Siah

Having watched the show before finishing the book, I knew ahead of time that not much would be different in terms of the plot. It was still nice to sit down and spend some more time with the world as the story opened up. Miller's POV is definitely the stronger of the two since his follows a more formulaic structure, but Holden's POV has its highlights. The world is fully realized and feels like a future that I could see humans embarking on in a couple hundred years. The characterization felt slightly flat for the most part, but there was enough to go off of to get a feel for each character; this is something I think the show did a little better, but visual media has that added benefit. Had I not seen the show beforehand, my opinions may be a little different. All in all, a good start to a series that I plan on finishing in the coming year, hopefully in time for the final book.

This was a strangely relaxing read about a topic that's not often brought up in casual spaces. Doughty approaches the topic of death in a humorous, yet educational manner. The book is divided into thirty-ish bite-sized sections that can be read (or listened to) at your own pace. Doughty does not overload the reader with tons of information. Instead, she eases readers into anecdotes or aptly-timed jokes before displaying the truths, myths, and falsehoods around death and dead bodies. The audiobook is just as good, and being narrated by Doughty herself, you feel like you're chatting with a quirky friend who also just happens to be a mortician.

While the book is a good way to break the ice around talking about death, there are some sections in the book that, in my opinion, don't stick out as well as other chapters. For example, there is a chapter on Viking deaths that, while interesting from a historical standpoint, feel like it'd appeal to a handful of readers. The chapter itself isn't bad, but it's such a specific topic for a specific reader. I suppose I expected a more general approach throughout the book, but that may just be me.

I do recommend this book to anyone who's interested in death, processes for morticians, funeral homes, the transformation of the body after death, etc. The topic may be touchy for some and weird to others, but it is one of the few things that connects all of humanity. And who knows, you may come away from it being just a little bit more comfortable with death.

3.5 / 5

This collection of short stories (and one novella) has its ups and downs. While the stories are well written in a clear and stylistic manner, most fell flat for me towards the end. With that being said, each story succeeds in offering a unique perspective on human relationships and journeys. Even with the stories that I didn't enjoy as much, there were still relatable elements within them. So in that regard, the collection is enjoyable, despite it dragging on through my reading in some stories.

Favorite Stories:
- Boys Go to Jupiter
- Why Won't Women Just Say What They Want
- Anything Could Disappear
- The Office of Historical Corrections

I feel like this book would satisfy a handful of diverse readers: those who are fans of Wes Anderson films; those who find enjoyment in the mundane aspects of the popular anime, Mob Psycho 100; and those who like slice-of-life stories following peculiar individuals, to name a few. The majority of this book follows the everyday life of a curator, of sorts, as he interviews and follows the lives of these symptomers, or people in the early stages of the next evolution of mankind. Think low-level mutants a la Marvel Comics' X-Men.

The best parts of the book come from its relaxed writing style as well as the personality that oozes from the pages. While the narrator/protagonist does not have much characterization, you definitely get a sense of his personality and feelings towards his occupation. The book is funny, thought-provoking, strange, and heartfelt all wrapped in a tight 300 pages. Its concise style makes for an easy read that would befit any setting, from a late night read before bed, to a midday read during lunch, to a late afternoon visit to the park. At some point, you no longer feel like a reader, but instead an observer of these people and how their “symptoms” impact their lives and our protagonist.

Towards the end of the story, there is a semblance of a plot that starts to brew, but it unfortunately does not get enough time to properly offer anything substantial to the story as whole. It would've served the book much better if these plot threads were spread out throughout the book, leading to the appropriate climax that would allow the book to come full circle.

In the end, the positives outweigh the negatives here. The Cabinet is a fun and relaxing read that is sure to find fans as the years go on, and already feels like a classic in the making.

I gave it three stars because it's the last book in the trilogy and it was somewhat enjoyable. But in the end, I couldn't get through the lack of actual conflict, the writing, and just the blandness of it all. I ended up reading the book's entire summary and still have no desire to finish the rest of it any time soon.