A review by t3mp3st
Being Mortal by Atul Gawande

5.0

'Being Mortal' is informative, insightful and relatable. I think a must read for everyone. It will force you to think about ageing and dieing in a way that life doesn't normally require to until those things are right in front of you.

Gawande's writing makes an intense, overwhelming topic extremely accessible. He never becomes over technical. Instead he has made sure this novel will be understable to everyone. Which makes sense as this is something we will all experience at some point within our own lives or the lives of those we love.

The novel is spattered with the stories of people who convey the message of the particular chapter. It serves to not only provide real life examples, but gives this novel so much heart, compassion and relateability.

While heart breaking and thought provoking, for me this was an easy read. Gawande somehow manages to not overburden you. There is hope that in the face of something that scares us that we have the options and tools to end our stories the way we want. Medicine and society still have a long way to come to help the ageing and dieing have fulfilled lives towards the end, but steps are being made in that direction. As we become more open and comfortable with having conversations then we will continue to have progress in the right direction. 'Being Mortal' I think is a great place to start for those who don't know where to start.