Life Like
Life Like is now my favorite essay of all the essays we’ve read so far this semester. To begin with just the idea of Taxidermy seems like such and odd random thing to write about. I’m sure it caught many other people up in the essay right away simply because they had the same thought as me of “Hmmm taxidermy what’s this about?” This essay was really festinating because it took a topic I had never really thought about it and just gave tons of interesting facts and stories about it. I think the line “that there is a taxidermy championship at all is something of an astonishment…” not only to the people who are not interested in the subject but too the taxidermists as well. What really brought me into this piece though was the constant humor that was mixed in “heads up buffalo coming though” being shouted across a hotel lobby is just such a great image. My favorite passage of all though was of the man who was baking clear acrylic toilet plunger handles on a cookie sheet in the oven while telling the reader “My wife was pretty worried, but I did it on a nonstick cookie sheet.” The mixture of humor and facts and stories in the piece really made it come alive for me.
I liked the line about how his wife was worried too. The humor in this story really made it one worth reading.
I like the comment about the humor and facts, because i was a bit too grossed out at the topic to see it until now
>>The mixture of humor and facts and stories in the piece really made it come alive for me.<<
Totally agree. I really enjoyed this essay too. I think Orlean uses the perfect balance of personal narrative, fact, humor, and dialogue to make this piece so captivating and informative, yet down-to-earth. She really did well creating a scene, explaining this trade, and making the reader seem a part of her experience at the Championship.
I agree with you that Orlean did a great job of incoporating humor. However, had this been a serious essay about taxidermy, I most likely would have still found it funny because taxidermy is such an off the wall topic.