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Down Among the Dead Men: A Year in the Life of a Mortuary Technician
"Thankfully Williams's reminiscence does more than delight in the creepy and the ghoulish; it breathes life into the mortuary workers themselves." --The Brooklyn Rail
Michelle Williams is young and attractive, with close family ties, a busy social life . . . and an unusual occupation. When she impulsively applies to be a mortuary technician and is offered the position, she has no idea that her decision to accept will be one of the most momentous of her life. "What I didn't realize then, she writes, "was that I was about to start one of the most amazing jobs you can do."
To Williams, life in the mortuary is neither grim nor frightening. She introduces readers to a host of unique pathologists (many eccentric, some utterly crazy), undertakers, and the man from the coroner's office who sings to her every morning. No two days are alike, and while Williams's sensitivity to the dead never wavers, her tales from the crypt range from mischievous to downright shocking. Readers wont forget the fitness fanatic run over while doing nighttime push-ups on the road, the man so large he had to be carted in via refrigerated truck, or the guide dog who led his owner onto railway tracks--and left him there. The indomitable Williams never bats an eye, even as she is confronted--daily--with situations that would leave the rest of us speechless.
"This entertaining memoir chronicles the author's first year on the job, which sees her learning how to perform a postmortem, determine cause of death, and deal with grieving relatives and shady undertakers (among a lot of other things) . . . Not your run-of-the-mill occupational memoir, but definitely an interesting one." --Booklist
Michelle Williams is young and attractive, with close family ties, a busy social life . . . and an unusual occupation. When she impulsively applies to be a mortuary technician and is offered the position, she has no idea that her decision to accept will be one of the most momentous of her life. "What I didn't realize then, she writes, "was that I was about to start one of the most amazing jobs you can do."
To Williams, life in the mortuary is neither grim nor frightening. She introduces readers to a host of unique pathologists (many eccentric, some utterly crazy), undertakers, and the man from the coroner's office who sings to her every morning. No two days are alike, and while Williams's sensitivity to the dead never wavers, her tales from the crypt range from mischievous to downright shocking. Readers wont forget the fitness fanatic run over while doing nighttime push-ups on the road, the man so large he had to be carted in via refrigerated truck, or the guide dog who led his owner onto railway tracks--and left him there. The indomitable Williams never bats an eye, even as she is confronted--daily--with situations that would leave the rest of us speechless.
"This entertaining memoir chronicles the author's first year on the job, which sees her learning how to perform a postmortem, determine cause of death, and deal with grieving relatives and shady undertakers (among a lot of other things) . . . Not your run-of-the-mill occupational memoir, but definitely an interesting one." --Booklist
274 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
427 people are currently reading
4390 people want to read
About the author
Michelle Williams
134 books39 followersMichelle was born in Cheltenham in 1973, where she has lived all her life - and continues to do so. She had a solid upbringing and was educated at local state schools.
Michelle started working for the NHS when she was twenty years old, two years as a Health Care Assistant and then eight years as a Senior Health Care Assistant for people with learning disabilities and challenging behaviour in Community Homes.
At the age of thirty - ten years on - Michelle was lucky enough to land the role of Anatomical Pathology Technician at Cheltenham General Hospital. Now - five years on from that - she holds the title of Mortuary Manager at Cheltenham General Hospital.
Michelle studied and successfully sat the Certificate and Diploma exams from the Royal Institute of Public Health in Anatomical Pathology Technology, this allowing Michelle to use the the letters CAPT and DAPT after her name.
The idea for the book came to Michelle about two years ago as she was working in the Mortuary. She mentioned to a colleague that she could write a book about her time as a Mortuary Technician, her colleague - himself a published author - encouraged Michelle to write a few pages and submit them to him.
He liked what he saw and recommended Michelle to a Publisher, who subsequently commissioned Michelle to finish it. Hence the first book was written - and two years later - on sale.
Michelle started working for the NHS when she was twenty years old, two years as a Health Care Assistant and then eight years as a Senior Health Care Assistant for people with learning disabilities and challenging behaviour in Community Homes.
At the age of thirty - ten years on - Michelle was lucky enough to land the role of Anatomical Pathology Technician at Cheltenham General Hospital. Now - five years on from that - she holds the title of Mortuary Manager at Cheltenham General Hospital.
Michelle studied and successfully sat the Certificate and Diploma exams from the Royal Institute of Public Health in Anatomical Pathology Technology, this allowing Michelle to use the the letters CAPT and DAPT after her name.
The idea for the book came to Michelle about two years ago as she was working in the Mortuary. She mentioned to a colleague that she could write a book about her time as a Mortuary Technician, her colleague - himself a published author - encouraged Michelle to write a few pages and submit them to him.
He liked what he saw and recommended Michelle to a Publisher, who subsequently commissioned Michelle to finish it. Hence the first book was written - and two years later - on sale.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 315 reviews
November 1, 2022
If if you've ever been fascinated by the Forensic Files, be prepared to be really surprised, a post mortem is absolutely nothing like they show on the tv. For starters its not even performed by the pathologist, and its very, very gruesome.
I read this book through the night. Not because it was so gripping but because the first chapter plunged me immediately into the gory world of cutting dead people open and putting their innards in bowls and I kept hoping it would kind of chill so I could go to sleep without the potential of nightmares. It never did. Each chapter revealed another aspect of the nastiness we so quickly become once we are dead. Livid flesh, purpling bruises, green slime and everything else we quickly cover up before it disgusts us.
The style is also quite fascinating. Its as if it were told by someone you used to know in school who wasn't really one of the academic girls, and who left early to go and work in a shop. Someone you met years later and had lunch with and they told what they been doing since and how they'd just started work in a mortuary. The lunch date became a regular event and each weeek your friend would tell you about the new trade she was learning. And then perhaps you left the town but she would still email you about the bodies that week and her progress towards becoming a qualified Mortuary Technician, and eventually running her own mortuary.
