The Book of Eels

Our Enduring Fascination with the Most Mysterious Creature in the Natural World

By: Patrik Svensson

Narrated by: Alex Wyndham

Part H Is for Hawk, part The Soul of an Octopus, The Book of Eels is both a meditation on the world’s most elusive fish—the eel—and a reflection on the human condition.

Remarkably little is known about the European eel, Anguilla anguilla. So little, in fact, that scientists and philosophers have, for centuries, been obsessed with what has become known as the “eel question”: Where do eels come from? What are they? Are they fish or some other kind of creature altogether? Even today, in an age of advanced science, no one has ever seen eels mating or giving birth, and we still don’t understand what drives them, after living for decades in freshwater, to swim great distances back to the ocean at the end of their lives. They remain a mystery.

Drawing on a breadth of research about eels in literature, history, and modern marine biology, as well as his own experience fishing for eels with his father, Patrik Svensson crafts a mesmerizing portrait of an unusual, utterly misunderstood, and completely captivating animal. In The Book of Eels, we meet renowned historical thinkers, from Aristotle to Sigmund Freud to Rachel Carson, for whom the eel was a singular obsession. And we meet the scientists who spearheaded the search for the eel’s point of origin, including Danish marine biologist Johannes Schmidt, who led research efforts in the early twentieth century, catching thousands upon thousands of eels, in the hopes of proving their birthing grounds in the Sargasso Sea.

Blending memoir and nature writing at its best, Svensson’s journey to understand the eel becomes an exploration of the human condition that delves into overarching issues about our roots and destiny, both as humans and as animals, and, ultimately, how to handle the biggest question of all: death. The result is a gripping and slippery narrative that will surprise and enchant.

Important and lovely--this is a marvelous book

I love this book, above all others I have read this year. It is a totally unexpected read, rich in the elements of a novel and a true nature study.

Never knew there was so much to eels

This book won't be for everyone, but if you are interested in the history of natural history, it just might me. The search for the life cycle spanned the centuries. Ideas and symbolism of the European eel enthralled me, and his appeal for the conservation of this threatened animal moved me.

Slippery When Wet: Feel the Eel

Eel Catching is just the metaphor for a child trying to understand his parent’s life. But you also learn all you need to know about eels.
The history of eel research is fascinating. At the root of Western Science all along. Studying eels sent Freud into psychology. They are a mysterious fish. 🐠

Fascinating topic, beautifully told

The best popular science book that I have read/heard in years. Thoroughly informative, yet deeply personal. Narration captures the wonder and mystery perfectly. Highest recommendation.

An exceptional book

I am sorry that the book ended, I liked it that much. I chose it because I am working on a short story that features an eel. I had no idea that Patrick Svensson’s book would touch on so much—natural history, mass extinction, spirituality, social history all woven into a real page turner of a book. I highly recommend it as an engrossing read.