive's review against another edition
3.0
I was mesmerized by the snake on the cover, I have no other reason why I picked up this short work on the subject of Snakes. It was the first from the series Object Lessons that I read, and it was quite interesting.
Erica Wright clearly is fascinated with snakes and has done research for this book. It was interesting to read since I do not think I have ever seen a snake (let alone a venomous one) outside of a shelter/zoo. I did a quick search and apparently the adder is the only venomous snake in Belgium and it is not even frequently seen where I live. So, for me it was mainly surprising to see how many people are actively scared of snakes, and how many incidents there are with dangerous snakes in other places.
The little book covers a variety of topics on Snakes but for me in the end it fell a little bit short because at times I found it a little bit disorganized. Things were said multiple times or could have been grouped together in better ways.
That being said, an interesting read.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Erica Wright clearly is fascinated with snakes and has done research for this book. It was interesting to read since I do not think I have ever seen a snake (let alone a venomous one) outside of a shelter/zoo. I did a quick search and apparently the adder is the only venomous snake in Belgium and it is not even frequently seen where I live. So, for me it was mainly surprising to see how many people are actively scared of snakes, and how many incidents there are with dangerous snakes in other places.
The little book covers a variety of topics on Snakes but for me in the end it fell a little bit short because at times I found it a little bit disorganized. Things were said multiple times or could have been grouped together in better ways.
That being said, an interesting read.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
bzm0023's review
informative
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
4.75
I learned sooo much about snakes in this fast paced, fascinating read. This definitely made me want to check out other books in the Object Lessons series.
athravan's review
5.0
This is the first I'd heard of the 'Object Lessons' series and it's not something I would usually read for fun - but I have an incredible passion for snakes. In fact, I work with reptiles, so I feel that I'm very knowledgable and experienced when it comes to snakes. I wondered what a book like this could teach me, the answer? A lot!
Snakes by Erica Wright is a fascinating insight into snakes in history, art, literature and culture. It explores the theme of the snake from cave paintings, to the bible, to modern times, often returning to the theme of the duality that a snake presents. It is well written, interesting, and had some unexpected examples. This is an awesome read for someone who is interested in how snakes have been perceived and affected society over the years, but should also appeal to anyone with a general interest in myth, culture and symbolism. Or just if you're looking to spend a few hours broadening your knowledge.
Interspersed between facts are anecodates and personal reflection from someone who does appear to have a genuine interest in the subject, giving it personality and bringing it to life.
Five stars from me.
Snakes by Erica Wright is a fascinating insight into snakes in history, art, literature and culture. It explores the theme of the snake from cave paintings, to the bible, to modern times, often returning to the theme of the duality that a snake presents. It is well written, interesting, and had some unexpected examples. This is an awesome read for someone who is interested in how snakes have been perceived and affected society over the years, but should also appeal to anyone with a general interest in myth, culture and symbolism. Or just if you're looking to spend a few hours broadening your knowledge.
Interspersed between facts are anecodates and personal reflection from someone who does appear to have a genuine interest in the subject, giving it personality and bringing it to life.
Five stars from me.
mayeeta's review
3.0
✨ ARC kindly provided by the publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you✨
3
3
monikasbookblog's review against another edition
4.0
Snakes scare the f*** out of me! I’ve had repetitive snake bite dreams when I was a kid and it still is a nightmare to watch snake horror films.. But I requested this book about SNAKES to know more about them. Its like the saying “know more about your enemies”.
Before requesting this I never knew Object Lessons was a series and I’ve added other books to my tbr. This book particularly deals with atmosphere of snakes, their nature, what they represent right from the mythology times to the current fashion/art creationism. Wonderfully written but repetitive at times, I recommend this to anyone who is looking for a science + nonfiction + informative read!
3.75/5 ⭐️
Thank you Bloomsbury Academic, NetGalley and Erica Wright for the arc. This review is my own and is not influenced in anyway!
Before requesting this I never knew Object Lessons was a series and I’ve added other books to my tbr. This book particularly deals with atmosphere of snakes, their nature, what they represent right from the mythology times to the current fashion/art creationism. Wonderfully written but repetitive at times, I recommend this to anyone who is looking for a science + nonfiction + informative read!
3.75/5 ⭐️
Thank you Bloomsbury Academic, NetGalley and Erica Wright for the arc. This review is my own and is not influenced in anyway!
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