“Morbid and illuminating” (Entertainment Weekly)—a young mortician goes behind the scenes of her curious profession.Armed with a degree in medieval history and a flair for the macabre, Caitlin Doughty took a job at a crematory and turned morbid curiosity into her life’s work. She cared for bodies of every color, shape, and affliction, and became an intrepid explorer in the world of the dead. In … explorer in the world of the dead. In this best-selling memoir, brimming with gallows humor and vivid characters, she marvels at the gruesome history of undertaking and relates her unique coming-of-age story with bold curiosity and mordant wit. By turns hilarious, dark, and uplifting, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes reveals how the fear of dying warps our society and “will make you reconsider how our culture treats the dead” (San Francisco Chronicle).
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What a cool book! Ms. Doughty provides a much-needed shift in the standard presentation of death and the funerary arts (in their many forms)… Through the story of her personal journey into and through the death industry (apologies if that term seems odd – I didn’t know how else to say it, and since euphemisms and glossy overcoats are some of her biggest complaints, it seemed best to just cut to the chase), she presents a thoughtful argument for a different approach to death, dying, and memorializing. Her writing style is conversational and easy-going, a blend of wit and wisdom that grabbed me from the beginning and held on throughout, even (especially?) when things got messy and disturbing. I admire her candor – both about her personal experiences and her thought processes – and wish her the best of luck in her quest to help people deal with the reality of death and dying. I also hope she writes another book – on this or any topic. She has a great style that really resonated with me as a reader.
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
And Other Lessons from the Crematory
By: Caitlin Doughty
Narrated by: Caitlin Doughty
I fell in love with this author when I came across her website and was fascinated by the subject and loved her way of teaching such a dark subject, (dark to most of us), in a open and honest way. She also is hilarious! Then I read her book ‘Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs ‘ and had to have more!
This book is about her time when she first starts into the business, as a trainee. She shares some touching and private moments that I don’t know if I would be able to share so openly. It also makes you feel like you are there too, trying to impress the boss with the great job on the fresh, or not-so-fresh, corpse.
I am a retired nurse and I bet the two of us could have a great time sharing stories!
She narrates this book too! She has one more book I have yet to read now…
I loved this book, because it shared so much about the death industry, behind the curtains. People don’t like to talk about Death and yet in the end we all die. After, I read it, my husband and I planned our final resting place the way we wanted it. One of the most beautiful things that I ever experienced was taking care of my Mother after she passed. It was the last thing I could do for her. It’s good to know, that my husband and I chose a better choice for the environment too.
5 stars – I loved it!
“Accepting death doesn’t mean you won’t be devastated when someone you love dies. It means you will be able to focus on your grief, unburdened by bigger existential questions like, “Why do people die?” and “Why is this happening to me?” Death isn’t happening to you. Death is happening to us all.”
In this eye-opening, candid, and hilarious look at the funeral industry, Caitlin Doughty takes us through her experiences dealing with the dead. From a crematory worker, to mortuary school, and to her Youtube channel, she gives us an indepth look at her life’s story and the inner workings of the funeral industry.
“Sifting through an urn of cremated remains you cannot tell if a person had successes, failures, grandchildren, felonies. “For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
As a fan of Caitlin Doughty’s Youtube channel I instantly knew I needed to read her books. This book is a memoir of her times in the funeral industry and how it led her to push for personal funeral practices and create the Order of the Good Death. As someone who considered cremation, I found this book fascinating. Caitlin does an amazing job at explaining the intricacies of the crematory and how there isn’t anything to fear from it if you choose that route.
“The silence of death, of the cemetery, was no punishment, but a reward for a life well lived.”
One of the things about this memoir that really stood out to me, besides all the details about the funeral service, was her frankness at being the lone female in a male dominated profession. She is blunt about her constant need to appear like she could handle everything thrown at her, even when it is clear that help was needed. This is something that I feel every woman has probably experienced in her job, especially if it’s a male dominated job. Also she discusses her personal life at being attracted to a friend and how it impacted her life. I liked the inclusion of these personal stories along with her work stories, it made her more relatable.