Its absolutely fascinating, a story so far out of my experience and so well told. Its not deep, there's no philosophising, but the author's co-workers are interesting, although she makes no bones about complaining about some of the pathologists and there are plenty of anecdotes that keep the book rolling along.
The author is a born raconteur and if we were friends, it probably wouldn't be tales over lunch as much as an evening out getting pissed on more than a bevy or two down at her local.
I read this book through the night. Not because it was so gripping but because the first chapter plunged me immediately into the gory world of cutting dead people open and putting their innards in bowls and I kept hoping it would kind of chill so I could go to sleep without the potential of nightmares. It never did. Each chapter revealed another aspect of the nastiness we so quickly become once we are dead. Livid flesh, purpling bruises, green slime and everything else we quickly cover up before it disgusts us.
The style is also quite fascinating. Its as if it were told by someone you used to know in school who wasn't really one of the academic girls, and who left early to go and work in a shop. Someone you met years later and had lunch with and they told what they been doing since and how they'd just started work in a mortuary. The lunch date became a regular event and each weeek your friend would tell you about the new trade she was learning. And then perhaps you left the town but she would still email you about the bodies that week and her progress towards becoming a qualified Mortuary Technician, and eventually running her own mortuary.
Its absolutely fascinating, a story so far out of my experience and so well told. Its not deep, there's no philosophising, but the author's co-workers are interesting, although she makes no bones about complaining about some of the pathologists and there are plenty of anecdotes that keep the book rolling along.
The author is a born raconteur and if we were friends, it probably wouldn't be tales over lunch as much as an evening out getting pissed on more than a bevy or two down at her local.
April 29, 2021
Down Among the Dead Men: A Year in the Life of a Mortuary Technician
by Michelle Williams
I found this book very interesting and informative. She doesn't talk over the reader's head at all. She goes into the job with no medical knowledge and as she learns, she lets the reader learn. We learn the tools, procedures, the layout, steps, the various cases, the families, the issues that come up, and many unusual instances that happen.
If it was just dealing with a dead body then that wouldn't be so bad but not all bodies come in one piece, or the day or week they died, or old and ready to die. Some cases made me cry, some were very depressing because of the situation, others were very gross and sad. All were heartbreaking because it was someone's life.
I found it fascinating how she adapted quickly to the job. Told her experiences and kept the respect of the deceased and the families intact, and I sure wish I had followed that route instead of nursing. Dead people don't fight back! Not all patients are sweet and pleasant in the ICU!
by Michelle Williams
I found this book very interesting and informative. She doesn't talk over the reader's head at all. She goes into the job with no medical knowledge and as she learns, she lets the reader learn. We learn the tools, procedures, the layout, steps, the various cases, the families, the issues that come up, and many unusual instances that happen.
If it was just dealing with a dead body then that wouldn't be so bad but not all bodies come in one piece, or the day or week they died, or old and ready to die. Some cases made me cry, some were very depressing because of the situation, others were very gross and sad. All were heartbreaking because it was someone's life.
I found it fascinating how she adapted quickly to the job. Told her experiences and kept the respect of the deceased and the families intact, and I sure wish I had followed that route instead of nursing. Dead people don't fight back! Not all patients are sweet and pleasant in the ICU!
March 14, 2013
A fascinating subject & a pretty interesting story, although there was too much about the author and I took a star off for that. I didn't want to know nearly as much as she told me about her personal life, pub crawls, or even her dogs. I like dogs & find them interesting, but they weren't germane to this story.
She's British and I hadn't realized that. It didn't make a lot of difference, but does make me wonder how our system differs from theirs. I certainly have a different view of a pathology lab now. The idea of Ducky (NCIS) doing an autopsy, possibly assisted by one person, with Gibbs occasionally popping in wouldn't work at all there & I doubt it does here. Barely trained, Williams was gutting corpses and laying them out before the doctor even walked into the room. Then he'd slice & dice a bit, leave, & she'd sew everything back up for the preliminary viewing.
In cases where the victim was murdered, the place sounded like a circus. Toxic or large patients were worked on by a team. I never thought of some of the problems they posed. She describes them well, sometimes a bit too well since I read most of this book during my lunch breaks. Reading about corpses that were weeks decomposed was bad, but I actually found her descriptions of those that were going ripe or had bad sores to be worse.
The bed & other sores that old patients had from the bad nursing home in the area was one of the toughest parts to take. The lack of outrage was completely unbelievable. If it had been me, I would have been taking photos or inviting reporters in. (No, I wouldn't have been employed long, but some things just can't be born.) It's not as if she didn't share her feelings often enough. A young child accidentally killed or her own grandfather's death about brought her to her knees, but seeing a bedsore the size of her palm on an old lady didn't seem to phase her much.
One theme that ran through the book was how her job showed her a snapshot of the person's life. A procedure caused a death, so did anyone get in trouble? What was the actual cause of death? She'd put in hours dishing up bits of the puzzle, but never seemed to learn what the pieces meant. That would have driven me mad.
I don't recall seeing that names had been changed to protect the innocent, but I sure hope they were. Her opinions & stories were quite frank, to the point where some thought she was harsh. I didn't & thought they were a breath of fresh air in these PC times. She gets kudos for them. Hell, we all think that way. She just had the guts to put them honestly on paper.
All in all, it wasn't a bad book, well worth the time to read. It could have been done better. Some editing to remove some of the personal bits would have helped & I would have liked a bit more detail or examples in some areas. Still, I'm glad I took the time. If you liked Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach or Death's Acre: Inside the Legendary Forensic Lab the Body Farm Where the Dead Do Tell Tales by William M. Bass, you'll probably like this. It's not as good (I think I rated both with 5 stars.) but is another point of view. Not as authoritative, but a bit more every-man, if that makes sense.
