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Richard Coker makes a persuasive case for us to live our lives in a way that aligns with what will survive us in the end
Richard Coker makes a persuasive case for us to live our lives in a way that aligns with what will survive us in the endThere’s something extraordinary about Chloe Aridjis’s writing in The Shadow of the Object, a quality both intoxicating and unsettling.
It almost reads like an overly precise and thus mildly unheimlich translation of another’s work. It is not a traditional medical memoir, nor is it a neat linear narrative. What makes it shine is its interdisciplinary approach and the author’s candour. Coker draws from far and wide in the pursuit of his attempt to understand what he thinks about death and dying, a subject he admits to being “obsessed with”.
He draws on medical, historical and psychological perspectives, and weaves in his clinical and personal experiences, giving a rich and expansive view, imbued with a welcome intellectual and psychological humility. The reader is offered few absolutes; instead they will likely be left more curious, more questioning. Coker’s central assertion is that death and dying clarify what truly matters: love, responsibility, creativity and the legacy of our actions, rather than fantasies of personal immortality, consumer distraction or technological escape.
He makes a persuasive case for us humans to live our lives in a way that aligns with what will survive us in the end: the love and care we leave behind. Betrayal by Luke Harding: A colourful, entertaining take on Trump, Russia and UkraineHe is also well able to critique a healthcare system that he sees as concerned with extending life but in which quality of life is pushed to the margins.
It is a system he sees as being rife with ageism. He takes a sharp hatchet too to the wellness industry, asserting that what can be seen by many at the very least as harmless may in fact be harmful. Coker covers considerable ground; the book can feel choppy at times, and he admits to embarking on the occasional rant.
That said, as countries around the world attempt to navigate the profoundly complex question of assisted dying, what began as a love letter to his sons makes for timely and thought-provoking reading. Betrayal by Luke Harding: A colourful, entertaining take on Trump, Russia and UkrainePatients can now dispose of unused and out-of-date medicines in any pharmacyGalway Races Ladies’ Day: ‘Colour and style just adds to everything that’s happening on the track’LATEST STORIES
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