“A corpse doesn’t need you to remember it. In fact, it doesn’t need anything anymore-it’s more than happy to lie there and rot away. It is you who needs the corpse. Looking at the body you understand the person is gone, no longer an active player in the game of life. Looking at the body you see yourself, and you know that you, too, will die. The visual is a call to self-awareness. It is the beginning of wisdom.”
Overall, this is a very informative book about the funeral industry and gives a different perspective on what your death could be. I highly recommend this book if you have fears of death, want to learn more about funeral options, or you are just interested in learning more about what happens behind mortuary doors.
Trigger Warnings:
– In depth discussion of the cremation of babies
– Discussion of suicide and suicidal plans
Told in her own words when the author worked at a Crematorium and eventually went to mortuary school. Caitlin, always curious about people’s choices when it comes to death and burial tells stories of countless families who crossed her path while she worked at the Crematorium in California. She weaves their stories into facts about what happens when a body is cremated, the history of undertakers, and changes in the practice of funerals. Her wit and curiosity will change your mind about how we treat the dead.
This book was fantastic. Fair warning – it is as graphic as it is illuminating, so it is not for the faint of heart. The stories are facinating. She does an excellent job of telling stories of the people who she creamated and their families while remaining professional and sympathetic to her topic. I didn’t want the book to end. I listened to it, and she does her own reading, which made it all the better.
If you have read the book “Stiff”, then you have to read this one. Highly recommend.
This is a funny and in depth look at the death industry, something that has always fascinated me. Doughty strikes a fine balance between gallows humor and information. For those of you who, like me, wonders about the how’s and why’s of how we handle death in our culture, this is a fun book.
What a fantastic book this was. I really enjoyed hearing Ms. Doughty’s story of how she became a mortician, and I love her philosophy. The book is full of fascinating insights into death and the treatment of the dying. It warmed my dark heart. Be warned: it is not for the squeamish. Read on Audible.com, the author narrates it herself and this touch makes it so intimate and personal. Excellent. Angel’s adjectives: fascinating and visceral
Important view on a positive outlook on death. Her writing style is easy to read and I think her ideas are interesting.
Thank God someone wrote it! It has to be told. I now have a better understanding of the process, which has given me peace of mind in my burial decisions.
The book is fascinating. I did find it wordy in parts, especially towards the end.
I thought I was a little morbid but ho-oh-oh-ly chit, Caitlin Doughty is the real deal.
Equal parts fascinating, gross AF, and hilarious, this book answered so many of my lifelong questions. I was SO into it.
And Ms. Doughty you have a standing invitation to all of my dinner parties.
If you know anything about Caitlin or enjoy her YouTube channel, you won’t be disappointed.
This book gives you all the answers about burial and cremation without the veil of secrecy. I still don’t like the choices but the truth is that we all die. If you want the truth then read this book. If you prefer ignorant bliss then read Cinderella.
This is a look into an industry that we never really get to see, thiyrgh the eyes of an incredibly interesting and witty guide. A great read that draws you into Caitlin’s life and makes you care about Death in a way that most people wouldn’t expect.
I read Ms Doughty’s books in reverse order, “From Here to Eternity” first, followed by “When Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.” She is an incredible writer, giving us hard truths about death and dying tempered with humor. Note: not for the squeamish!
I enjoyed this unusual and original book.
Love this book, this author! Highly recommend
Over the years the average person has become less involved with death. A loved one dies and someone else prepares it for burial. Many of us are not really involved in the process beyond picking out a casket or urn. In this book we see the author’s journey of becoming a mortician, revealing America’s history with death culture, the current process of embalming and cremation, ignored natural options, and her experience in meeting people in mourning who are unaware of the history of death in America and how that has shaped their mourning options today. It is a very interesting book and should be read by all.
not that great
Very much enjoyed this book…. sheds a lot of light on the funeral business.
Weirdly good read.