Eloquence of the Sardine: Extraordinary Encounters Beneath the Sea
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- Create Date：2021-07-28 03:19:06
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Bill François
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Summary
If we were able to listen under water， what would we hear？ What would we learn？ How would it change us？
With erudition and charm， marine scientist and orator Bill François takes us on a deep dive into the secret lives of the world’s aquatic creatures， from musical whales and immortal eels to the cod that discovered America and the herring that almost caused a military conflict —to name but a few。 We hear the songs of seahorses and scallops， eavesdrop on the conversations of lobsters， and swim in the glow of the fluorescent jellyfish。
A poetic blend of ancient myths， modern science， and storytelling through the ages， Eloquence of the Sardine is an invitation and guide to a dreamlike underwater world where the legends are often more believable than the incredible reality。
This is nature writing at its best —informative， captivating， and accessible， with a personal angle， about an endlessly fascinating and still mysterious subject。
A seafood platter or a day at the beach will never be the same。
With erudition and charm， marine scientist and orator Bill François takes us on a deep dive into the secret lives of the world’s aquatic creatures， from musical whales and immortal eels to the cod that discovered America and the herring that almost caused a military conflict —to name but a few。 We hear the songs of seahorses and scallops， eavesdrop on the conversations of lobsters， and swim in the glow of the fluorescent jellyfish。
A poetic blend of ancient myths， modern science， and storytelling through the ages， Eloquence of the Sardine is an invitation and guide to a dreamlike underwater world where the legends are often more believable than the incredible reality。
This is nature writing at its best —informative， captivating， and accessible， with a personal angle， about an endlessly fascinating and still mysterious subject。
A seafood platter or a day at the beach will never be the same。
Reviews
Brenda
，
Reading this book was a beautifully poetic multisensory experience！ The Mediterranean reminds me of music which in times of calm is soothing and in times of storm is powerful and loud， but always majestic。 When swimming and snorkeling in the Mediterranean going forward I will view things differently with my newly-acquired knowledge of the behaviours of underwater creatures。 The author details his passion with childhood anecdotes and flashbacks。 No wonder he became a scientist！ Filled to the gill Reading this book was a beautifully poetic multisensory experience！ The Mediterranean reminds me of music which in times of calm is soothing and in times of storm is powerful and loud， but always majestic。 When swimming and snorkeling in the Mediterranean going forward I will view things differently with my newly-acquired knowledge of the behaviours of underwater creatures。 The author details his passion with childhood anecdotes and flashbacks。 No wonder he became a scientist！ Filled to the gills with layers of science， history， legend， myth and personal experience， this book is lovely and refreshing。 Oh， how I enjoyed it！ How wondrous these creatures are and amazing that only about 10% have been identified。 I learned more about mantis shrimp signals， "cold currents"， an unobserved whale species， cleaning fish （so THAT is what they are doing！）， devotion of octopus mothers， tunas which just never stop， dolphin "accents"， sacred Tehhelet from the Old Testament， weird urination of the prawns， acquired versus innate knowledge and listening to the stories they all tell。 Because they all DO have stories to tell。 We just need to be curious， in tune with them and observe with all our senses。As a sea fanatic， this book is my wheelhouse， gorgeously descriptive and full of information。 It was akin to gulping fresh air as though I couldn't get enough。 Those who love the water and creatures within ought to read this。 It is part story telling， part science and wholly fantastic。 The author answered so many of my questions and caused me to contemplate more。 The more one knows the more one yearns to know。My sincere thank you to St。 Martin's Press and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this brilliant book！ 。。。more
Abraham Tsoukalidis
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One of the most fascinating descriptions of the wonders of the sea。 Bravo and thank you！
Lynda
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 It began with a boy and his new found interest in the sardine which heightening his desire to know more about the aquatic world around him。 “Eloquence of The Sardine: Extraordinary Encounters Beneath the Sea” was told in a comforting way， the author brought attention to many unknown secrets and facts about the oceans。 I liked how he projected his knowledge throughout the book， introducing a wide variety of well-known and lesser known creatures going about their lives while most of us are obvious It began with a boy and his new found interest in the sardine which heightening his desire to know more about the aquatic world around him。 “Eloquence of The Sardine: Extraordinary Encounters Beneath the Sea” was told in a comforting way， the author brought attention to many unknown secrets and facts about the oceans。 I liked how he projected his knowledge throughout the book， introducing a wide variety of well-known and lesser known creatures going about their lives while most of us are obvious to them。 There were many eye-catching moments for me and tidbits of information that piqued my interest。 A hidden beauty， unique and fascinating and actively thriving under our noses with most of it， undiscovered。 The need to protect the vast oceans was a call to act before it's too late for the aquatic population and its beneficial elements to our existence。 My review was based on the uncorrected proof of the Advance Reader Copy （ARC） I won in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway。 。。。more
