By Erika Engelhaupt
There’s nothing abnormal about being a little abnormal.
Summary
Gory Details is a collection of short, blog-style chapters by the author of the National Geographic blog of the same title. Engelhaupt says in the introduction to this book that some of these chapters are new, and others are expanded versions of posts that can already be found on the blog. Topics include human anatomy, bugs and animals, human psychology, and more.
My Thoughts
Plot
I am intentionally leaving this section blank because this was a work of non-fiction, and on top of that, the format of this book is not conducive to describing an overarching plotline.
Format
This book almost felt like I was reading a series of vignettes-each it’s own story, but attempting to fit into a larger picture. In reality, it was literally a collection of blog posts. Going in, I did not expect to like this format, and coming out, my mind had not changed. I mean, I am writing a blog post, so obviously I am not against the format in and of itself, but I feel there is a distinct difference between reading a blog online for the articles that you are interested in, or want to learn more about, and an entire book in this style.
Blog posts are not supposed to be all encompassing, and there is an expectation that not everything will be explained fully-but in a book setting, I do have that expectation, and when I have questions that are ultimately left unanswered due to the format of the book, I leave disappointed.
That being said-I don’t want you to not pick up this book because I didn’t like the format. For most people, this style of book is a great, high-level introduction to a variety of topics that are tangentially related. And because each section is self contained, it is fairly easy to pick up and put down with ease. That just did not work for the setting that I was reading this book in.
Writing
Erika has been writing the Gory Details blog on Science News and then National Geographic for a number of years. In that time, she has perfected the blog style, writing in an accessible and easily digestible format. Her writing is informative but also engaging, making the science not only understandable but interesting. I would like to note that Engelhaupt is most definitely a writer, not a scientist-so if you are expecting excessive data and detailed citations, you will not find them here. However, if you are looking for an introduction to some of the more gory sides of science and psychology, this could be a good place to start.
Engelhaupts’ writing style is very conversational. You can almost feel like you’re sitting across from her at a bar and chatting over IPA’s and tapas. But then, the conversation just kind of ends, leaving you wanting more. However, unlike meeting in person, you can’t just start up the conversation where you left off at another time. You’ve simply moved on-almost like you’re Lucy meeting Adam Sandler again in 50 First Dates.
Final Thoughts
Looking at other reviews, most people seem to enjoy this book; finding it engaging and digestible. However, for the setting that I was reading this in (book club), it did not work for me. That being said-I can’t help but wonder if the reason that I disliked this book is because it was the third book we read this year instead of the first. I think that I probably would have enjoyed this much more if I hadn’t already read two other long form nonfiction titles. If we had started with this, almost in preparation for the rest of the year, I probably would have liked it better.
However, that isn’t what happened, and therefore, I can only rate based on how I felt reading it.
2.5 stars.
Jenn V. Reads 