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Object Lessons
Snake
Object Lessons is a series of short, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things.
Feared and worshiped in equal measure, snakes have captured the imagination of poets, painters, and philosophers for centuries. From Ice Age cave drawings to Snakes on a Plane , this creature continues to enthrall the public. But what harm has been caused by our mythologizing? While considering the dangers of stigma, Erica Wright moves from art and pop culture to religion, fetish, and ecologic disaster. This book considers how the snake has become more symbol than animal, a metaphor for how we treat whatever scares us the most, whether or not our panic is justified.
Object Lessons is published in partnership with an essay series in the The Atlantic .
Feared and worshiped in equal measure, snakes have captured the imagination of poets, painters, and philosophers for centuries. From Ice Age cave drawings to Snakes on a Plane , this creature continues to enthrall the public. But what harm has been caused by our mythologizing? While considering the dangers of stigma, Erica Wright moves from art and pop culture to religion, fetish, and ecologic disaster. This book considers how the snake has become more symbol than animal, a metaphor for how we treat whatever scares us the most, whether or not our panic is justified.
Object Lessons is published in partnership with an essay series in the The Atlantic .
- GenresNonfictionHistoryEssays
160 pages, Paperback
First published September 3, 2020
2 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
About the author
Erica Wright
18 books181 followersErica Wright is a poet and novelist. Her latest mystery
Hollow Bones
was called "an incredibly rich work of literature" in the Nashville Scene. Her essay collection
Snake
is part of Bloomsbury's Object Lessons series and was one of LitReactor 's Best Books of 2020. She’s over the moon to be releasing two books in 2026: the poetry collection
A Buyer's Guide to the Afterlife
and the mystery
The Museum of Unusual Occurrence.
She was the poetry editor at
Guernica Magazine
for more than a decade and currently teaches at Bellevue University. She lives in Knoxville, Tennessee with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
September 4, 2020
I was mesmerized by the snake on the cover, I have no other reason why I picked up this short work on the subject of Snakes. It was the first from the series Object Lessons that I read, and it was quite interesting.
Erica Wright clearly is fascinated with snakes and has done research for this book. It was interesting to read since I do not think I have ever seen a snake (let alone a venomous one) outside of a shelter/zoo. I did a quick search and apparently the adder is the only venomous snake in Belgium and it is not even frequently seen where I live. So, for me it was mainly surprising to see how many people are actively scared of snakes, and how many incidents there are with dangerous snakes in other places.
The little book covers a variety of topics on Snakes but for me in the end it fell a little bit short because at times I found it a little bit disorganized. Things were said multiple times or could have been grouped together in better ways.
That being said, an interesting read.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Erica Wright clearly is fascinated with snakes and has done research for this book. It was interesting to read since I do not think I have ever seen a snake (let alone a venomous one) outside of a shelter/zoo. I did a quick search and apparently the adder is the only venomous snake in Belgium and it is not even frequently seen where I live. So, for me it was mainly surprising to see how many people are actively scared of snakes, and how many incidents there are with dangerous snakes in other places.
The little book covers a variety of topics on Snakes but for me in the end it fell a little bit short because at times I found it a little bit disorganized. Things were said multiple times or could have been grouped together in better ways.
That being said, an interesting read.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
July 19, 2020
✨ ARC kindly provided by the publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you✨
3🌟------------------------------------------------------------
I have never feared snakes
I found them pretty and interesting
I even held a snake once. my mom screamed when she saw me.
(this was at a display where a guy would let people hold his snake)
This was a great little book about the way we view snakes and the contradictory things they represent i do recommend if you're already interested in snakes.
quite random, but quite fun.
3🌟------------------------------------------------------------
I have never feared snakes
I found them pretty and interesting
I even held a snake once. my mom screamed when she saw me.
(this was at a display where a guy would let people hold his snake)
This was a great little book about the way we view snakes and the contradictory things they represent i do recommend if you're already interested in snakes.
quite random, but quite fun.