Kristin C
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Bill François has penned a hauntingly beautiful love letter to the sea， paying homage to all of her curious creatures。 The book is swimming with nostalgia， big fish stories， science， and little known facts。 As a fellow Thalassophile， this book evoked many personal memories where I felt both enchanted and overwhelmed by the magnitude and the mystery of the underwater world。 A must-read for any ocean lover in your life！
Melissa
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This was a Goodreads giveaway win， and now it's one of my favorite wins。 It's a short book， but don't let that fool you。 It's beautifully written and illustrated， and I learned more about fish。 It almost made me want to not eat fish anymore， because I really felt for the fish。 When it's on our plates， there's a disconnect between the fish as a living creature， and the finished entree。 It makes you think about the beauty that is in the marine world。 It's not a book written for the purpose of not This was a Goodreads giveaway win， and now it's one of my favorite wins。 It's a short book， but don't let that fool you。 It's beautifully written and illustrated， and I learned more about fish。 It almost made me want to not eat fish anymore， because I really felt for the fish。 When it's on our plates， there's a disconnect between the fish as a living creature， and the finished entree。 It makes you think about the beauty that is in the marine world。 It's not a book written for the purpose of not eating fish per se。 If you like marine life， or would like to learn a little bit more about fish， I highly recommend it。 。。。more
Jenny
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I read What a Fish Knows: The Inner Lives of Our Underwater Cousins and became fascinated by everything that "our underwater cousins" know， see， hear， and feel that we don't typically give them credit for。 Fish， fishes to Jonathan Balcombe， are much more complex and interesting than the people who hunt and eat them understand。 When someone reached out to me about reading Eloquence of the Sardine based on my review of What a Fish Knows， I was really excited and jumped at the chance。Bill Francois' I read What a Fish Knows: The Inner Lives of Our Underwater Cousins and became fascinated by everything that "our underwater cousins" know， see， hear， and feel that we don't typically give them credit for。 Fish， fishes to Jonathan Balcombe， are much more complex and interesting than the people who hunt and eat them understand。 When someone reached out to me about reading Eloquence of the Sardine based on my review of What a Fish Knows， I was really excited and jumped at the chance。Bill Francois' approach of a similar subject is very different from Balcombe's。 Francois also starts his book with a childhood anecdote， letting the reader know why and how he became interested in diving deeper （ha！） into the world of fish， but from there， Francois' book is much more fluid and poetic。 The personal touches throughout the book are much more personal and contain more emotion and impression than science。 I say this because every detail Francois gives the reader about underwater life is told with such excitement and passion。 He doesn't go in depth about any one creature。 He focuses more on some than others （like the sardine， the tuna， and the remora， for example）， but the book mostly contains snapshots that show us how interesting， exciting， and spectacular our "underwater cousins" are。 There's also a choppier narrative involved since Francois goes back and forth， sometimes smoothly， often not， between stories in his own life and experiences and parallels with sea creatures and their stories。 I don't mind the switches back and forth even when they are a little choppy because Francois' passion and gentleness towards sea life is so palpable。 I also like that Francois involves commentary on humans and their society in his book， such as a passage that really spoke to me towards the end of the book about communication， another one earlier about the "metro， boulot， dodo" （subway， work， sleep） daily grind that humans get trapped in， and a very moving passage at the end about the stories we tell and share and the stories of the sea and its creatures。 The greatest message for me is that we should respect the sea and its living creatures because we're all part of the same picture。 We used to have deeper relationships and understandings， but we've lost those connections because of industrialization， mostly， and we become disconnected from the world around us。 But if we regain our respect for all life， even and especially life we don't understand， we'll have a much richer experience all around。