The Book of Eels

Our Enduring Fascination with the Most Mysterious Creature in the Natural World

De: Patrik Svensson

Narrado por: Alex Wyndham

Part H Is for Hawk, part The Soul of an Octopus, The Book of Eels is both a meditation on the world’s most elusive fish - the eel - and a reflection on the human condition.

Remarkably little is known about the European eel, Anguilla anguilla. So little, in fact, that scientists and philosophers have, for centuries, been obsessed with what has become known as the “eel question”: Where do eels come from? What are they? Are they fish or some other kind of creature altogether? Even today, in an age of advanced science, no one has ever seen eels mating or giving birth, and we still don’t understand what drives them, after living for decades in freshwater, to swim great distances back to the ocean at the end of their lives. They remain a mystery.

Drawing on a breadth of research about eels in literature, history, and modern marine biology, as well as his own experience fishing for eels with his father, Patrik Svensson crafts a mesmerizing portrait of an unusual, utterly misunderstood, and completely captivating animal. In The Book of Eels, we meet renowned historical thinkers, from Aristotle to Sigmund Freud to Rachel Carson, for whom the eel was a singular obsession. And we meet the scientists who spearheaded the search for the eel’s point of origin, including Danish marine biologist Johannes Schmidt, who led research efforts in the early 20th century, catching thousands upon thousands of eels, in the hopes of proving their birthing grounds in the Sargasso Sea.

Blending memoir and nature writing at its best, Svensson’s journey to understand the eel becomes an exploration of the human condition that delves into overarching issues about our roots and destiny, both as humans and as animals, and, ultimately, how to handle the biggest question of all: death. The result is a gripping and slippery narrative that will surprise and enchant.

©2020 Patrik Svensson (P)2020 HarperAudio

Utterly Enjoyable

This book is a fascinating and personal journey into the life of a creature I had not prior given any thought too, but now will I think forever count among my favorite creatures. The eel is fascinating, and this story does that fascinating nature justice.

Eels!

This is a fascinating and engaging look into eels - something I didn't realize that I, and all of us, know so little about!

I enjoyed this book.

As an American of Swedish heritage and a fisherwoman thanks to my own father, this book resonated with me on a deeply personal level.

The narrator wasn’t good

Unfortunately his voice tone kill the book for me. I should have sample the book before getting it.

An exceptional read

The author takes you on a personal, scientific, historical, culinary, cultural, and industrial journey of everything eel, and more, all told with such intelligence and writing that just flows. I love this book, the translation, and especially the gifted narrator.

Important and lovely--this is a marvelous book

I love this book, above all others I have read this year. It is a totally unexpected read, rich in the elements of a novel and a true nature study.

Never knew there was so much to eels

This book won't be for everyone, but if you are interested in the history of natural history, it just might me. The search for the life cycle spanned the centuries. Ideas and symbolism of the European eel enthralled me, and his appeal for the conservation of this threatened animal moved me.

Great read and enjoyed the narration

Great book and really interesting on the mysterious ways of the eel, and the odd behavior in the Sargasso Sea.

Fascinating portrayal

So interesting, well written and presented on a species I had never considered. We must save the eels.

good listen

I came into this just wanting the learn about eels, but ended up getting invested in the author's story. was definitely worth the listen.