September 6, 2020
Part of the Objects Lessons series, a collection of short books which take a look at everyday objects, encouraging the reader to see them in a new light. Snake is part textbook, part memoir, as Erica Wright details her own experiences of the fascinating animals, paired with facts about them and their links to mythology and symbolism.
I have to admit, I’ve had a fascination with snakes since I was a kid. They’re intriguing animals, often portrayed poorly, sometimes harmless, sometimes dangerous, and much less scary than spiders. As Wright explains, they’re often linked to evil, to the bad guys, whether it’s in the Garden of Eden or the prince’s right-hand, er, snake in Robin Hood, or even the intriguing, unusual hairstyle of Medusa.
Wright does a great job of giving her own experiences alongside everything else, and there wasn’t a moment in this short book – which could really be considered a long essay – when I felt the text was boring or dry. One thing I found really intriguing was that Wright herself has a fear of snakes, but set out long ago to expose herself to them, and learn what she could about these animals.
There was nothing particularly new here (‘we might be born with a fear of snakes and spiders’ is one of my favorite factoids) for me, but it’s still an engaging read, told in a conversational tone that allows the reader to really follow it, without it becoming over-bearing or perhaps too academic. The ties to the snake as symbol, links to femininity, negative connotations and the like were laid out well and do provide food for thought, made better by the way it’s all laid out and connected.
I think this is a really good book that does well to dive into the snake, in an easy to follow manner while conveying a lot of information. It’s interesting, and worth checking out, especially if you want to know a little more about these fascinating animals.
Rating: 5 Stars
I have to admit, I’ve had a fascination with snakes since I was a kid. They’re intriguing animals, often portrayed poorly, sometimes harmless, sometimes dangerous, and much less scary than spiders. As Wright explains, they’re often linked to evil, to the bad guys, whether it’s in the Garden of Eden or the prince’s right-hand, er, snake in Robin Hood, or even the intriguing, unusual hairstyle of Medusa.
Wright does a great job of giving her own experiences alongside everything else, and there wasn’t a moment in this short book – which could really be considered a long essay – when I felt the text was boring or dry. One thing I found really intriguing was that Wright herself has a fear of snakes, but set out long ago to expose herself to them, and learn what she could about these animals.
There was nothing particularly new here (‘we might be born with a fear of snakes and spiders’ is one of my favorite factoids) for me, but it’s still an engaging read, told in a conversational tone that allows the reader to really follow it, without it becoming over-bearing or perhaps too academic. The ties to the snake as symbol, links to femininity, negative connotations and the like were laid out well and do provide food for thought, made better by the way it’s all laid out and connected.
I think this is a really good book that does well to dive into the snake, in an easy to follow manner while conveying a lot of information. It’s interesting, and worth checking out, especially if you want to know a little more about these fascinating animals.
Rating: 5 Stars
May 26, 2021
What a delightful and fascinating little book this is! It spans a mere 110 pages, but it took me a while to read it because Erica Wright packed so much into its brief length.
She covers everything from the snake in the Garden of Eden to Brittany Spears dancing with a boa constrictor. Her true subject is not snakes per se, but rather the way humans regard a snake -- as both evil and good, as a tempter and a source of wisdom, a bringer of health and of death.
I did wish she had spent a little more time on the biggest snake story in the U.S., namely the spread of pythons in the Everglades. And I thought she wandered a bit off-track by the end rather than winding it up with something snappy that encapsulates everything. You know, sort of like a snake eating its own tail.
She covers everything from the snake in the Garden of Eden to Brittany Spears dancing with a boa constrictor. Her true subject is not snakes per se, but rather the way humans regard a snake -- as both evil and good, as a tempter and a source of wisdom, a bringer of health and of death.
I did wish she had spent a little more time on the biggest snake story in the U.S., namely the spread of pythons in the Everglades. And I thought she wandered a bit off-track by the end rather than winding it up with something snappy that encapsulates everything. You know, sort of like a snake eating its own tail.