She's British and I hadn't realized that. It didn't make a lot of difference, but does make me wonder how our system differs from theirs. I certainly have a different view of a pathology lab now. The idea of Ducky (NCIS) doing an autopsy, possibly assisted by one person, with Gibbs occasionally popping in wouldn't work at all there & I doubt it does here. Barely trained, Williams was gutting corpses and laying them out before the doctor even walked into the room. Then he'd slice & dice a bit, leave, & she'd sew everything back up for the preliminary viewing.
In cases where the victim was murdered, the place sounded like a circus. Toxic or large patients were worked on by a team. I never thought of some of the problems they posed. She describes them well, sometimes a bit too well since I read most of this book during my lunch breaks. Reading about corpses that were weeks decomposed was bad, but I actually found her descriptions of those that were going ripe or had bad sores to be worse.
The bed & other sores that old patients had from the bad nursing home in the area was one of the toughest parts to take. The lack of outrage was completely unbelievable. If it had been me, I would have been taking photos or inviting reporters in. (No, I wouldn't have been employed long, but some things just can't be born.) It's not as if she didn't share her feelings often enough. A young child accidentally killed or her own grandfather's death about brought her to her knees, but seeing a bedsore the size of her palm on an old lady didn't seem to phase her much.
One theme that ran through the book was how her job showed her a snapshot of the person's life. A procedure caused a death, so did anyone get in trouble? What was the actual cause of death? She'd put in hours dishing up bits of the puzzle, but never seemed to learn what the pieces meant. That would have driven me mad.
I don't recall seeing that names had been changed to protect the innocent, but I sure hope they were. Her opinions & stories were quite frank, to the point where some thought she was harsh. I didn't & thought they were a breath of fresh air in these PC times. She gets kudos for them. Hell, we all think that way. She just had the guts to put them honestly on paper.
All in all, it wasn't a bad book, well worth the time to read. It could have been done better. Some editing to remove some of the personal bits would have helped & I would have liked a bit more detail or examples in some areas. Still, I'm glad I took the time. If you liked Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach or Death's Acre: Inside the Legendary Forensic Lab the Body Farm Where the Dead Do Tell Tales by William M. Bass, you'll probably like this. It's not as good (I think I rated both with 5 stars.) but is another point of view. Not as authoritative, but a bit more every-man, if that makes sense.
February 9, 2011
I wanted to love this book and as I started reading it I did. How fascinating to read about a young woman learning about life as a Mortuary technician.
However, what with her pretty dull social life --going to the bar, dinner with family, hanging out with her boyfriend and dogs (probably the publisher said--you've got to put some more stuff in here and not just talk about all your experiences with the dead!) I started skimming to get back to her job. The nitty gritty of autopsies, prepping bodies for the postmortem and looking for forensic evidence of non-natural causes of death were terrific. Her descriptions of people she didn't like were offensive (I sure hope she wasn't using real names) and her voice began to grate.
In addition, the book -originally published in the UK, needed an editor. Not a copy editor but an editor to cut repetition, cut unnecessary phrases and tighten the whole thing up. With some better writing I could see the book as a long article in The New Yorker. But there's not enough meat for a book.
However, what with her pretty dull social life --going to the bar, dinner with family, hanging out with her boyfriend and dogs (probably the publisher said--you've got to put some more stuff in here and not just talk about all your experiences with the dead!) I started skimming to get back to her job. The nitty gritty of autopsies, prepping bodies for the postmortem and looking for forensic evidence of non-natural causes of death were terrific. Her descriptions of people she didn't like were offensive (I sure hope she wasn't using real names) and her voice began to grate.
In addition, the book -originally published in the UK, needed an editor. Not a copy editor but an editor to cut repetition, cut unnecessary phrases and tighten the whole thing up. With some better writing I could see the book as a long article in The New Yorker. But there's not enough meat for a book.
Read
July 17, 2018The parts dealing with the mortuary career were so interesting, but the book suffered from a lack of introspective depth. Williams described her actual work with verve, but the intellectual and emotional insights, or even just reflections, were few and far between. The book was frustratingly shallow.
And some of those few insights that were there just rubbed me the wrong way. In a throw-away sentence, Williams mused about whether family members were embarrassed that a fat relative's body required additional effort and manpower to remove in the hour after his death, and I just scowled at the book. I'm really not supportive of inflicting shame on people for their bodies--or the bodies of their loved ones, for Pete's sake!--and Williams wondering whether embarrassment was the dominant feeling of the relatives seems pretty shallow and cruel, and it made Williams come across as really unsympathetic to me. It was such an unnecessary show of being belittling.
The intrusions of unnecessary descriptions of Williams's personal life brought the book down because, so often, all the chatter about her life outside the morgue was not relevant, or only barely relevant, and yet passages were devoted to lengthy descriptions of things like choosing a place to eat dinner. The times when Williams' personal life did intersect with her work, those passages were memorable and moving. But like with the introspection, these times were infrequent.
The quick anecdotes, the lack of connection between said anecdotes, and the chatty-but-shallow tone left me thinking that the book would have been better suited in the format of a blog.
And some of those few insights that were there just rubbed me the wrong way. In a throw-away sentence, Williams mused about whether family members were embarrassed that a fat relative's body required additional effort and manpower to remove in the hour after his death, and I just scowled at the book. I'm really not supportive of inflicting shame on people for their bodies--or the bodies of their loved ones, for Pete's sake!--and Williams wondering whether embarrassment was the dominant feeling of the relatives seems pretty shallow and cruel, and it made Williams come across as really unsympathetic to me. It was such an unnecessary show of being belittling.
