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Down Among the Dead Men
- A Year in the Life of a Mortuary Technician
- Narrated by: Liz Holliss
- Length: 7 hrs and 20 mins
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Down Among the Dead Men
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Summary
Michelle Williams, an attractive young woman with close family ties and an active social life, describes her first extraordinary year in her unusual new job as a mortuary technician. It’s a year in which, with innate good humour, she encounters death at its most tragic, bizarre, and hilarious. Her tale, neither gruesome nor sad, is enlivened by a range of colourful and eccentric characters, from pathologists and coroners to hospital porters and undertakers, giving us a glimpse of life - and death - that few of us will ever experience.
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What listeners say about Down Among the Dead Men
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
- Bestyearsltd
- 11-10-12
Terrible
This book could have been brilliant, as its a fascinating subject but instead it is cluttered with endless useless, boring details of the author's life. Very dull, please don't bother
4 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
- Helen
- 19-06-12
Mediocre at best
I find the author a little too patronising of her colleagues and "clients" if I'm honest. An interesting read/listen, but not well written.
4 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
- MsRanPan
- 28-12-12
Cool job, shame about the over share
When focusing on the actual job this is fascinating and interesting read - 5* The author is a little odd, her ideas on relationships and the male/female role are bizarre and the way she states them as if this is everyone feels suggests a small world, a little patronising too others at times too which I hate to experience in any way which brought this down to 3*. But it is tolerable and the job is so interesting its worth reading up beware the let down of all the strange personal stuff she should have just kept to herself.
3 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
- vanessa
- 01-10-12
dull as ditchwater
This potentially interesting book is rendered lifeless by both the writing and the narration. It is badly written, the style is flat, atonal and humourless. The author states that she is 30 years old when she takes the mortuary job, but the narrator sounds much older and this does not work at all. This book is also patronising in its tone. I know it's a book about working in a mortuary, but this book seriously needs some life injecting into it. Definitely not recommended.
3 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Andrea
- 16-09-12
Fascinating, poignant and informative
A great insight into the little-known world of the mortuary technician and all that it entails. This book describes in detail the gory side of life in a mortuary, but also the human side. I enjoyed it as it was a written from a female perspective in a male-dominated world without being over sensitive. It says it like it is! Very thought-provoking and sad at times, but by no means a depressing book in my humble opinion. It answered the curiousity I have had about autopsies and what goes on after death.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Lisa Speck
- 27-09-19
Love it
Love this book have read hard copy 10+times and now have it on audio even better
1 person found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
- S. Thomas
- 02-01-13
Awful
The subject matter & title sounded fascinating and I listened to the preview but this book bored me so much I gave up on it before finishing it. I was not interested in the author's home life & did not think it added anything to the story. Added to that I thought it was badly written. I don't like to be harsh but I thought this was an awful, long winded & boring book.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Arthur
- 09-08-12
Strange But Excellent Read
My curiosity got the better of me when I purchased this book, and I'm so glad it did. What a fantastic and strangely inspirational read. I thoroughly reccomend this book.
Arthur. Australia
1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Angel-A
- 16-07-12
Well Read, would Recommend
This audio was very informative and very well read by a Brit, most enjoyable, humerous and quite sad in parts but then so is life, and death!
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Josh
- 27-02-23
nice easy read
would have been nice to hear the storytelling right through to the end of each particular case and some chapters are extremely short.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Martin
- 25-09-12
Things you never wanted to know about a mortuary
What did you love best about Down Among the Dead Men?
British dialogue
Who was your favorite character and why?
Shelly was my favorite character, her views and insights to the other characters was great!
Which character – as performed by Liz Holliss – was your favorite?
Shelly
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I found the story very interesting to learn about what goes on in a mortuary
Any additional comments?
It is a good read, not bloody or gory but very informative.
6 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- BLT
- 24-04-12
Compelling
The further into the story the more engaged I became. At first I thought the story was just ok. The more I listened the more endearing the accent and British colloquialisms became. I became more enamoured with the narrator- both author's voice and the reader's physical voice won me over. It was an easy, enjoyable, humorous, and educational listen.
5 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Alixandra Hice
- 05-05-15
Curious and Satisfying
Very nicely and neatly told. I enjoyed getting to know Shelley and the crew. This book was informative and interesting, not gruesome in the least. I think it's important to understand what happens in the morgue to demystify it and quell the feeling of taboo.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Carolyn Cole
- 29-10-12
Subtle, sensitive and personal account
This is a sensitive account of a grim, but necessary job, told by a technician from her novice first days on the job through many years of service. Excellent narration and pace, with great stories in a small town UK setting. Well done. Great listen.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- sasha mcmorris
- 23-03-18
Wonderful!!
fantastic book! Been wanting to be a mortician for years and this gives me a rough idea what it'll be like. This has given me the motivation to finally take the dive and go to college!
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Rod
- 10-11-22
Slightly morbid
Listened to the last of this while on my way to an Aunt’s funeral. Consoling to think that the dead are treated with compassion and professionalism.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- dan m
- 02-06-22
I surprisingly liked this book
if you're even a little bit interested in what happens to you after you die I urge you to read this book. it's not gory or bad, the story is told very gently and well, I'm glad I read it, the lady Shelly in book is just like any of us. well told, I learned a lot, great book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Bella
- 16-06-21
Amazing !
This story takes place in England so we will find some differences with this kind of work in America but the telling is interesting enough and as in any job there are all kind of situations and it makes for a very interesting reading. Enjoy
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 03-06-21
Captivating
Learned a few things. Very interesting to learn about a vital part of our society.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Craig
- 08-05-21
Great Listen
The life of a technician. Very interesting and informing. Didn’t want to stop listening. It takes place in the UK. So I’m sure laws and procedures are different but still worth a listen.