December 24, 2023
Fun little read. Written by someone who clearly doesn't know much about any snake species but rather wants to shed a light on the issue with fearing such an animal. Best quote from this book is that irrational fear leads to terrible cruelty, and that is wise indeed.
Lowered star score because there are a lot of filler examples in here, clearly with the intent to boost word count without much effort. But I do appreciate that it was written, and for the good it may do a seriously misunderstood critter. They're just little noodles with heads, folks ^_^
Lowered star score because there are a lot of filler examples in here, clearly with the intent to boost word count without much effort. But I do appreciate that it was written, and for the good it may do a seriously misunderstood critter. They're just little noodles with heads, folks ^_^
August 3, 2020
When I reviewed Object Lessons = Political Sign my main negative was that the author cherry picked some interesting anecdotes, it worked as a monograph but he was too much like me as a person - and so our references (and shared outlook) were too similar to be thought provoking. Erica Wright, who has penned the superficially similar in tone and outlook Snake is not a alternative music skate-punk turned self-styled political pundit. She's a poetry editor. That is just about enough diversity to give it a better tone for me. A poetry editor that lived in a snake riddled house who is now perhaps a snake obsessive. And whilst it feels that she used to be a bit interested in snakes and became much more interested in them to write this book, that is fine. In many ways its preferable. This is the breeziest of the Object Lessons I have read, it comes in, it knows we are all interested in the deadly venom and the biblical stuff and - you know - has she ever been bitten by a snake?
He route is also nicely circuitous, she understands I think really well that a book like this might be read in one sitting but like a snake can meander through robotics (modelling snake movements), to Will Ferrell doing a skit on the Today Show not about snakes. There a moments of self reflection and memories about snake encounters but this is mainly been put together to enjoy as a book you dip into, each of its short chapters takes an aspect of snakedom (and those who charm and sell their oil) and goes to town. Is there a greater thesis, I thought at the time not, but the slipperiness of the subject gives a greater meta-textual meaning - discover and fall in love with your fears and you will fear no more. I think Wright probably also would want you to do that with poetry, though she will be happy with rehabilitating the humble snake.
[NetGalley ARC]
He route is also nicely circuitous, she understands I think really well that a book like this might be read in one sitting but like a snake can meander through robotics (modelling snake movements), to Will Ferrell doing a skit on the Today Show not about snakes. There a moments of self reflection and memories about snake encounters but this is mainly been put together to enjoy as a book you dip into, each of its short chapters takes an aspect of snakedom (and those who charm and sell their oil) and goes to town. Is there a greater thesis, I thought at the time not, but the slipperiness of the subject gives a greater meta-textual meaning - discover and fall in love with your fears and you will fear no more. I think Wright probably also would want you to do that with poetry, though she will be happy with rehabilitating the humble snake.
[NetGalley ARC]
April 20, 2020
This series of books – the list of which will soon breach a second page in every edition, so long it's getting, no matter the font shrinking – is designed to discuss semi-academically something we routinely find around us, or don't realise is culturally significant enough to have a non-fiction book dedicated to it. They're not for the specialists regarding each and every topic, for they're designed to be for the lay browser, in a collect-the-set fashion. And for the second time only (I discount 'Egg' and 'Whale Song' as by-products) we look at a living entity – the snake. Now, I did actually realise there was cultural significance about this critter, and I don't normally find it around me at all. I've barely met a slow worm, let along one of the more regularly considered British snakes; the only one I touched was held by a handler in a shopping mall for some event or another. I wouldn't normally be drawn to reading about them. But the beauty of these books – when they get it right – is that they let you read about the results of reading around them.