Overall， Francois tells some really interesting stories about sea creatures。 He makes great connections and parallels to humans and their above-sea world， and he conveys scientific knowledge in such a way that it feels more personal than clinical。 One of his accounts （Old Tom） brought tears to my eyes， and others made me talk out loud， responding as I read with frustration at the way marine life is treated or with fascination at how awesome God's creation is。 I strongly recommend this book if you're already a marine life lover or if you'd like to learn more about the weird and interesting things that go on under the sea。 Just a note that this book is an English translation of a French book， and I do feel like some things would be better in the original （stylistically， especially， but other things like the word play between tune and tuna， which is much more nuanced in the French ton and thon）。 Thank you to NetGalley for offering me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
aPriL does feral sometimes
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'Eloquence of the Sardine' by Bill François is a journal of memories about fish， sort of a formal diary for readers instead of for one's private recollections， feelings and discoveries。 The author is a scientist who is fascinated with the creatures who live in the waters of the world。 By profession， he is a physicist。 But his passion is watching and learning about fish， coral， crustaceans， shellfish and whales。 He also has collected stories from fisherman， fellow travelers， and even ancient Gree 'Eloquence of the Sardine' by Bill François is a journal of memories about fish， sort of a formal diary for readers instead of for one's private recollections， feelings and discoveries。 The author is a scientist who is fascinated with the creatures who live in the waters of the world。 By profession， he is a physicist。 But his passion is watching and learning about fish， coral， crustaceans， shellfish and whales。 He also has collected stories from fisherman， fellow travelers， and even ancient Greek texts that were written millennia ago， simply everything he could pick up from others who love to explore under the seas。 There are some of the most interesting and unusual facts and experiences of fish that I have never before read anywhere else。 When François was a child， he had an encounter with a sick sardine while he was seeing what was in the tide pools and looking at whatever the waves brought onto the beach。 He wasn't the only living thing on the beach that was looking。 The sardine looked up at him after he captured it in a net and placed it into his pail。 He realized suddenly the sardine had had an existence， a life of adventures underwater， growing up， learning。 How do ocean creatures communicate？ Do they think， feel， have families？ His curiosity led him to research the sardines and other fish， beginning with learning how to snorkel。 One of the first things he discovered was that the underwater world was noisy。 Fish do talk！ A lot！ Their sounds are extraordinary and weird。 Are they communicating？ Yes， there are sounds of warnings and alerts， discerned from seeing how the fish behave when hunting or being hunted。 He has since learned fish can smell scents and odors from many miles away。 We readers know about sharks and blood of course， but there is much more than that being smelled and understood by different fish of all types - scents about sex， dangers， stress。 Next， many fish have powerful abilities to see colors， so they use colors to attract other fish and to disguise themselves。 Some can adjust their skin to display different colors in order to signal their own species as well as warn or hide from other species。 Some can create strong electric fields intentionally to kill， while others can sense and identify what kind of fish is emitting the usual delicate and normal electrical fields of life。 It is thought by some researchers fish can sense magnetic fields。 Plus， vibrations！ Many fish can sense and know what a particular vibration in the water means。People have worked with dolphins to hunt。 We know about the military training dolphins。 But I didn't know dolphins in the past noticed how tribal men fished， and on their own formed partnerships with certain fishermen to show men where certain schools of fish were in order to share in the goodies of men's hunts for fish！ Some ocean fish hunters also collaborate with other fish to hunt down quarry。 Fish work together to protect each other or their habitats， too。Fish have all kinds of sex， a huge variety of styles。 Some fish are hermaphrodites， with the ability to change their gender back and forth during their lifetime at will。 Some males raise the children alone because Mom leaves after birthing， others jointly share the care for the babes， and a lot of fish parents desert the children completely before they hatch from eggs。 Some fish never lay their eggs outside their bodies， but the eggs hatch inside， with the strongest baby eating the others until it's ready to exit mom's body！The author includes how civilizations of the past thought of fish， as well as how they fished。 Generally， coastal communities and fishermen used to only take what they needed for food， using mostly nondestructive methods of the environment， unlike today。 François speaks of how communities came together over the shared communal enjoyment of seafood。 He also describes the various sea monsters travelers thought they encountered while going about in boats。 