Title: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the CrematoryAuthor: Caitlin Doughty
Narrator: Caitlin Doughty
First Published: September 15, 2014
Publisher: Recorded Books
Pages: 272
Genre: Humor, Memoir, Non-Fiction, Science, Sociology
Format: Audiobook
Source: Library
Rating:
Synopsis:
A young mortician goes behind the scenes, unafraid of the gruesome (and fascinating) details of her curious profession.
Most people want to avoid thinking about death, but Caitlin Doughty―a twenty-something with a degree in medieval history and a flair for the macabre―took a job at a crematory, turning morbid curiosity into her life’s work. Thrown into a profession of gallows humor and vivid characters (both living and very dead), Caitlin learned to navigate the secretive culture of those who care for the deceased.
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes tells an unusual coming-of-age story full of bizarre encounters and unforgettable scenes. Caring for dead bodies of every color, shape, and affliction, Caitlin soon becomes an intrepid explorer in the world of the dead. She describes how she swept ashes from the machines (and sometimes onto her clothes) and reveals the strange history of cremation and undertaking, marveling at bizarre and wonderful funeral practices from different cultures.
Her eye-opening, candid, and often hilarious story is like going on a journey with your bravest friend to the cemetery at midnight. She demystifies death, leading us behind the black curtain of her unique profession. And she answers questions you didn’t know you had: Can you catch a disease from a corpse? How many dead bodies can you fit in a Dodge van? What exactly does a flaming skull look like?
Honest and heartfelt, self-deprecating and ironic, Caitlin's engaging style makes this otherwise taboo topic both approachable and engrossing. Now a licensed mortician with an alternative funeral practice, Caitlin argues that our fear of dying warps our culture and society, and she calls for better ways of dealing with death (and our dead).
Buy the Book: AmazonReview
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes is a thought-provoking memoir about the realities of death and the industry that surrounds it, and asks big questions about society’s relationship with death. Caitlin Doughty has become a notable figure in the funeral industry, having become famous for her Ask a Mortician YouTube channel in the early 2010’s. There is a wonderful mix of funny stories, historical and scientific facts about death, and Doughty’s own reflections about the death industry and how her views changed over the course of her career.
I listened to this book on audio, which is narrated by Doughty, and I’m honestly so glad that I did. Listening to Doughty recount her experiences was so fun and made my commutes to and from work a joy, her personality and humor shine through on audio. I found myself weeping on a drive home as I was finishing up the book, despite all the humor this was a touching and surprisingly emotional read. Caitlin Doughty honestly deserves so much credit for pulling back the curtain on the American funeral industry and to talk about difficult topics with care and respect.
Quote
“The silence of death, of the cemetery, was no punishment, but a reward for a life well lived.”
Content Warnings
View Spoiler »About the Author
About Caitlin Doughty
Caitlin Doughty is a mortician and the author of Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? as well as the New York Times best-selling books Smoke Gets in Your Eyes and From Here to Eternity. She is the creator of the “Ask a Mortician” web series and founder of The Order of the Good Death. She lives in Los Angeles, where she owns and runs a funeral home.
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