This author, for one, has had a connection to the subject that makes the production of this text look effortless. We get autobiography here, which is par for the course for this series, but here it's well-written, welcome and interesting (as opposed to too many under this umbrella). She's been around them since hating them as a child, but is more than enough of an able researcher to provide for a heck of a lot of the cultural references, semiotics and so on of the serpent, from "Paradise Lost" to Britney Spears. But it's not only the connotations of the legless reptiles that is here, for we get plain fact too – the man who has handled three million of them over decades of work with them and admits they would never actually be a pet, in contrast with lots of people who have them under the microscope of a bedroom tank wall, and in contrast to the nut-job religious ceremonies involving them.
It's not a perfect volume, unfortunately – there are a few 'yes – and?' sections, such as two pages about First Lady couture, that don't really go anywhere, and the last couple of chapters seemed to be a bit too waffly, the author spent in her arguments. But I did like it for proving so convincingly that the snake is good and evil, death and rebirth, both alien and needing our love. It's yin and yang personified – the ambulances speeding victims to receive antivenin have a picture of the things on the outside, of all things (although we're told that's a modern cock-up, without more elucidation, dammit). On the whole, four stars feels a touch generous but about right.
This author, for one, has had a connection to the subject that makes the production of this text look effortless. We get autobiography here, which is par for the course for this series, but here it's well-written, welcome and interesting (as opposed to too many under this umbrella). She's been around them since hating them as a child, but is more than enough of an able researcher to provide for a heck of a lot of the cultural references, semiotics and so on of the serpent, from "Paradise Lost" to Britney Spears. But it's not only the connotations of the legless reptiles that is here, for we get plain fact too – the man who has handled three million of them over decades of work with them and admits they would never actually be a pet, in contrast with lots of people who have them under the microscope of a bedroom tank wall, and in contrast to the nut-job religious ceremonies involving them.
It's not a perfect volume, unfortunately – there are a few 'yes – and?' sections, such as two pages about First Lady couture, that don't really go anywhere, and the last couple of chapters seemed to be a bit too waffly, the author spent in her arguments. But I did like it for proving so convincingly that the snake is good and evil, death and rebirth, both alien and needing our love. It's yin and yang personified – the ambulances speeding victims to receive antivenin have a picture of the things on the outside, of all things (although we're told that's a modern cock-up, without more elucidation, dammit). On the whole, four stars feels a touch generous but about right.
July 13, 2020
Even if this short book belongs to a series called “Object Lessons,” the author will probably agree with me that snakes are not a thing, but a wonder of nature with a PR problem. Still, the theme of the series makes this not a biology or ethology textbook, but a wonderful reflection of how humans view the snake as an object. There is plenty of information on these creatures, but there is also art, culture, folklore and even some poetry. Animal lovers will cringe at some paragraphs about the abuse that humans have brought on them throughout history. I once was walking by the river behind my office and saw a big, fat gopher snake. I immediately went closer (there are no poisonous snakes where I live, but it still left me in the minority of living creatures, along with mongooses and Eve whose first instinct was not running away), so I share Wright’s fascination with these beings. Reading and learning more about them was a wonderful experience. Even if you’re afraid of them, give this book a chance. It may just change your mind.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/ Bloomsbury Academic!
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/ Bloomsbury Academic!
September 26, 2020
Reactions to snakes are notoriously variable from screeches of fright to having nightmares to giddy excitement. My experience has been all three. Like Erica Wright, I used to fear snakes before knowing much about them. Now I seek them out deliberately and document and photograph them, though admittedly still do jump from time to time!
Wright's book details how humans over time have felt/feel about snakes. To some they were a necessary part of life.
They've been revered and despised, charmed and symbolic, worshipped and killed in "sport". Mythology, religion and symbolism were extremely important and impactful historically. Still are but now we are discovering snakes will apparently have a future in treating illnesses.
"Misunderstood" is the first descriptor which comes to my mind when contemplating snakes. Before researching and handling them I thought they would be slithery and slippery but they are dry, leathery and incredibly strong. When wrapped around your arm their powerful muscles easily hold up their heads. In nature I've seen them hunt and mate for hours, locked into a beautiful dance.
