The Dead Beat

I picked up this book because the blurb on the cover said “An uplifting, joyous, life-affirming read for people who ordinarily steer clear of uplifting, joyous, life-affirming reads.” My conclusion upon finishing is that I didn't need to read a whole book about the world of obituaries and the people who love them. Marilyn Johnson writes about the structure of obituaries, the various styles of obits and the papers that run them. She introduces us to the obituary writers she admires and the people who influenced them. Throughout, she provides many examples of obituaries, all fascinating. Her style is lively and witty. She's aware that her subject may seem a little off the wall, but she defends it well, saying that a good obituary distills what is unique about a person, so that some little piece of her will be preserved after she has died.

My problem with all of this is that I would have liked the book so much better if it had been a long essay instead. I lost patience in the chapter near the end where Johnson describes the hours she spends on the Usenet message board alt.obituaries. I wanted to reach into the book, pull her out of her chair and make her go outside. In other words, she didn't convert me to her obituary obsession–and there's nothing really wrong with that. There was just too much of this book for my taste.