Here is another example of a book that I picked up because of the title – I See You’ve Called In Dead. It is also an example of a book that I found to be funny and thought provoking at the same time.
Before I get into my thoughts, here is the Goodreads synopsis:
The Office meets Six Feet Under meets About a Boy in this coming-of-middle-age tale about having a second chance to write your life’s story.
Bud Stanley is an obituary writer who is afraid to live. Yes, his wife recently left him for a “far more interesting” man. Yes, he goes on a particularly awful blind date with a woman who brings her ex. And yes, he has too many glasses of Scotch one night and proceeds to pen and publish his own obituary. The newspaper wants to fire him. But now the company’s system has him listed as dead. And the company can’t fire a dead person. The ensuing fallout forces him to realize that life may be actually worth living.
As Bud awaits his fate at work, his life hangs in the balance. Given another shot by his boss and encouraged by his best friend, Tim, a worldly and wise former art dealer, Bud starts to attend the wakes and funerals of strangers to learn how to live.
Thurber Prize-winner and New York Times bestselling author John Kenney tells a funny, touching story about life and death, about the search for meaning, about finding and never letting go of the preciousness of life.
The book starts off with a good question:
“What would you write if you had to write your obituary? Today, right now. What comes to mind? What memories, days, moments? What people and experiences? I realize, at first glance, that the idea of writing one’s own obituary while still alive may sound morbid. It’s not, though. I promise you. It’s a needed reminder of who you are, of what truly matters. Because it’s your life and there’s still time to write it. Before I have to.”
When in college, I took a class on the psychology of death and dying. One of the first assignments was to write a letter to your loved ones to be read at your funeral. THAT was a difficult assignment. We were never asked to write our own obituary, but I would imagine that would be just as difficult.
I listened to the audio book on my way to and from work. I can tell you that I am going to go and purchase a copy of this book because there were so many times I wanted to highlight things I wanted to remember. For example, at one point in the book, French philosopher Michel de Montaigne is quoted:
“We do not know where death awaits us: so let us wait for it everywhere. To practice death is to practice freedom.”
It was only after reading the book, that I found what others were saying about it:
I’ve always thought that we should tell people what they mean to us or how they impacted our lives while they are still alive. What good is it to be silent until someone passes away? I can tell you that when people come up to me who used to listen to me on the radio and say, “You made me laugh every morning!” it feels so good. Why wouldn’t we want to share those things with people?
In discussing a book with the main character, someone says,
“A character in the book is asked what the greatest wonder in the world is. And he answers … He says, The greatest wonder is that every day, all around us, people die, but we act as if it couldn’t happen to us.”
I do want to say before wrapping up, that the book is not just about death, it is also about life.
“Life prevails. How strange and wondrous. In the midst of death, life prevails, calls to us, begs us, says, Come, please, don’t you dare waste this precious gift.”
It is early in the year, I know, but this is the best book I have read so far. I highly recommend it.
5 out of 5 stars.
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 