Why Fish Don't Exist Book Review
Why Fish Don’t Exist by Lulu Miller Review
Summary:
In this memoir/biography, Lulu Miller takes us through her obsession with David Starr Jordan and how he managed to persevere throughout so many hardships. In his story, Miller searches for the meaning of life and why she too should continue, knowing that in the grand scheme of things it’s pointless. Little did she know, it wasn’t his story that gave her that meaning, but the stories of those she met in her search. And the new knowledge that fish don’t exist.
Review:
To begin, I really think it is best to go into this story not knowing anything about David Starr Jordan. Miller very intentionally wrote this in a way where we would learn the information in the same way that she did, and knowing how his story ends will leave you questioning her intentions throughout the story and will take away from the impact a lot. So, if you haven’t read this book, don’t read this review because SPOILERS AHEAD!!
The good:
I really enjoyed this book. My first impression after finishing was just “wow, I really think everyone needs to read this”. I went into it completely blind. I read this for a book club and didn’t even read the summary before picking it up, so I honestly didn’t realize it was nonfiction at the beginning.
The way Miller writes is very engaging, especially for someone like me who doesn’t read a lot of nonfiction. She had clear goals for what she wanted to say with this book and in my opinion, she met them very well. She also clearly put a lot of thought and research into everything she mentioned, even going so far as to include illustrations primarily made with a sewing needle, which I thought was a nice nod to the story that started her interest in David Starr Jordan.
I also felt that a lot of what she put into words here were beliefs that I have lived by for a long time. Ideas of nothing mattering in the grand scheme, but they still matter to those around you. Other things like how small of a grasp humans really have on the world, and no matter how much we try to make sense of nature, there is always going to be so much we don’t know. How much we discount the intelligence of others due to our own warped sense of superiority. It was so comforting to see these feelings put so clearly on paper.
It also turned out to be a good warning about who you pick as your inspiration, because the person that you thought had it all figured out might have just been far too self-inflated.
Not all of this information was completely new to me, so I can’t say I was surprised by anything in this book, but for those who are truly unaware of the issues she discusses, I think there is a lot that could change your view of the world. I also think it may just inspire you to find interest in a subject that you may not have even known existed. I know I did.
Here are two of my favorite out-of-context quotes:
“Your mom? Absolutely. A fish.” (pg 175)
“His hurt, imagining him in some degree of anguish… it has a wonderful effect.” (178)
The bad:
When I was reading this book, there were a few things I was expecting her to delve into more. Things like how gender and race played into the topics she discussed. While she touched on them a little, she didn’t go very deep. It is clear she put a lot of research into this as a taxonomist and that gender and racial studies were not her specialty, so if you are looking for more commentary on that then this probably isn’t the book for you.
After finishing, I also decided to read some of the one-star reviews, because I was curious what could have led someone to hate the book so much when I really loved it. Many people said that she seemed to be idolizing a person who, with one quick Google search you would know, was a deeply deeply horrible person. I think this is true. Even though she does break down exactly what he did and how he ended up being the person he became, it’s still pretty clear that some part of her still obsesses over him. I will give her one benefit of the doubt, which is that the information available to us now was not so available when she first began her journey (see the linked interview). She started this research rabbit hole because of a legend passed around her school and learned the horrible things along the way. I think its very intentional that the book started out speaking so highly of him, because she was trying to take us on the same journey she went through, but she failed in making the horrors just as emphasized.
Miller also writes about some of her life experiences and choices, and at no point in the story did I think she was a particularly good role model either. She had something to say and she said it well, but she definitely made choices in her life that I am very morally against (cheating, for example), and failed to recognize the dangers of idolizing a man from a time so fraught with societal issues.
I may not agree with her on some things, and I may not have had to go through her same journey to reach the conclusions that she did, but I do think that what she had to say in this memoir was important and worth reading.
I would recommend this book highly and I definitely see myself rereading it in the future, so for those reasons I give this book
4.5 Stars
The interview: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/lulu-miller-why-fish-dont-exist_n_5e90a9ccc5b6d641a6be4aef