He really wishes some of those monsters were real。 Of course， some of them did turn out to exist to the surprise of many modern scientists！The book has a lot of little quickie and interesting facts， mostly organized into appropriate chapters。 For a lyrical， and often sweetly anecdotal， book， the author manages to cover a lot of ground！ Fish are weird and lovable， basically。 Too bad we have killed off at least 80% of them that we found out about in history up to current times。 People are yet discovering new species underwater in very deep places though。 Poor things。 We certainly will attempt to kill them off into extinction for profit if we can figure out how。 This is purely my viewpoint。 The author does not really do any sniping or whinging on as I just did except to briefly note in passing， and in more of a reasoned adult tone than I am， of how industrial fishing is both too genocidal to fish and it does not encourage any old-fashioned communal human bliss of sharing and caring as it once did。 Instead， we've become greedy and selfish pigs， imho。 Have you read about the price， and consequent overfishing， of bluefin tuna or some wild salmon species lately in some markets？ Are there any cod left in the world？ Anyway。 This is not that book。 It is sweet and interesting and kindly done。The chapters are: -Before-Any Fish Will Tell You So-The World Without Silence-Packed Like Sardines-Are Fish Good at School？-Cockles and Mussels-Daily Specials-Draw Me a Fish-Hold and Eel by the Tale-Sea Serpents-The Sea is Your Mirror-Aquatic Dialogues-In Tune with the Tuna-The Tail End-Epilogue 。。。more
Kate TerHaar
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I so enjoyed this view into what lives in the oceans， lakes and streams around us。 The passion for the authors love of the ocean was clearly evident。 Very interesting information on various fish， plus explorations into the folklore and tales of the sea。This is truly a love story to the oceans and a pleasure to read。
Franchesca
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Another awesome win from Goodreads！ This review is of an advance reader copy。Beautifully written non-fiction book about sardines and other fish and sea creatures。 From the sights， smells and sounds of the ocean to centuries old legends of sea serpents and fish that could halt a ship by attaching itself to the underside， changes in the fishing industry over time and the ways humans mistreat and misuse it and what it has to offer。 A wonderful and magical educational journey that sometimes stirred Another awesome win from Goodreads！ This review is of an advance reader copy。Beautifully written non-fiction book about sardines and other fish and sea creatures。 From the sights， smells and sounds of the ocean to centuries old legends of sea serpents and fish that could halt a ship by attaching itself to the underside， changes in the fishing industry over time and the ways humans mistreat and misuse it and what it has to offer。 A wonderful and magical educational journey that sometimes stirred anger and at one point near the end had tears streaming down my cheeks。 。。。more
Dori Sabourin
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The Life and Times of Our Neighbors Beneath the SeaDrawing on a plethora of scientific research， folklore and his own observations， Bill Francois introduces us to the marine life that lives under the sea。 We learn that it is possible for a human to communicate with these sea inhabitants through sound and gestures。 Many examples are perused throughout the book such as the relationship between Old Tom， A particularly gregarious male killer whale and young George Davidson， son of Alexander Davidson The Life and Times of Our Neighbors Beneath the SeaDrawing on a plethora of scientific research， folklore and his own observations， Bill Francois introduces us to the marine life that lives under the sea。 We learn that it is possible for a human to communicate with these sea inhabitants through sound and gestures。 Many examples are perused throughout the book such as the relationship between Old Tom， A particularly gregarious male killer whale and young George Davidson， son of Alexander Davidson， an Australian whaler。 The humans and killer whales had developed signals in the form of either oars or tails slamming down on the water's surface， directing the course and strategy of the hunt in pursuit of humpback whales。 The killer whale's remittance: the tongue of the humpback whale， a tasty delicacy for a killer whale。There are myriad forms of communication such as the Bluefin tuna's cry that has rung in the ears of the Mediterranean people for five thousand years， in different timbers and tones throughout the ages， or imitation utilized by the bottleneck dolphins whether an instinct to learn from humans or sheer mockery。 Bottleneck dolphins also use whistles， but as of this writing， are still a mystery as to their meaning。In this book， you will learn of the habits and routines of these underwater creatures their migratory patterns， their diets， their spawning rituals and much， much more。 I would like to thank Sara Eslami at MacMillan for sending me an Advance Reader Copy of Eloquence of the Sardine: Extraordinary Encounters Beneath the Sea。 。。。more
Monika
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I did not expect this book to be so good！ Lots of interesting facts， great narration， I love it。
Rennie