The intrusions of unnecessary descriptions of Williams's personal life brought the book down because, so often, all the chatter about her life outside the morgue was not relevant, or only barely relevant, and yet passages were devoted to lengthy descriptions of things like choosing a place to eat dinner. The times when Williams' personal life did intersect with her work, those passages were memorable and moving. But like with the introspection, these times were infrequent.
The quick anecdotes, the lack of connection between said anecdotes, and the chatty-but-shallow tone left me thinking that the book would have been better suited in the format of a blog.
January 13, 2011
When this author stuck to the morgue her book was enjoyable. What I wanted to read about was her learning the ropes of her new job. The bodies, the problems, the anxieties etc. However, when she meandered off into talking about her boyfriend, their dogs, and her family's holidays, I got very bored. I also noticed two different typos in the book. Editor! Also if I had to hear this woman say "we worked like beavers" or "he had hands like shovels" again, I was going to scream. I didn't realize when I got it that this book is about the English system, so included along with the gore were many asides about pubs and tea. (Yawn.) I'd say, let this one pass you by.
August 27, 2019
The good:
- I didn't realize it, but this book was written in England, and therefore gave me a slightly different view of mortuary work than I've seen in US books.
- The book didn't shy away from details, even if they were gory or painful.
The bad:
- Basically any parts not in the mortuary were quite boring.
- There's some weird judginess on the part of the author about fat corpses that was a real turnoff; much of the book talks about respect for the dead, which I guess doesn't count for anyone who died fat.
Overall an interesting read, but I'd recommend Caitlin Doughty's first book over this for a better look at deathcare.
- I didn't realize it, but this book was written in England, and therefore gave me a slightly different view of mortuary work than I've seen in US books.
- The book didn't shy away from details, even if they were gory or painful.
The bad:
- Basically any parts not in the mortuary were quite boring.
- There's some weird judginess on the part of the author about fat corpses that was a real turnoff; much of the book talks about respect for the dead, which I guess doesn't count for anyone who died fat.
Overall an interesting read, but I'd recommend Caitlin Doughty's first book over this for a better look at deathcare.
January 3, 2022
I couldn't even be bothered to finish this book. I worked in pathology for several years and can't imagine writing about the human beings I saw with such disrespect. Saying that someone's family should be embarrassed about how obese their deceased relative is or that a wife has lost her dignity due to her husband dressing in women's clothes....that's just absolutely appalling to me. The absolute disregard for the fact that these are human beings who deserve respect especially in death. I couldn't read anymore of it.
March 22, 2014
Not really certain how this writer got her book deal, short of some rude options involving either personal favors or perhaps she helped cover a death for a publisher. Because... wow. This is really dreadful. The concept could have made for a fascinating book but it would have been more entertaining to sit and listen to someone read the phone book in a monotone.
Wonderful to suddenly decide to take a new direction in you life, but if the goal was to demystify the last moments of existence before burial, this is a failure. Not because it doesn't accurately explain what occurs during an autopsy - but because it is just so unrelentingly and blandly told. Any job can be fascinating, any career can spark off interest in the right hands. But the author approaches both her job as a mortuary tech AND a writer with the exact same blank tone one takes reading off the directions on how to use a self-check out scanner at the grocery. Bland grey disconnected 'and this happened, while we listed to the radio and waited for the paperwork to come through' nonsense. I'm a fast read, but I still feel like I should be given the hour back I spent reading this. Technical manuals are put together with more style. And I'm terribly sorry, but simply being able to string a grammatically correct statement together doesn't make you a write, if that's all that is required, Siri on my iPhone would be up for a Pulitzer. This might have been written to pull back some of the mystery, but if it was, please pull that sheet RIGHT back over the dead body of this book! If 'due to paperwork snags' an obese corpse is allowed to mold, mildew, rot, leak and generally ooze for nearly a week in an unrefrigerated space - the mortuary the author wrote for should either be filing criminal charges against the ineffectual idiot who kept 'forgetting' to send the proper paperwork, or her bosses should be tried for criminal laziness for refusing to even TRY to move the process forward. She rambles on and on about preserving the final dignities of a body, how she won't gossip about what happens to a person (she won't talk details to family, but is fine writing a book and giving blow by blow descriptions of a body to the world? Talk about a seriously weird world view) but this book is just... bad.
Badly written, badly conceived, badly assembled and badly/barely thought out.
There are dozens of writers who cover this type of material who do an amazing job - both in the fiction and factual worlds. It's not the gore that disgusts me, it's the utterly thrilled to be mediocre in all things - job/writing/life of the author.
Find something else to read. Really. Anything.
Looked at in the right light, reading that phonebook I mentioned above would at least leave you in the end with a bit of information lodged and a grasp of your local area codes. The only thing I came away with after reading this is a serious irritation I stuck with it.
Wonderful to suddenly decide to take a new direction in you life, but if the goal was to demystify the last moments of existence before burial, this is a failure. Not because it doesn't accurately explain what occurs during an autopsy - but because it is just so unrelentingly and blandly told. Any job can be fascinating, any career can spark off interest in the right hands. But the author approaches both her job as a mortuary tech AND a writer with the exact same blank tone one takes reading off the directions on how to use a self-check out scanner at the grocery. Bland grey disconnected 'and this happened, while we listed to the radio and waited for the paperwork to come through' nonsense. I'm a fast read, but I still feel like I should be given the hour back I spent reading this. Technical manuals are put together with more style. And I'm terribly sorry, but simply being able to string a grammatically correct statement together doesn't make you a write, if that's all that is required, Siri on my iPhone would be up for a Pulitzer. This might have been written to pull back some of the mystery, but if it was, please pull that sheet RIGHT back over the dead body of this book! If 'due to paperwork snags' an obese corpse is allowed to mold, mildew, rot, leak and generally ooze for nearly a week in an unrefrigerated space - the mortuary the author wrote for should either be filing criminal charges against the ineffectual idiot who kept 'forgetting' to send the proper paperwork, or her bosses should be tried for criminal laziness for refusing to even TRY to move the process forward. She rambles on and on about preserving the final dignities of a body, how she won't gossip about what happens to a person (she won't talk details to family, but is fine writing a book and giving blow by blow descriptions of a body to the world? Talk about a seriously weird world view) but this book is just... bad.