This book is an interesting mix of facts, history and anecdotes. The writing is so easy to read and the author has a great sense of humour (nope rope!). Those who fear them or are on the fence, please take the time to learn more about these beautiful creatures...highly rewarding. This engaging book offers fascinating personal perspectives, a nice complement to encyclopedic reads.
My sincere thank you to Bloomsbury Academic and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this enthralling book! Much appreciated.
Wright's book details how humans over time have felt/feel about snakes. To some they were a necessary part of life.
They've been revered and despised, charmed and symbolic, worshipped and killed in "sport". Mythology, religion and symbolism were extremely important and impactful historically. Still are but now we are discovering snakes will apparently have a future in treating illnesses.
"Misunderstood" is the first descriptor which comes to my mind when contemplating snakes. Before researching and handling them I thought they would be slithery and slippery but they are dry, leathery and incredibly strong. When wrapped around your arm their powerful muscles easily hold up their heads. In nature I've seen them hunt and mate for hours, locked into a beautiful dance.
This book is an interesting mix of facts, history and anecdotes. The writing is so easy to read and the author has a great sense of humour (nope rope!). Those who fear them or are on the fence, please take the time to learn more about these beautiful creatures...highly rewarding. This engaging book offers fascinating personal perspectives, a nice complement to encyclopedic reads.
My sincere thank you to Bloomsbury Academic and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this enthralling book! Much appreciated.
November 6, 2020
This is the first I'd heard of the 'Object Lessons' series and it's not something I would usually read for fun - but I have an incredible passion for snakes. In fact, I work with reptiles, so I feel that I'm very knowledgable and experienced when it comes to snakes. I wondered what a book like this could teach me, the answer? A lot!
Snakes by Erica Wright is a fascinating insight into snakes in history, art, literature and culture. It explores the theme of the snake from cave paintings, to the bible, to modern times, often returning to the theme of the duality that a snake presents. It is well written, interesting, and had some unexpected examples. This is an awesome read for someone who is interested in how snakes have been perceived and affected society over the years, but should also appeal to anyone with a general interest in myth, culture and symbolism. Or just if you're looking to spend a few hours broadening your knowledge.
Interspersed between facts are anecodates and personal reflection from someone who does appear to have a genuine interest in the subject, giving it personality and bringing it to life.
Five stars from me.
Snakes by Erica Wright is a fascinating insight into snakes in history, art, literature and culture. It explores the theme of the snake from cave paintings, to the bible, to modern times, often returning to the theme of the duality that a snake presents. It is well written, interesting, and had some unexpected examples. This is an awesome read for someone who is interested in how snakes have been perceived and affected society over the years, but should also appeal to anyone with a general interest in myth, culture and symbolism. Or just if you're looking to spend a few hours broadening your knowledge.
Interspersed between facts are anecodates and personal reflection from someone who does appear to have a genuine interest in the subject, giving it personality and bringing it to life.
Five stars from me.
August 15, 2020
Snakes scare the f*** out of me! I’ve had repetitive snake bite dreams when I was a kid and it still is a nightmare to watch snake horror films.. But I requested this book about SNAKES to know more about them. Its like the saying “know more about your enemies”.
Before requesting this I never knew Object Lessons was a series and I’ve added other books to my tbr. This book particularly deals with atmosphere of snakes, their nature, what they represent right from the mythology times to the current fashion/art creationism. Wonderfully written but repetitive at times, I recommend this to anyone who is looking for a science + nonfiction + informative read!
3.75/5 ⭐️
Thank you Bloomsbury Academic, NetGalley and Erica Wright for the arc. This review is my own and is not influenced in anyway!
Before requesting this I never knew Object Lessons was a series and I’ve added other books to my tbr. This book particularly deals with atmosphere of snakes, their nature, what they represent right from the mythology times to the current fashion/art creationism. Wonderfully written but repetitive at times, I recommend this to anyone who is looking for a science + nonfiction + informative read!
3.75/5 ⭐️
Thank you Bloomsbury Academic, NetGalley and Erica Wright for the arc. This review is my own and is not influenced in anyway!
