The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elizabeth Tova Bailey, 190 pages

 

This is one of those memoirs that isn’t strictly a memoir, and contains just interesting things that the writer has found out researching a topic. In this case, the story vacillates between the author’s own experience with a chronic illness and her relationship with a snail that a friend brings her for company, and interesting snail facts about snails in nature and pop culture. Kind of a subgenre that could be called “We’re Not So Different, You and I”. This as a pretty good quick little read. No real complaints about it, but nothing earthshattering. Alternate title could easily be Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Snail Sex but Were Afraid to Ask.

The sound of a wild snail eating

The sound of a wild snail eating / Elisabeth Tova Bailey 195 pgs.

Bedridden with a mysterious illness, the author finds herself away from home in a small, blank studio apartment.  She does have a terrarium and a snail found near the property.  Recovering from her illness takes a long time but becoming entranced with the snail takes almost no time at all.  Watching the snail learn about its new habitat and observing its habits helps keep her mind busy while her body is static.  She becomes so intrigued that she spends time learning more about snails.

This is a great book that makes chronic illness real but also shows that being forced to slow down doesn't mean you can't find interesting things surrounding you.