Badly written, badly conceived, badly assembled and badly/barely thought out.
There are dozens of writers who cover this type of material who do an amazing job - both in the fiction and factual worlds. It's not the gore that disgusts me, it's the utterly thrilled to be mediocre in all things - job/writing/life of the author.
Find something else to read. Really. Anything.
Looked at in the right light, reading that phonebook I mentioned above would at least leave you in the end with a bit of information lodged and a grasp of your local area codes. The only thing I came away with after reading this is a serious irritation I stuck with it.
August 18, 2017
I found this book delightful, despite (or perhaps due to?) the less than beautiful descriptions of dead bodies in various stages of decay and abuse. The things we see and read today get so sanitized and “prettied up” that it is truly a treat to be exposed to real, real life—not the made up, doctored and produced crap we are fed on “reality” T.V.
Michelle Williams simply relates the story of her new job as a mortuary technician with Britain’s National Health Service (NHS), giving us a complete description of her and her coworkers’ duties, dedication (or not) to the job, and personalities. She also includes what they do during their off time, just in case we believe that working in a mortuary somehow makes you anything other than just a human.
I enjoyed the humor—yes there is humor—probably because my dad loved death humor so I was exposed early and often! For example, my dad’s favorite joke of all time involved the road construction worker who was run over by one of those huge road roller machines that flattens out newly laid asphalt. It was a weekend and the funeral home was closed, so they just slipped him under the door. (I swear, my dad was not weird! He was just really, really funny.)
I also recognized the people because I grew up in a very tiny town where everyone knew everyone else, and all stories were public. I went to school with the children of the local undertaker/funeral home owner. He had a fine collection of classic cars, lent a couple to the makers of the 1967 movie Bonnie and Clyde, and was rewarded by first having to harass them into returning his cars, and then by getting them back with “bullet” holes in them! Believe me when I tell you that this was the event of the decade in that town!
If you are not put off by real life descriptions of things you don’t usually see or even want to see personally, and would like some laughs, then I highly recommend this book. It’s a fun, quick, and easy read.
Michelle Williams simply relates the story of her new job as a mortuary technician with Britain’s National Health Service (NHS), giving us a complete description of her and her coworkers’ duties, dedication (or not) to the job, and personalities. She also includes what they do during their off time, just in case we believe that working in a mortuary somehow makes you anything other than just a human.
I enjoyed the humor—yes there is humor—probably because my dad loved death humor so I was exposed early and often! For example, my dad’s favorite joke of all time involved the road construction worker who was run over by one of those huge road roller machines that flattens out newly laid asphalt. It was a weekend and the funeral home was closed, so they just slipped him under the door. (I swear, my dad was not weird! He was just really, really funny.)
I also recognized the people because I grew up in a very tiny town where everyone knew everyone else, and all stories were public. I went to school with the children of the local undertaker/funeral home owner. He had a fine collection of classic cars, lent a couple to the makers of the 1967 movie Bonnie and Clyde, and was rewarded by first having to harass them into returning his cars, and then by getting them back with “bullet” holes in them! Believe me when I tell you that this was the event of the decade in that town!
If you are not put off by real life descriptions of things you don’t usually see or even want to see personally, and would like some laughs, then I highly recommend this book. It’s a fun, quick, and easy read.
November 4, 2012
Reading this book was like meeting an ordinary person on the bus and chatting about her day at work. Except in this case she works, not as an office office assistant or shop clerk, but as a mortuary technician. There was no grand story arc, just 51 short chapters, each about the events of one day.
I must admit I finished the book wondering how she came to write it. The Michelle Williams portrayed here gives no hint of being interested in writing. What happened next in her life that lead to her writing a memoir?
I must admit I finished the book wondering how she came to write it. The Michelle Williams portrayed here gives no hint of being interested in writing. What happened next in her life that lead to her writing a memoir?
September 11, 2014
wow, it really was a year with Michelle, Clive, Graham, Ed and Maddie, through the pages of that book, you travel in a world kept secret in every hospital, the morgue, an incridible journey with the dead!
August 2, 2024
I'm not sure why I'm fascinated with mortuary and post-mortem (PM). I guess I've always been curious about the "taboo" and "sub rosa" of the whole thing. This is not my first book on this subject in fact, I've always shown keen interest in watching documentaries and learning clips about this topic.
Now now, don't get me wrong! I'm not drooling over the eviscerating procedure or getting some sort of "high" thinking about these things. No, I'm curious about this topic because it's not the same as being an animal slaughterer or, (god forbid) a murderer. It's the meticulous scientific process and care that go into conducting this procedure. It's finding an answer in death! Along the way, I also want to know how people who work in this field deal with this job, if they ever get upset, how they try to "normalize" it, and how they work as a team.
If you're curious about this topic but not really interested in going into depth with scientific stuff, this book is for you. I find this book to be an easier read compared to "Past Mortems: Life and Death Behind Mortuary Doors," because Michelle started off not knowing anything about mortuary and post-mortem. She passed the interview and just went with it. So her experience is purely on the "innocent/elementary" level. I admit, Michelle got guts (no pun intended), though, because what her job entitled her to do is not something many people can comprehend. It's not easy to simply transition from eviscerating corpses all day to going home and being "normal" about it. This job needs dedication, commitment, and endurance like no other, because not only do you need to do a physical job on the corpse, but you also need to deal with grieving families and forensic cases. Not sure how I would have reacted in the same situation.
