Review: A Very Easy Death

A Very Easy Death by Simone de Beauvoir
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An insightful memoir about human responses to dying. I should read this in the original, to perhaps catch more nuances; though I expect it will be equally confusing sometimes, as the author faithfully represents the confusing conflicting feelings we have towards family -- in this case, a daughter for her mother. It was striking how universal it seemed: though it was written in 1964, the descriptions could well parallel that of the recent deaths we witnessed in our family. Even the medical treatments and descriptions sound current (I imagine the most significant difference would be the incessant electronic beeping around today's hospital beds). The emotional responses are indeed universal, though deBeauvoir's main point, reflected in the title, is that this was a -- as we say nowadays -- a First World problem. The great majority of humankind throughout history has experienced extended pain and suffering as a regular part of life and death -- recently we advanced societies have reduced pain greatly. But our human experience of suffering is a natural part of our existence, however we live it.

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