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I don’t know if I’m just super tired and worn out at the moment so it’s making me overly emotional to an unwarranted extent but this had me almost in tears near the end。 Not that we need any reminders of how badly we’ve treated the ocean and everything in it but the author has a way of singling out individual species and telling a story that makes it hit so hard。 And makes you care a lot about a little sardine。 And I can’t even think about that orca！ Humans are living nightmares。This reminded me I don’t know if I’m just super tired and worn out at the moment so it’s making me overly emotional to an unwarranted extent but this had me almost in tears near the end。 Not that we need any reminders of how badly we’ve treated the ocean and everything in it but the author has a way of singling out individual species and telling a story that makes it hit so hard。 And makes you care a lot about a little sardine。 And I can’t even think about that orca！ Humans are living nightmares。This reminded me a lot of some of Rachel Carson’s writing in Under the Sea Wind。 I would’ve liked a little more memoir from the author， because those sections were really lovely and focused on such interesting angles （like being bored in school and finding his place in the water instead） but it’s just mostly about the fish。 Kind of weird， kind of surprising， all-around delightful。 It was a great choice to be translated into English too。 。。。more
Montzalee Wittmann
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Eloquence of the SardineExtraordinary Encounters Beneath the Seaby Bill FrançoisSt。 Martin's PressI want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this phenomenal book！ The author has a way of not just writing about sea life but making me feel one with the sea and its life as I read his words。 It's such a good feeling that I had to read this book twice！ This book is a feel good book but also very informative along the way。 As he takes the reader on his many undersea adventures， we Eloquence of the SardineExtraordinary Encounters Beneath the Seaby Bill FrançoisSt。 Martin's PressI want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this phenomenal book！ The author has a way of not just writing about sea life but making me feel one with the sea and its life as I read his words。 It's such a good feeling that I had to read this book twice！ This book is a feel good book but also very informative along the way。 As he takes the reader on his many undersea adventures， we learn about his love of the animals and that comes across so strongly that it is infused into his writing and transferred to the reader。 As he goes， he embarks some interesting and astonishing facts about each animal。 He does it in such a way that suddenly this new friend we were introduced to is a superstar！ They are even more fascinating than before。 Somehow， we seems even closer to the animal like we know a family secret。For each animal， even the giant mussel， or an eel， so much attention and care is given to these creatures that I couldn't help but want to be there myself！ Of course， the lover of the smallest of them has to give us the hard facts about what mankind is doing to the sea life。 To these splendid new friends。 To others like them we haven't met。 I recommend this book for anyone who needs a feel good book， wants to feel close to nature for a while， or as a gift for the animal or sea lover。 。。。more
Mjdrean
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Thanks to Net Galley and St。 Martin's。 I've been reading and watching oodles this year about the ocean and the skies， and the abundance of beautiful creatures that live there。 A recent favorite is The Book of Eels by Patrik Svensson， a minor masterpiece of a complicated ray-finned fish and the many lives it leads between its beginning and its end。The Eloquence of the Sardine is a nuanced portrait of not only this fish but so much more。 It is written in gorgeous prose， almost like poetry in some Thanks to Net Galley and St。 Martin's。 I've been reading and watching oodles this year about the ocean and the skies， and the abundance of beautiful creatures that live there。 A recent favorite is The Book of Eels by Patrik Svensson， a minor masterpiece of a complicated ray-finned fish and the many lives it leads between its beginning and its end。The Eloquence of the Sardine is a nuanced portrait of not only this fish but so much more。 It is written in gorgeous prose， almost like poetry in some places。 It's about life under and over the sea， peppered with science and humor。 Bill Francois has collected many stories of his global adventures in this telling， about his frailties and triumphs， sometimes funny， sometimes not but always fascinating。 。。。more
Gregg Zwillling MD
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Greatread！Well researched， will NEVER look at a Seafood Dish the same！
David Schwan
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Part memoir， part travelogue， part anthropology text， and part natural history， this book is a collection of stories mostly about fish。 As the title suggests there is the Sardine， but the Sardine is not alone; we are introduced to a full range of fish and some shellfish and crustaceans。 Many of the fish described are Europe-centric but more than a few of these fish travel widely。 Many fun facts， including human fish interactions throughout history。 A fun read！
Melody