What did I love about this book? Michelle wasn't shy about disclosing her apprehension and insecurity when it came to facing something out of the norm that landed on her lap. Somehow, she still managed to push through and often surprised herself with her own abilities. I also love that her chapters are filled with cases and situations that usually answer a lot of questions people usually have regarding this topic without going too much into scientific details and complex descriptions. Michelle explains the PM of some cases by giving us enough information for us to understand what is happening and what the final verdict was provided by the pathologist. She also incorporates her own feelings and experiences of the same situation and gives us an idea of how people reacted to those cases.
Each chapter explains unique cases that explain the importance and differences in how the case is handled. It also provided a glimpse of how everyone around death operations works. The hirachy are the internal and external parties that play a very important role in ensuring the corpse is handled correctly and with respect and care. We usually don't "see" their part in the whole process because they work in the background.
I love that in each chapter, Michelle had very diverse types of corpses that highlighted it's very own story and PM procedures. So much thought goes into creating a mortuary, and sometimes even that requirement changes with time and demands. Funny how we don't really think about that until COVID deaths pile up. I also cringed when I read about the doctor who was so careless with his findings and refused to acknowledge his mistakes. Gosh, doctors like this are what worries me a lot because they don't show respect to the deceased.
I adore the relationship Michelle had with her co-workers. She is very lucky to start a new career path with someone like Clive, Graham, and Ed. It's always vital to work with someone who is patient and willing to teach you the skill and experience, because good teamwork is like a well-oiled machine. She also had a very supportive family and partner who believed in her career path.
Highlights of the book are the many diverse cases she shared in her book, the obese man, the child, the harvester man, the burnt family, the rotting corpse, the pus guts guy, the sucide case, and the bike guy.
Now now, don't get me wrong! I'm not drooling over the eviscerating procedure or getting some sort of "high" thinking about these things. No, I'm curious about this topic because it's not the same as being an animal slaughterer or, (god forbid) a murderer. It's the meticulous scientific process and care that go into conducting this procedure. It's finding an answer in death! Along the way, I also want to know how people who work in this field deal with this job, if they ever get upset, how they try to "normalize" it, and how they work as a team.
If you're curious about this topic but not really interested in going into depth with scientific stuff, this book is for you. I find this book to be an easier read compared to "Past Mortems: Life and Death Behind Mortuary Doors," because Michelle started off not knowing anything about mortuary and post-mortem. She passed the interview and just went with it. So her experience is purely on the "innocent/elementary" level. I admit, Michelle got guts (no pun intended), though, because what her job entitled her to do is not something many people can comprehend. It's not easy to simply transition from eviscerating corpses all day to going home and being "normal" about it. This job needs dedication, commitment, and endurance like no other, because not only do you need to do a physical job on the corpse, but you also need to deal with grieving families and forensic cases. Not sure how I would have reacted in the same situation.
What did I love about this book? Michelle wasn't shy about disclosing her apprehension and insecurity when it came to facing something out of the norm that landed on her lap. Somehow, she still managed to push through and often surprised herself with her own abilities. I also love that her chapters are filled with cases and situations that usually answer a lot of questions people usually have regarding this topic without going too much into scientific details and complex descriptions. Michelle explains the PM of some cases by giving us enough information for us to understand what is happening and what the final verdict was provided by the pathologist. She also incorporates her own feelings and experiences of the same situation and gives us an idea of how people reacted to those cases.
Each chapter explains unique cases that explain the importance and differences in how the case is handled. It also provided a glimpse of how everyone around death operations works. The hirachy are the internal and external parties that play a very important role in ensuring the corpse is handled correctly and with respect and care. We usually don't "see" their part in the whole process because they work in the background.
I love that in each chapter, Michelle had very diverse types of corpses that highlighted it's very own story and PM procedures. So much thought goes into creating a mortuary, and sometimes even that requirement changes with time and demands. Funny how we don't really think about that until COVID deaths pile up. I also cringed when I read about the doctor who was so careless with his findings and refused to acknowledge his mistakes. Gosh, doctors like this are what worries me a lot because they don't show respect to the deceased.
I adore the relationship Michelle had with her co-workers. She is very lucky to start a new career path with someone like Clive, Graham, and Ed. It's always vital to work with someone who is patient and willing to teach you the skill and experience, because good teamwork is like a well-oiled machine. She also had a very supportive family and partner who believed in her career path.
Highlights of the book are the many diverse cases she shared in her book, the obese man, the child, the harvester man, the burnt family, the rotting corpse, the pus guts guy, the sucide case, and the bike guy.
March 26, 2024
This was absolutely fascinating, but not for anyone with a weak stomach!
August 22, 2024
An overall interesting read and look at the day to day activities of a mortician. It loses a star for slightly too much information on the actual author's life and not sticking to the subject matter. It's not a deal breaker, it's not too intrusive, I just don't need to know how often you go to the pub or who's looking after your dogs.
The dogs sound like very good boys though to be fair.
Pretty good.
The dogs sound like very good boys though to be fair.
Pretty good.
September 29, 2017
It's very interesting to see what goes on in a hospital mortuary, and to see how the author grew into the job. I was less interested in the constant trips to pubs with family and co-workers, and all the hangovers that resulted. Aside from the job, she seems relentlessly average.
She talks a lot about how respectful she and her co-workers are to the dead and their families. But she was blatantly disrespectful and contemptuous of a man who died while cross-dressed in women's clothing. That pretty much ruined the book for me.
She talks a lot about how respectful she and her co-workers are to the dead and their families. But she was blatantly disrespectful and contemptuous of a man who died while cross-dressed in women's clothing. That pretty much ruined the book for me.
August 31, 2023
I work in a mortuary, so I’m always excited to come across books written by women in the death industry, but it seems that every time I’m left disappointed by the same thing. I could never fathom having such judgmental thoughts about decedents & families, let alone having the audacity to publish them into a memoir. I did learn from this book some more details about autopsy technician procedure which was interesting.
