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Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Good Mourning - Review

Good Mourning by Elizabeth Meyer (Amazon link)
Rating: 2.5 Stars
Source: NetGalley

Description:  In this funny insightful memoir, a young socialite risks social suicide when she takes a job at a legendary funeral chapel on New York City's Upper East Side.  Good Mourning offers a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most famous funeral homes in the country where not even big money can protect you from the universal experience of grieving.  It's Gossip Girl meets Six Feet Under, told from the unique perspective of a fashionista turned funeral planner.
Elizabeth Meyer stumbled upon a career in the midst of planning her own father's funeral, which she turned into an upbeat party with Rolling Stones music, thousands of dollars worth of her mother's favorite flowers, and a personalized eulogy.  Starting out as a receptionist, Meyer quickly found she had a knack for helping people cope with their grief, as well as creating fitting send-offs for some of the city's most high-powered residents.  Meyer has seen it all: two women who found out their deceased husband (yes, singular) was living a double life, a famous corpse with a missing brain, and funerals that cost more than most weddings.  By turns illuminating, emotional and darkly humorous, Good Mourning is a lesson in how the human heart grieves and grows whether you're wearing this season's couture or drug-store flip-flops. (from Goodreads)


Genre: Nonfiction/Memoir

Why I Picked This Book:  I've enjoyed books about the death industry in the past but haven't read any from the perspective of a funeral home.

My Impression:  I'm not sure where to start with this one so I think I'll break it down by good, bad, and overall.
The Good: Elizabeth's genuine concern for her clients really felt genuine.  Her primary purpose really was to make sure the deceased was treated respectfully and that the family was able to honor their loved one in the best and most fitting way possible.  I also thought that this was an interesting way of working through her grief after the death of her father while actually bringing comfort to other families.  The pacing was good and even at the times when the book was making me cringe I never stopped turning pages.  And I loved Bill.  Can Bill please write a book?
The Bad: Any time the subject of money came up I spent most of my time cringing or suppressing an eye roll (it's hard to read when you're rolling your eyes).  She spends quite a lot of time being horrified that they're actually worried about money in the business.  She's shocked that some of her fellow employees seem to be in it for the money and are worried about their paychecks.  She seems completely oblivious to the fact that most of her coworkers are using their income to keep a roof over their head, lights on, and refrigerators stocked.  She calls her salary as a receptionist basically doing charity work for the Upper East Side.  While her fellow receptionist, Monica, is incredibly unprofessional both in her actions towards Elizabeth and her actions towards the clients, I could understand why she wouldn't necessarily warm to Elizabeth.
Elizabeth also is appalled when clients start tried to haggle prices for funeral services and caskets or look for ways to save money.  She questions how people are able to do this when they are in the middle of grieving their loved one.  While Elizabeth was able to plan her father's funeral without any consideration of cost it never truly seems to occur to her that not everyone is able to do that and while you want to give your spouse/parent/child the best you can if the money isn't there there isn't a magical way to make it appear.
Aside from the money issue I don't feel like I learned that much about the funeral industry.  This book was much more about Elizabeth's journey than the funeral business itself and while there mentions of different funerals or different methods I wanted more detail.
Overall: This was an incredibly readable book.  The pacing was good and never once did I feel like it was dragging.  However, this book focused more on the narrator than the industry and it wasn't quite what I was looking for.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Probably not.  While the pacing was good I don't feel like I really connected with Elizabeth and there was just too many minor issues that irritated me.

Would I Recommend this Book?:  Probably not.  If you're interested in gossip column meets funeral home than it's definitely worth reading but you might want to pick this up from the library instead of buying it.

Challenges Met?

22 comments:

  1. Funerals are expensive. Really expensive. Amazingly so, in fact. I can see why it would be annoying that the author would go on and on about people quibbling about the cost. Think I'll skip this one. There have been a bunch of books lately about the funeral industry. That's kind of interesting in a way. A mini-trend.

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    1. Exactly! I remember when we were trying to plan my mother in law's funeral. We had to consider money because there wasn't an unlimited supply but it didn't make the grief any less. I do like books about the death industry but this wasn't a winner for me.

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  2. Funerals are expensive here too, but I don't think I would connect with the heroin :) Thanks for the warning !

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    1. There was quite a bit that rubbed me the wrong way though I did find it very readable.

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  3. Ah yes, that naivete about finances would annoy the daylights out me, too. My dad's funeral was damned expensive and I can completely see families tying to haggle down the price. Grieving is hard enough, then add in the financial aspect, and it's just sad. Sounds like I would have trouble liking Elizabeth so I'll pass.

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    1. I thought about you when I was writing this because I knew you had just planned your father's. I remember getting the price list for my mother in law's and it was just heartbreaking. No one wants to consider money during this time but most of do have to consider our mortgage.

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  4. I don't think I would like this one very much. Like you, I have enjoyed reading books about the death industry in the past, but even from the blurb, I was turned off. And your review just settles it. I don't think I would like Elizabeth very much.

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    1. This definitely wasn't the book I wanted it to be. I would like a book set in a funeral home but this wasn't it.

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  5. I have trouble with books, too, where the 'haves' are basically to brutally intolerant of the 'have nots'.

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    1. It wasn't really intolerant but more unaware that there could be a difference. It didn't work for me.

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  6. Enjoyed your review - will give it a miss although got to say I am not that interested in the funeral business side od things!!

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    1. I've read a few death industry books that I really enjoyed but this wasn't one for me. Thanks!

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  7. Quirky book. Things are expensive for funerals. They are an industry that can get you for every little thing.

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    1. Oh they definitely do. I remember when we were going over prices for my mother in law's funeral I just couldn't believe it.

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  8. Hmm, while you have me curious about Bill and the premise as a whole intrigues me, the financial discussions and nasty characters make it lose its appeal. Great breakdown review.

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    1. Bill was the embalmer and a really interesting character. There was definitely the impression that there wasn't anything he hadn't seen!

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  9. Yea, this wouldn't be for me. I cannot deal with rich, spoiled brats that have no concept of money. It turns me right off from liking a book or show. Those people just piss me off. :/
    Happy reading!
    Brittany @ This is the Story of My(Reading) Life

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    1. There was an obliviousness that really got under my skin. I've planned a funeral and there were things we had to cut corners on because despite our grief we had to pay our mortgage and feed our kids. It was a bit frustrating. It wasn't that she came off as spoiled but more oblivious which probably isn't any better.

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  10. Not every book can be I guess. That's what makes the really great ones standout.

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  11. I had this on my list at Goodreads but I don't think I want to bother with it after your review. It doesn't sound like the book I thought it may be. I have way too many books on my to-read list to bother with this one.
    You can probably tell we are at a new cycle with our Internet usage as I can visit and comment!

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  12. I'm not mad about the funeral home setting of this book so I don't think I'd ever pick it up. But the money issue would really bug me. How much you spend on a funeral in no way reflects how you feel about the person who died. That kind of spoilt attitude would ruin the book for me so just as well it's not on my book radar anyway!

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  13. Bwahahahah, I had such high hopes for this book, but I cannot stand rich people who don't understand what working for a living means, so I will probably have the same problem when I read it.

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