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A review by ramonamead
The Story of Shit by Midas Dekkers
2.0
I'm fascinated by societal norms and how they come to be. I liked the idea of this book because that's what Dekkers is addressing: why is it okay to talk about some bodily functions and not others? It started out strong, I was laughing and learning interesting stuff. I appreciate the author's snarky tone and fitting toilet humor.
However, I couldn't get through this book without skimming large portions. Once I got about 40% in, the content felt redundant. The author bounces all over the place, from the science of digestion to pregnancy and birth, to urination, to ancient Greece, and back again all over the course of a couple pages.
Because this is translated from Dutch, I suspect there are cultural differences that made the writing style difficult to follow. Also, my digital advanced copy did not contain many paragraph breaks, making the already dense material even more so.
This may be worth giving a try in a different format if you are interested in the history and biology of digestion, defecation, and other bodily wonders in relation to societal expectations.
Many thanks to NetGalley for my free advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. You can find my reviews and other bookish musings at www.ramonamead.com.
However, I couldn't get through this book without skimming large portions. Once I got about 40% in, the content felt redundant. The author bounces all over the place, from the science of digestion to pregnancy and birth, to urination, to ancient Greece, and back again all over the course of a couple pages.
Because this is translated from Dutch, I suspect there are cultural differences that made the writing style difficult to follow. Also, my digital advanced copy did not contain many paragraph breaks, making the already dense material even more so.
This may be worth giving a try in a different format if you are interested in the history and biology of digestion, defecation, and other bodily wonders in relation to societal expectations.
Many thanks to NetGalley for my free advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. You can find my reviews and other bookish musings at www.ramonamead.com.