November 4, 2019
Read this book in two sittings. Not for the squeamish for sure but a fascinating read. Enjoyed the British expressions and how close knit her family was. Could have been written better but that did not affect my enjoyment of the book.
February 10, 2020
In the grand tradition of me loving morbid books, this one is a winner. Michelle Williams is an Everywoman who happens to get a job in the mortuary. It's gross and sweet, all wrapped up in one book.
May 29, 2018
I might as well start off with the good , since there isn't much for me in this one (Sorry Michelle).
I really did like that I could relate to the writers anxiousness within a new job. The trials and trivialization that come with diving in head-first.
That's about it.
Here's a list of things I really didn't like:
We get it, you go the pub often.
How can someone working in a mortuary technicians position not want to further their education?
In connection with that, how can someone with help from a forensic pathologist and constant experience on her side barely scrape through a mortuary technicians exam?
To not know what the coronary circulatory system is after so much first hand experience is honestly just beyond me.
Michelle just seems a lot like Graham, just wanting to get the job done without advancing much and likes the idea of it and telling people what she does more than anything else.
As an aspiring mortuary technician it saddens me to see so much of the routine, work and terminology go over the authors head.
Something about this book and the reason for writing it just doesn't make much sense to me.
At least it was an easy read and there was some educational and fairly entertaining content.
My impression is that the author definitely did make an impression on her colleagues and must be a likeable person, but I doubt this is her passion.
I really did like that I could relate to the writers anxiousness within a new job. The trials and trivialization that come with diving in head-first.
That's about it.
Here's a list of things I really didn't like:
We get it, you go the pub often.
How can someone working in a mortuary technicians position not want to further their education?
In connection with that, how can someone with help from a forensic pathologist and constant experience on her side barely scrape through a mortuary technicians exam?
To not know what the coronary circulatory system is after so much first hand experience is honestly just beyond me.
Michelle just seems a lot like Graham, just wanting to get the job done without advancing much and likes the idea of it and telling people what she does more than anything else.
As an aspiring mortuary technician it saddens me to see so much of the routine, work and terminology go over the authors head.
Something about this book and the reason for writing it just doesn't make much sense to me.
At least it was an easy read and there was some educational and fairly entertaining content.
My impression is that the author definitely did make an impression on her colleagues and must be a likeable person, but I doubt this is her passion.
March 30, 2023
DOWN AMONG THE DEAD MEN, A Year in the Life of a Mortuary Technician by Michelle Williams.
MY RATING GUIDE: 4.5 Stars. This is an excellent “behind the scenes, a year in the life, of a English mortuary technician” non-fiction book.
1= dnf/What was that?; 2= Nope, not for me; 3= This was okay/cute; 3.5= I enjoyed it; 4= I liked it a lot; 5= I Loved it, it was great! (I seldom give 5 Stars).
Comments ~
1) I am always curious about unusual or unique careers. What attracts people to certain careers and which types of people do well in them? How do people even become aware of certain obscure jobs? What duties do they perform? I felt Williams did a wonderful job providing answers to these questions and more. She included certain aspects of her home life, as well, which provided answers for “What kind of person excels in this career.”
2) I was very satisfied with the information provided in DATDM and recommend it to individuals consider mortuary science as a possible future career. Others, like myself, who simply enjoy reading about unusual careers and/or hobbies may find this book as interesting as I did.
3) Williams handled the topic of death (and the families of the dead) in a most respectful manner. Adding another answer to “Who excels in this career?” (As a side note, the author had 10yrs experience as a Disabilities caregiver/teacher prior to her job change. In addition, as of 2010 - the book’s publication - the author had worked to the position of Mortuary Manager).
READER CAUTION ~ Persons with weak stomachs may wish to refrain. Otherwise, suitable for most adults.
PROFANITY - No. Not that I recall.
VIOLENCE - None. The author reveals facts which deal with death, accidental or otherwise, in a scientific and medical fashion.
SEXUAL SITUATIONS - None.
MY RATING GUIDE: 4.5 Stars. This is an excellent “behind the scenes, a year in the life, of a English mortuary technician” non-fiction book.
1= dnf/What was that?; 2= Nope, not for me; 3= This was okay/cute; 3.5= I enjoyed it; 4= I liked it a lot; 5= I Loved it, it was great! (I seldom give 5 Stars).
Comments ~
1) I am always curious about unusual or unique careers. What attracts people to certain careers and which types of people do well in them? How do people even become aware of certain obscure jobs? What duties do they perform? I felt Williams did a wonderful job providing answers to these questions and more. She included certain aspects of her home life, as well, which provided answers for “What kind of person excels in this career.”
2) I was very satisfied with the information provided in DATDM and recommend it to individuals consider mortuary science as a possible future career. Others, like myself, who simply enjoy reading about unusual careers and/or hobbies may find this book as interesting as I did.
3) Williams handled the topic of death (and the families of the dead) in a most respectful manner. Adding another answer to “Who excels in this career?” (As a side note, the author had 10yrs experience as a Disabilities caregiver/teacher prior to her job change. In addition, as of 2010 - the book’s publication - the author had worked to the position of Mortuary Manager).
READER CAUTION ~ Persons with weak stomachs may wish to refrain. Otherwise, suitable for most adults.
PROFANITY - No. Not that I recall.
VIOLENCE - None. The author reveals facts which deal with death, accidental or otherwise, in a scientific and medical fashion.
SEXUAL SITUATIONS - None.
September 1, 2025
Probably a book I wouldn't of chosen myself, but was lent to me by a friend. It was fascinating and learnt alot in a easy to read way by still being respectful to those who had passes. I'f never really thought to much about what goes on in a mortuary and was very intrigued reading it.
