When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalathini

Hey guys, it’s Andrew! It’s already almost the end of the year; it feels like it went by so fast. For my final blog post, I’ll be reviewing When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalathini, an autobiography published following the author’s inevitable passing to cancer. I hope you enjoy.

When Breath Becomes Air is a far cry from what you’d normally expect from a story, even among other autobiographies, in the sense that he wrote the memoir with the full knowledge that his life would be coming to an end. His reflections on his life are heavily based on this fact, and he confronts his mortality all throughout the book. Kalathini opens with a short prologue running through some of his recent memories. We’re right there with him as he learns of his terminal condition, and we watch his pain as he’s forced to accept that everything he’s worked for is about to come to an end. He then transitions into a more linear recollection of his experiences, starting from childhood and stories of his hometown, and moves on to his college life and eventual career. Kalathini’s writing is also an incredibly important factor in what makes this book enjoyable. Even when detailing mundane events of his everyday life, the way his words flow is enough to keep things interesting. His eloquent writing combined with a far from average life story make for a book that’ll keep you fully immersed.

The thing about this book is that we enter the story essentially knowing the ultimate fate of the author, which creeps closer with every turn of the page. We watch as he builds up his career, faces struggles, and experiences success, and it’s painful to know that he’ll lose it all just as he gets to taste the fruits of his labors. Kalathini’s story culminates in a brutally emotional acceptance, and he comes to terms with death’s unrelenting grasp. It’s a hard shock back to reality, a reminder that life really isn’t fair, but we choose to accept this and live regardless of the fact. Kalathini’s story is one that I think anyone could learn something from, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it. Thanks for reading, and have a great summer!

-Andrew

Comments

  1. AnuprovaMay 19, 2020 at 8:02 PM

    Wonderful review! Although I'm not usually one to read autobiographies, I will definitely have to try this one out. I don't think I've ever read a story where the narrator was writing fully knowing that his time was limited, so this will be an interest point of view. The story is heart-breaking, but I do agree that stories like this need to be read so that we can learn to enjoy our life while we can. Thanks for the great review, and see you next year!

    ReplyDelete
  2. NickMay 21, 2020 at 4:35 PM

    Great review! The premise of the autobiography, although dark, seems extremely interesting to read. Being inside the head of someone who knows they have limited life left would be both terrifying and interesting. As you mentioned the cynical feel and realization of how hard life can be for some people could be difficult to read, but would also be very interesting. Nice job!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Clara WoodMay 21, 2020 at 10:09 PM

    I heard about this book a few years back, but I never got around to reading it. Thanks to this review, I think I'll finally pick it up! I really like the way you describe the tone of the book and how the narrator deals with his approaching death. This book has a really interesting premise, and I'm glad I was reminded of it. Great review!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Marlow TracyMay 22, 2020 at 10:12 AM

    Awesome review! This book sounds difficult to read because of the heavy emotional content, but worth it because of the author's engaging writing style and the lessons it teaches the reader about life and mortality. I like how your summary seems to capture the essence of the book without giving away too many spoilers. I hadn't heard about this book before your review, but now it's definitely getting added to my reading list. Great job!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review of The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy

T he book The Death of Ivan Ilyich, written in 1886 by author Leo Tolstoy tells the story of a normal businessman slowly and steadily spiraling down into self-isolation and total existentialism. Through the complications of having a family, and the introduction of a child, Ivan Ilych becomes intolerant of his personal life, and spends too much time focusing on his work. This, being something all too common in today's society, is something we all can reflect on to realize what is important. Something special about The Death of Ivan Ilyich is that it is told almost in reverse order, similar to Purple Hibiscus . The book starts with the unfortunate death of Ivan Ilyich, then rewinds to Ilyich's early life to show what led up to his final moments. This book is also similar to Purple Hibiscus in the matter previously mentioned, as in a family man that is publicly respected but has a negative private life, however, Purple Hibiscus is a much more stark example of this theme. A...
Read more

The Westing Game

The Westing Game, by Ellen Raskin, is a short mystery novel that focuses on solving the riddle of millionaire Samuel Westing’s death. My dad had been recommending this book to me for several years, but I had never actually tried it. At the beginning of the school year, I put it in my PE locker to use as a “backup book” in case I ever forgot to bring a book to read on Fridays, thinking I would never actually read it. However, I did forget a book one day and read The Westing Game during those 45 minutes. I became so entangled with the plot that I continued to read it after school had ended.  The Westing Game  revolves around Samuel Westing’s will and the 16 heirs who try to interpret it. After all the heirs gather to hear Mr. Westing’s will, they are placed into groups and given several clues in the form of random words to help them unravel the mystery of his death. The heir(s) who solve the mystery will receive $200,000,000 in inheritance--Samuel Westing’s entire fortune....
Read more