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Ireceived a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 A very interesting book about fishes and creatures that live in the sea。 Lots of interesting tidbits of information about individual fishes， legends and the unusual places one can actually find sea creatures。 I am glad I read it and would recommend it to anyone with a love of trivia and deep dives into subjects。 There are a couple of preachy bits about how we are abusing the seas which I agree with。
Elizabeth
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I was sent an advanced copy of this on NetGallery。This is a beautiful love sonnet for the sea。 I was expecting it to be just information about sardines， but the sardines are more of a metaphor for the mystery and beauty of the ocean。 There were a lot of different sea creatures and ocean experiences that were mentioned in different anecdotes and trivia facts， but they were all tied together with really poetic language about the wonder of the sea。 This book gave me a really calming feeling while I I was sent an advanced copy of this on NetGallery。This is a beautiful love sonnet for the sea。 I was expecting it to be just information about sardines， but the sardines are more of a metaphor for the mystery and beauty of the ocean。 There were a lot of different sea creatures and ocean experiences that were mentioned in different anecdotes and trivia facts， but they were all tied together with really poetic language about the wonder of the sea。 This book gave me a really calming feeling while I was reading it， and if you love the ocean， this is a really great book that I would recommend。 。。。more
Jim Razinha
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The publisher reached out to me after reading my review of Spying on Whales and offered me an advance digital galley through NetGalley。 Originally published in France in 2019 （as Éloquence de la sardine）， this reads at times like a children’s book。 And yet， any adult who has an affinity or connection to the ocean， though really。。。 anyone 。。。 should enjoy it。 François is a physicist who was working on his PhD at the time he wrote/published。 His thesis？ “fluid mechanics applied to the swimming of The publisher reached out to me after reading my review of Spying on Whales and offered me an advance digital galley through NetGalley。 Originally published in France in 2019 （as Éloquence de la sardine）， this reads at times like a children’s book。 And yet， any adult who has an affinity or connection to the ocean， though really。。。 anyone 。。。 should enjoy it。 François is a physicist who was working on his PhD at the time he wrote/published。 His thesis？ “fluid mechanics applied to the swimming of schools of fish。” I have a couple of degrees in mechanical engineering and have had multiple fluid mechanics courses， including at the graduate level， and I can't imagine the models he had to create。 The good thing for the reader of this is that you won't have to imagine any of that either。 You’ll find this to be lyrical。。。 poetic prose。。。 With a plastic tube in my mouth and a Plexiglas screen over my eyes， this world， so blurry beneath its reflective surface， was suddenly unveiled， crisp and crystal clear。 Once I was over its thin border， this inhospitable element suddenly became transparent and buoyed me gently。 I could fly， look， and breathe through it。 But I couldn't speak。 The snorkel had transformed my voice into bursts of crude， primordial breathing sounds。。。。with facts of course （though they are uncited。。。"When they gathered for the night， these herring engaged in a rather unique form of chitchat。 They communicated among themselves by means of flatulence！"） Antony Sugaat is responsible for the English translation and I am sure François’s native French is just as lyrical。 He certainly is passionate about the subject - it comes through in the short stories he crafts about the different creatures under the sea。 The author is a curiosity。 His writing reflects a deep love of the ocean and the inhabitants he's encountered since childhood （plus more than the titular sardine he's learned about and shares here）， and he talks also about seafood。 I thought this humorous:In fish soup， or bouillabaisse， there is a blend of stories， if you're willing to listen closely。 Every port on the Mediterranean will tell you that it alone uses the authentic recipe: extra saffron， less white wine， more aniseed， longer cooking time， leeks。。。 I won't reveal my own recipe here for fear of starting a long and tiresome debate， and because a secret recipe should remain secret。But， he says， the recipe contains the rules "our ancestors imposed to protect the sea" - variety of ingredients。 Don't overfish。 But that was before Homo sapiens came into his most destructive modern self。 He said at one point "We may have come down from the trees， but we never truly conquered the sea。" （Emphasis mine。） I am not fond of that word from the human species perspective as it relates to the world， but that's me。 And it ties probably accidentally on François’s part （or at least the translated word does） to the loss of protection of the oceans。 At any rate， in that context， François was relating a theory that aquatic environments played a role in human evolution。 I spent years in the city trying to regain my place in nature， attempting to grasp the stories of fish amid the noise of the streets。 I had no idea just how close to me nature really was。 