My one niggle through out the book was she hasn't anywhere in the book say names have been changed. I presume this has happened for privacy and respect to the dead and their families. However, I did google one of the cases which would definitely made the news and saw a news article which was similar except the gender was changed and also names different (Altho victims had name of grandmother and father/grandfather name was same . So I think she did change some slightly- and perhaps others was maybe a combination of cases. I understand why she would do that- but would prefer for her to acknowledge this.
My one niggle through out the book was she hasn't anywhere in the book say names have been changed. I presume this has happened for privacy and respect to the dead and their families. However, I did google one of the cases which would definitely made the news and saw a news article which was similar except the gender was changed and also names different (Altho victims had name of grandmother and father/grandfather name was same . So I think she did change some slightly- and perhaps others was maybe a combination of cases. I understand why she would do that- but would prefer for her to acknowledge this.
December 15, 2019
This was interesting but I'm not sure that I'd recommend it to people who enjoy the subject. I certainly wouldn't recommend it to people who don't enjoy the subject. There were times where her turn of casual phrase caused me to stop and wonder who her editor was (I had to look at the pub year a few times). The writing was also definitely not the strongest point. She had did have a few interesting stories and tidbits but on the whole I'd go with some more modern memoirs such as Caitlin Doughty's if you're looking into this.
April 26, 2024
One of the best books in the genre.
I’ve read this book twice now and it’s still a fascinating, insightful and moving read on the second go-around.
Not everyone has what it takes to work in a mortuary every day and see the things they see. This book shows the humanity of the people who do the job and the pride they take in it. A must for anyone with an interest in forensics, pathology and human nature.
I’ve read this book twice now and it’s still a fascinating, insightful and moving read on the second go-around.
Not everyone has what it takes to work in a mortuary every day and see the things they see. This book shows the humanity of the people who do the job and the pride they take in it. A must for anyone with an interest in forensics, pathology and human nature.
April 12, 2021
Brilliant!
I hung on every word! It was refreshing, flowed well, and informative. You got to love each personality and how they kept respect for the no longer living. Descriptions were so that you could picture fairly well what was happening. I was glad for the knowledge the author could bring.
I hung on every word! It was refreshing, flowed well, and informative. You got to love each personality and how they kept respect for the no longer living. Descriptions were so that you could picture fairly well what was happening. I was glad for the knowledge the author could bring.
August 11, 2023
An absorbing read at life working in an NHS mortuary. It gave a fascinating look at work behind the scenes once patients left the wards, departments or arrived from the community.
The author begins her new career, learning from the ground up by her two senior colleagues. She starts at the very bottom rung but soon finds herself learning complex tasks and essentially running things herself. I enjoyed learning about how patients are moved between mortuary and funeral home, how they are cared for and the families interests are protected.
There are some heartbreaking stories told, and several in graphic detail, so sensitive readers may wish to bear that in mind. I’d love to read more from this author as her career develops.
The author begins her new career, learning from the ground up by her two senior colleagues. She starts at the very bottom rung but soon finds herself learning complex tasks and essentially running things herself. I enjoyed learning about how patients are moved between mortuary and funeral home, how they are cared for and the families interests are protected.
There are some heartbreaking stories told, and several in graphic detail, so sensitive readers may wish to bear that in mind. I’d love to read more from this author as her career develops.
February 23, 2019
2.5
I'm a big fan of anything to do with working in the death industry. I enjoyed Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner and I adored Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory last year, so I was hoping to love this one as well.
However, this one was a little too tame for me. Not only were the descriptions of the ins and outs of her job quite mundane, but there were entire chapters about completely irrelevant happenings of her out of work life. I don't need to know what it was like to go see a rugby game - what on earth does this have to do with your job? There didn't seem to be any overarching theme to the book either, like there has been in other books I've read of this nature. Towards the end there's her exams to be able to run a mortuary, but the book ends with her getting her results and it's a bit anticlimactic.
There were times were I just had to put this book down because I couldn't concentrate. I had a flight home without in-flight entertainment that was five hours long and I still couldn't focus on the book it was that dull to read. Would I recommend it to people? Maybe. It wouldn't be my first choice.
I'm a big fan of anything to do with working in the death industry. I enjoyed Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner and I adored Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory last year, so I was hoping to love this one as well.
However, this one was a little too tame for me. Not only were the descriptions of the ins and outs of her job quite mundane, but there were entire chapters about completely irrelevant happenings of her out of work life. I don't need to know what it was like to go see a rugby game - what on earth does this have to do with your job? There didn't seem to be any overarching theme to the book either, like there has been in other books I've read of this nature. Towards the end there's her exams to be able to run a mortuary, but the book ends with her getting her results and it's a bit anticlimactic.
There were times were I just had to put this book down because I couldn't concentrate. I had a flight home without in-flight entertainment that was five hours long and I still couldn't focus on the book it was that dull to read. Would I recommend it to people? Maybe. It wouldn't be my first choice.
May 31, 2021
I didn’t love it. Too much talking about her family and her dogs and really not enough detail about the mortuary. It needed a good editor and/or co-author who understands how to structure the flow of a book.
July 21, 2021
I'm not sure what I was expecting, but clearly, it was something more. The memoir began solid enough, but I felt there were too many details at times (like I really didn't need to know the details of their evisceration process) and not enough at others (there were several breaks in the daily MT life to tell something about her personal life, but absolutely no apparent reason for including the anecdote). I believe the attempt to bring her friends into the book was to ground the career with personal and to give her story a sense of humanity, but there was never any point to the introductions. For example, there was no explanation why it was important to tell about another hospital worker taking care of her dogs while she went on a bar crawl with her parents and bf. I wish she would have done a better job tying the two sides of her life together.
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September 18, 2024Memoir we know the rule, but I did really enjoy this. Made me senti for when I was cool like this and also want to go back to school to do this again. Really well done and reverent
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