Ratings210
Average rating3.9
This book is probably one of the most unique books I will ever read. Writers spend most of their careers on writing about the living, both real and fictional - so reading about cadavers (the scientific term for corpses) was an eye-opening experience, in more ways than one.
Cadavers have been awkward to read and write about - understandably, people don't want to think about what happens to people after they're dead, because that inevitably leads to the sometimes distressing thought of one's own mortality.
But this book breaks all such inhibitions and throws them out of the window. If you're squeamish, don't expect this to be a clean and cheerful ride. Mary Roach makes you realise, by the end of the book, about how cadavers are used everywhere - ranging from good (crash testing) and neutral (bullet impact testing), to the controversial (testing if Jesus was really crucified, by crucifying cadavers). The descriptions are, to put it diplomatically, anatomically accurate.
‘Tis not a completely nihilistic ride though. The author's tales of embarrassment and mortification are laugh-out-loud (a phrase which I would never imagine saying for a book about the deceased), and the author makes you think about topics which you would normally never think about - such as dissection, who should be given responsibility over the remains, and human head transplants.
TL;DR - a unique and immensely readable work, describing the heavy topic of the deceased with the depth and breadth it deserves - sometimes morbid, sometimes hilarious, but always entertaining. A must read if you have a strong stomach, and can think about your own mortality without dissolving into a mess.