I didn't have and inkling of the surprising discoveries I would make， just a few yards from my apartment， and the incredible species I would encounter beneath the concrete of the city's sidewalks and streets。François talks of the street-fishers who work the rivers beneath the streets。 And he give the inhabitants a touch of flair:Like terrestrial Parisians， aquatic Parisians are Parisians first and foremost。 They even share the same personalities， so typical of the French capital。 Aquatic Parisians are elegant snobs， especially in the nice neighborhoods。 I have only touched a micro-sampling of the stories in this short book。 The author sums it well with a wish: "I hope these aquatic reveries leave you with a few dreams， a few ideas， and the desire to share them with friends。" Once I got over my irrational fear years ago （I can't explain it 。。。 I freaked the first time snorkeling off of Cozumel when the clear water showed the bottom dropping 40 feet below me as I passed the shallow breakers）， I love snorkeling with the fishies。 I won't scuba - not fond of paying every time I want to play - but I've seen some wonderful creatures off the Honduras， Belize， Mexico， St。 Martins， the Gulf of Mexico， and other places。 。。。more
Daniel Gigl
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Ein wunderschönes Buch über die Wunder der Flüsse， Seen und Ozeane， welche diese Welt zu bieten hat。Eine großartige Geschichte erzählt von einem Mann mit seiner Leidenschaft zu allem im Wasser lebendem。Gefüllt mit Geschichten über die maritime Vergangenheit des Menschen und wie die Natur des Meeres den Menschen inspirierte， sich daran anzupassen und davon zu lernen。Mit vielen punktgenauen Vergleichen zu Alltagssituationen und Popkultur-Referenzen。Alles in allem eine tolle Lektüre。--------------- Ein wunderschönes Buch über die Wunder der Flüsse， Seen und Ozeane， welche diese Welt zu bieten hat。Eine großartige Geschichte erzählt von einem Mann mit seiner Leidenschaft zu allem im Wasser lebendem。Gefüllt mit Geschichten über die maritime Vergangenheit des Menschen und wie die Natur des Meeres den Menschen inspirierte， sich daran anzupassen und davon zu lernen。Mit vielen punktgenauen Vergleichen zu Alltagssituationen und Popkultur-Referenzen。Alles in allem eine tolle Lektüre。--------------------------------------------------------A beautiful book about the wonders of the rivers， lakes and oceans this world has to offer。A great tale told by a man and his love for everything living in the water。Filled with Stories about the maritime past of human civilization and how the nature inspired man to adapt and learn。With many on point comparisons to everyday situations and pop culture references added to the mix。All in all a great read。 。。。more
Aleksandra
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Wiele się z tej książki dowiedziałam， ale fragmenty z prywatnego życia autora były niepotrzebne， a zwłaszcza jego opinia o szkole。
P D
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I received this book （English translation） free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。As the full title does suggest， this book is more a memoir of the sea， the author's exploration of his interactions with the ocean - both as a citizen scientist （he's a physicist with a deep interest in marine biology。 Which， TBH， is where I fall， but with *far* less ocean time） and as a human who consumes food and does tourism。 I assume carrying over from the original， the translation is very lyrical I received this book （English translation） free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。As the full title does suggest， this book is more a memoir of the sea， the author's exploration of his interactions with the ocean - both as a citizen scientist （he's a physicist with a deep interest in marine biology。 Which， TBH， is where I fall， but with *far* less ocean time） and as a human who consumes food and does tourism。 I assume carrying over from the original， the translation is very lyrical and successfully evokes the imagery the author's getting at。 Including， yes， herring farts。 （They're important！）While I did enjoy these glimpses and descriptions， I tend a bit more technical - for instance， "sardine" at least in my understanding （American English） is a generic term for fish below a certain size， so I would've liked to know which species were included。 I don't recall it being mentioned here。 Likewise with some of the anecdotes， for instance the people who explore the Paris waterways for fish， more history and background would've been interesting。 Of course， it'd also get you a much longer book， but look that is one of many benefits of reading a digital copy。 :PI think overall the translator did a good job bringing his voice through。 I do think there's some cultural nuance in phrasing， so worth keeping in mind this was originally written for a Francophone audience。 I don't want to say I'm fancy enough to pick up on the dry humor where others might miss it， but， well， that too。If you're interested in getting impressions of what a well-informed marine enthusiast observes， as well as some fascinating if scattered trivia - from Old Tom to the aforementioned farts - definitely give this a read。 。。。more
Amy
