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A review by whoischels
Venom Doc: The Edgiest, Darkest and Strangest Natural History Memoir Ever by Bryan Grieg Fry
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
2.5
Provides a clear description of what someone specializing in the study of venom does, and what this type of person is like. The whimsy with which he recounts his field stories is contrasted with sober reflections on the people he knows who have died on the job. Because the story is told linearly, the reader experiences a kind of whiplash as they read.
But let's talk about what kind of a guy Brian Grieg Fry is. He is an admitted adrenaline junkie, knowledgeable about animal handling and biology, rightly judgmental about how others (particularly in media) handle dangerous animals and film misleading footage, oddly proud of an enduring preference for metal music, reckless with his health, and relishes being viewed as "crazy" and in scaring the normies. His wife is the child of an eastern European politician / mob type family and intensively stalked him in order to date him after seeing him as a guest on a nature show. Despite his knowledge of this, he is deeply in love with her. He seems to be afraid of her as well, which turns him on. This is a weird thing to know about a complete stranger. In sum, Fry is well aware that he a very annoying man in a very likeable way, and he enjoys playing this up. It is weird to read an autobiographical book written by a 45+ year old adult who participates in caricaturing himself.
The book is not particularly well written or well paced and is a bit childish in that it reads as a simple recitation of events and his immediately proceeding feelings about them. The most annoying thing about this book is Fry's attempts at writing unique, casual metaphors that typically veer so specific, corny, or politically-tinged as to feel run of the mill. I haven't really said many positive things here, but giving three stars because I learned a lot.
But let's talk about what kind of a guy Brian Grieg Fry is. He is an admitted adrenaline junkie, knowledgeable about animal handling and biology, rightly judgmental about how others (particularly in media) handle dangerous animals and film misleading footage, oddly proud of an enduring preference for metal music, reckless with his health, and relishes being viewed as "crazy" and in scaring the normies. His wife is the child of an eastern European politician / mob type family and intensively stalked him in order to date him after seeing him as a guest on a nature show. Despite his knowledge of this, he is deeply in love with her. He seems to be afraid of her as well, which turns him on. This is a weird thing to know about a complete stranger. In sum, Fry is well aware that he a very annoying man in a very likeable way, and he enjoys playing this up. It is weird to read an autobiographical book written by a 45+ year old adult who participates in caricaturing himself.
The book is not particularly well written or well paced and is a bit childish in that it reads as a simple recitation of events and his immediately proceeding feelings about them. The most annoying thing about this book is Fry's attempts at writing unique, casual metaphors that typically veer so specific, corny, or politically-tinged as to feel run of the mill. I haven't really said many positive things here, but giving three stars because I learned a lot.