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A review by brogan7
Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
This book wasn't what I thought it was going to be, from the description. It took me a bit to get used to what it really is--not the story of a hero from time gone by who would inspire, comfort, reassure, by his sound diligence and unwavering fidelity to his purpose (identifying and cataloging fish species in the early 20th century).
Instead, it's a parallel story of a woman in the present day (Lulu Miller) struggling with...inertia /depression/a failed relationship she can't let go of, and the story of David Starr Jordan, a flawed human being (embracer of the eugenics philosophy and strong advocate for forced sterilizations, and quite likely a murderer as well).
I wanted to like Jordan. The entire thrust of the blurb was to like Jordan.
But then, in not liking Jordan, in fact in being utterly, completely repulsed by him...well then I was curious about what Lulu Miller was going to do with this, in her narrative. And she kind of...opened it up. Nothing is as expected. So you can't walk, swim. It is possible to get unstuck, even after being stuck (for a long time).
It was understated. But it was charming, in its way.
Instead, it's a parallel story of a woman in the present day (Lulu Miller) struggling with...inertia /depression/a failed relationship she can't let go of, and the story of David Starr Jordan, a flawed human being (embracer of the eugenics philosophy and strong advocate for forced sterilizations, and quite likely a murderer as well).
I wanted to like Jordan. The entire thrust of the blurb was to like Jordan.
But then, in not liking Jordan, in fact in being utterly, completely repulsed by him...well then I was curious about what Lulu Miller was going to do with this, in her narrative. And she kind of...opened it up. Nothing is as expected. So you can't walk, swim. It is possible to get unstuck, even after being stuck (for a long time).
It was understated. But it was charming, in its way.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Murder, and Medical trauma