(4.5 / 5)
This book was very very good but my exact thoughts on it are proving to be mildly elusive. It feels like one of those books I’ll occasionally think about long after I’ve finished and my thoughts and opinions will change as my circumstances do. I have hesitated reading this for almost two years now. When Breath Becomes Air really started to gain momentum in 2016 shortly after I read Atul Gawande’s Being Mortal. Thinking it wise to steer clear until my love for Being Mortal had waned so as not to compare the two, I found myself in a difficult place. On the one hand the lengthy time between the two allowed me to read each book independent of the other, but on the other When Breath Becomes Air was now a national (if not international) phenomenon. When this happens my expectations for a book rise exponentially and I am almost always disappointed (also why I have yet to read All the Light we Cannot See). So I have waited until now and I can say without hesitation that this is a very good book, I enjoyed it immensely. I thought Paul insightful, tender, patient, and (perhaps most importantly) good. His calling was noble and his quest singular and punishing. I found his voice real and heartfelt and I admit to being moved to tears more than once. He was the perfect person to write a memoir of this nature. His love for science juxtaposed with his passion for literature was truly a pleasure to read. I have a few grievances but most of them are due to my own limited academic understanding. Kalanithi occasionally leaves the less-philosophical reader behind and forges into the domain of Freud, Thoreau, Nietzsche, etc. I was still able to grasp the gist of his wanderings but I was frustrated to not fully accompany him through his journey. This should absolutely not stop anyone from picking up this book. It is a relatively short read that meets head on what so often goes ignored in society until death is upon us or a loved one. The remembering and reality is one of the greatest treasures this book has to offer. This is an excellent choice for both a book club or a pleasure read.
Violence: Low Language:Low Adult Content: Low/Medium