August 25, 2020
This book is well-researched, informative, humorous, and gave me, as someone with a lifelong fear of snakes, a few things to appreciate about the otherwise horrifying danger noodle. I liked the author's straightforward prose, and her analysis of poetic works that center snakes as creatures of beauty, rather than classical terrors. Her anecdotes about family run-ins with venomous snakes raised the hairs on my neck, as well as her deep dive into pentecostal preachers who use snakes as religious props. I'm still so very scared of snakes, but reading this book, at the very least, allowed me to see them through somewhat friendlier eyes. That being said, I refuse to entertain anyone that owns one as a pet. Stop it. You're scaring us. Just stop.
Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy!
Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy!
December 13, 2020
Interesting and well written, if sometimes a little chaotic in a stream-of-consciousness style. You will find a myriad of stories here, about mythology and religion, poetry and art, conservation and hinting. While I sometimes longed for a deeper dive into some of the topics, I have to admit that this book does its work as a "very short introduction" well. I was never particularly interested in snakes, I am rather neutral towards them (a member of the arachnophobia team, myself), but now I will gladly read some more about these creatures.
The book is a part of an interesting series, Object Lessons, about the hidden lives of ordinary things.
Thanks to the publisher, Bloomsbury Academic, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
The book is a part of an interesting series, Object Lessons, about the hidden lives of ordinary things.
Thanks to the publisher, Bloomsbury Academic, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
March 3, 2020
In 2013, I attended the Rattlesnake and Wildlife Festival in Claxton, Georgia. Little did I know that this road trip would start a seven year journey of snakes, culminating in this little book. I’ve never had more fun working on a project, and I’m not even embarrassed—okay, not even TOO embarrassed—about giving my own book five stars. I hope you all enjoy reading about this fascinating, misunderstood animal as much as I enjoyed writing about it.
May 26, 2020
A thoroughly enjoyable read that whisks you around the cultural significance of snakes. For such small creatures, they harbor such symbolism and I really loved how Erica Wright broke it down in a quick fun read that included her personal experiences with snakes.
April 15, 2021
Terrific overview of all things snake-related, from history to medicine to myth.
January 18, 2022
Wright's collection of essays on this fascinating creature is a quick and enthralling read.
March 15, 2021
I’ve read several other books in the Object Lessons series and they’re always thought-provoking, quirky and inventive. Each book takes an everyday object and examines it from various perspectives – historical, social, ecological, cultural or mythological – offering unexpected angles on things that we might have taken for granted our entire lives. But the subject of this book is less ‘everyday’ than the others, at least for those of us in the UK. Erica Wright’s throwaway comment that, ‘If you’ve never killed a snake yourself, you probably know someone who has,‘ definitely isn’t true for me, but perhaps I just associate with particularly unadventurous non-snake-killing types. Wright is American and this book feels very heavily weighted towards a US perspective, whereas the other books I’ve read from this series manage to take a more universal approach. While there’s plenty to fascinate in Wright’s discourses upon all things serpentine, her book lacks the firm narrative command that some of the other writers in this series have achieved. Instead, Snake has a slightly frustrating, meandering quality that means we dart from subject to subject without really getting our teeth into the topic...
For the full view, please see my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2020/09/01/s...
For the full view, please see my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2020/09/01/s...
August 27, 2021
Snake is a fantastic inclusion in the Bloomsbury Object Lessons series. It perfectly captures the quirky and whimsical tone I have come to expect from the series. It easily covers a wide range of topics from ophidiophobia, mythology, snake cults and a myriad of other factoids and symbolism.
Am not sure it helped me with my snake phobia, but by the end of the novella I was definitely thinking "humans are really weird."
Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Academic for the reading copy.
The snake is death and rebirth simultaneously, a crawling contradiction.
Am not sure it helped me with my snake phobia, but by the end of the novella I was definitely thinking "humans are really weird."
Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Academic for the reading copy.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews