"Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" by Caitlin Doughty is a memoir about the author's experiences working in the funeral industry, specifically at a crematorium. Doughty delves into the cultural views and practices surrounding death, providing an eye-opening look into how different societies deal with mortality. Her writing style is described as humorous, enlightening, and thought-provoking, as she shares her journey of confronting fears and misconceptions about death.
Doughty's book offers a candid exploration of the funeral industry, demystifying the process of caring for the deceased and shedding light on the often taboo topic of death. Through personal anecdotes and reflections, she challenges readers to rethink their perceptions of mortality and embrace the inevitability of death as a natural part of life. The book combines informative insights with a touch of dark humor, making it an engaging and educational read for those curious about death practices and the human experience.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content includes graphic descriptions of death, decay, and discussions of sensitive topics such as infant mortality and suicide.
From The Publisher:
Armed with a degree in medieval history and a flair for the macabre, Caitlin Doughty took a job at a crematory and turned morbid curiosity into her life's work. She cared for bodies of every color, shape, and affliction, and became an intrepid explorer in the world of the dead. In this best-selling memoir, brimming with gallows humor and vivid characters, she marvels at the gruesome history of undertaking and relates her unique coming-of-age story with bold curiosity and mordant wit. By turns hilarious, dark, and uplifting, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes reveals how the fear of dying warps our society and will make you reconsider how our culture treats the dead (San Francisco Chronicle).
Ratings (32)
Incredible (8) | |
Loved It (12) | |
Liked It (7) | |
It Was OK (4) | |
Did Not Like (1) |
Reader Stats (80):
Read It (32) | |
Want To Read (37) | |
Did Not Finish (1) | |
Not Interested (10) |
3 comment(s)
This was fantastic, so absorbing but surprisingly funny. It does go into alot of detail on what happens in the crematorium which I find fascinating and How we now hide from death so much in normal society. Really makes you think 🤔 and that is a good book when it makes you ponder your own mortality.
A great informative book about death industry. Just as great as her YouTube channel. The only downside is that it made me really wanna talk about death which isn't always appreciate haha
great insight and insider info on the funeral/death industry. plus it was great that it brought up the erasure of death (how many corpses have you seen in your life and the one you did see why did it traumatize you when it's a simple fact of life?). the audiobook read by the author was great - casual and conversational.
What can you read after
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes?
About the Author:
Caitlin Doughty is a mortician and the New York Times best-selling author of Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, From Here to Eternity, and Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? She is the creator of the web series Ask a Mortician, and the founder of The Order of the Good Death. She lives in Los Angeles, California, where she owns a funeral home.
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