The Book of Eels

“Inspires readers to see eels in a whole new way.” - Los Angeles Times, “21 New and Classic Books to Keep You in Touch with the Natural World”“Captivating … The Book of Eels is, in the end, not really about eels but about life itself.” - Wall Street Journal“As much a boon to my mental life as a blow to my social one. For weeks after reading I found myself cornering people at parties to obliterate them with a machine-gun spray of eel facts. But according to The Book of Eels, I’m not alone in my eelmania… . If you don’t think of yourself as someone who might enjoy meditating on eel glory, well, I didn’t either, and here I am transcribing my encounter for publication.” - New York magazine“An unusual and beguiling guide to an unusual and beguiling animal… . Svensson’s book, like its subject, is a strange beast: a creature of metamorphosis, a shape-shifter that moves among realms. It is a book of natural history, and a memoir about a son and his father. It is also an exploration of literature and religion and custom, and what it means to live in a world full of questions we can’t always answer.” - The New Yorker“Without a doubt, the most delicious natural history book of the decade. Svensson’s prose effortlessly undulates between his own personal experience and a thousand years of scientific inquiry. But it’s his call to conservation–not just of this noble eel but of our memories both personal and cultural–that truly elevates this remarkably poignant work.” - Mark Siddall, Curator and Professor, American Museum of Natural History“A wonderful read. The story of the eel is one of the most fascinating on the planet, but equally fascinating is the story Patrik Svensson tells so well here about the mysteries of being.” - Bernd Heinrich, author of Mind of the Raven“Enthralling.” - Colorado Springs Gazette“A masterful narrative that is part memoir and part scientific detective story.” - Smithsonian Magazine, “10 Best Science Books of the Year”“Svensson … melds the personal and scientific in this captivating look at the European eel… . Nature-loving readers will be enthralled by [his] fascinating zoological odyssey.” - Publishers Weekly (starred review)“Poses questions about philosophy, the metaphysical, and the spiritual, as well as scientific issues, in a way that will stir readers. This beautifully crafted book challenges us not only to understand eels but our own selves. Highly recommended.” - Library Journal (starred review)“Captivating … shot through with electric current. The book’s deadpan title perhaps undercuts its depth and complexity. Yes, this is a book about eels, those uncanny creatures, but in Svensson’s capable hands it is also a book about obsession and mystery, about faith and science, and about the limits of knowledge … Like Annie Dillard and Rachel Carson, Svensson knows the best nature writing is done with emotion and drive.” - Minneapolis Star Tribune“Fascinating.” - What’s Jordana Reading, Summer Reads“Svensson has, quite stunningly, discovered in the natural and human history of the European eel a metaphor for his father’s life and a way to explore questions of knowledge, belief and faith.” - Washington Post“A beguiling chronicle.” - Nautilus“With lyricism and sharp clarity, Patrik Svensson lets us in on the secret dream-like world of the eel. As we move deeper into a book that intertwines beautiful nature writing with a moving memoir of a quiet father and a loyal son–as well as healthy doses of philosophical thought from Aristotle to Freud–we get to know one of Earth’s most unknowable creatures and revel in a life so different than our own.” - David Gessner, author of All the Wild That Remains“What an amazing book. About eels! – a haunting and extraordinary creature. When Eugenio Montale wanted a metaphor for the revival of Europe after World War II, he found it in a glimpse of a gold-brown eel in a muddy Ligurian stream and when Rachel Carson wanted to convey to her readers the intricacy of the relationship between salt and fresh water, she imagined the migration of eels. Patrik Svensson explores both their mystery and the science that has brought them into focus in the last few decades and made them seem a vivid indicator species for the health of our planet.” - Robert Hass, author of Summer Snow“What an amazing book. About eels! – a haunting and extraordinary creature. Patrik Svensson explores both their mystery and the science that has brought them into focus in the last few decades and made them seem a vivid indicator species for the health of our planet.” - Robert Hass, author of Summer Snow“An account of the mysterious life of eels that also serves as a meditation on consciousness, faith, time, light and darkness, and life and death… . an intriguing natural history … that sheds as much light on humans as on eels.” - Kirkus Reviews“Blending a wonderfully evocative and succinct timeline of scientific discoveries about eels with a memoir of his changing relationship with his father, Svensson has produced an extremely readable book on a fish that all have heard of but few (on our side of the pond) have actually seen.” - Booklist“Nature writing at its finest. Svensson’s memories of eel fishing with his father speak to the intersection of life and science, and add to its heart.” - Shelf Awareness

Patrik Svensson is an arts and culture journalist at Sydsvenskan newspaper. He lives with his family in Malmö, Sweden. The Gospel of Eels is his first book.