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This book reminded me of many ocean-exploring documentary shows I have seen over the years。 It captures that sense of awe for the open waters and the creatures that live in them。 The author takes on the history of the ocean and a bit of a peek into the future as well。 The book was informative but also a bit dreamy and delightful。 I would have liked to have had a bit more of a biography of the author as well as resource citations to follow up on some of the specifics of species that were mentione This book reminded me of many ocean-exploring documentary shows I have seen over the years。 It captures that sense of awe for the open waters and the creatures that live in them。 The author takes on the history of the ocean and a bit of a peek into the future as well。 The book was informative but also a bit dreamy and delightful。 I would have liked to have had a bit more of a biography of the author as well as resource citations to follow up on some of the specifics of species that were mentioned。 Overall an enjoyable read。Thanks to St。 Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book。 The review is my honest opinion。 。。。more
Richard Propes
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I would have sworn when I read Patrik Svensson's "The Book of Eels" that I had read what would undoubtedly be my most unique reading experience of 2021。 I was wrong。 Bill Francois's "Eloquence of the Sardine: Extraordinary Encounters Beneath the Sea" is a sublime weaving together of poetic and profound centered around Francois's lifelong adventures beneath the sea。 "Eloquence of the Sardine" begins with an introduction of sorts to Francois。 An anxiety-ridden child ruled more by his fears than hi I would have sworn when I read Patrik Svensson's "The Book of Eels" that I had read what would undoubtedly be my most unique reading experience of 2021。 I was wrong。 Bill Francois's "Eloquence of the Sardine: Extraordinary Encounters Beneath the Sea" is a sublime weaving together of poetic and profound centered around Francois's lifelong adventures beneath the sea。 "Eloquence of the Sardine" begins with an introduction of sorts to Francois。 An anxiety-ridden child ruled more by his fears than his curiosity， a chance encounter within the sea changed his life forever and， in return， it changes ours as well。 It's difficult to describe the experience of reading "Eloquence of the Sardine，" a book that somehow creates a dreamlike state where sea creatures big and small are not just given voice but genuinely approached with a goal of understanding。 Francois， a marine scientist and orator， is utterly enchanting here as he brings to life the eloquent worlds of sardines and other sea creatures he's encountered over the years。 The idea of an eloquent sardine seems absurd。 Doesn't it？ If you're paying attention， Francois explains himself and he explains his discoveries as we experience the world of the sea in a unique and wonderful way。 "Eloquence of the Sardine" is ultimately nature writing both fantastic and factual。 One could say that "Eloquence of the Sardine" is also part memoir， though I'd dare say it's more a memoir of a sardine than Francois。 Francois takes us deep into the eloquent lives of not just sardines but also a lonely musical whale， a herring that very nearly caused a military conflict， and those fabulous eels。 I really do love eels。 When Francois writes about the conversations of lobsters， one can't help but feel immersed in a world that at least feels previously undiscovered。 Francois is a believer in communication， ours and those of the sea creatures， and he seeks understanding that defies comprehensive translation。 There are fleeting moments in "Eloquence of the Sardine" when it feels as if Francois is starting to lose his grasp of this grand task。 But then， he rights himself and his words and he brings all back into a beautiful balance as both our intellect and our emotions become enveloped by this world that he creates。 So， there you have it。 At less than two hundred pages， "Eloquence of the Sardine" is a relatively quick yet engrossing read that leaves you with new knowledge and desperate to experience this world that seems to have defined so much of Francois's life。 You will be changed by this experience and contemplate it whether you are seaside or lakeside or simply about to devour a plate of calamari or even simply a fish sandwich。 "Eloquence of the Sardine" is an extraordinary encounter with Bill Francois and the creatures that live beneath the sea in ancient myths， the pages of literature， and in our everyday lives。 。。。more
Nadine Jones
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https://www。littlebrown。co。uk/titles/。。。**I read an ARC from the publisher， which I am quite thankful for。 This also means I’m not allowed to quote any of it， which is a shame， because this is some really beautiful writing！！ Well done to the translator， as well。I thought this would be focused on sardine， but it is not。 This book attempts to touch on all aspects of marine life。 （See a sample word count below。）Things I learned:* There are lots of smells in the ocean， and fish have an excellent https://www。littlebrown。co。uk/titles/。。。**I read an ARC from the publisher， which I am quite thankful for。 This also means I’m not allowed to quote any of it， which is a shame， because this is some really beautiful writing！！ Well done to the translator， as well。I thought this would be focused on sardine， but it is not。 This book attempts to touch on all aspects of marine life。 （See a sample word count below。）Things I learned:* There are lots of smells in the ocean， and fish have an excellent sense of smell。* Similarly， fish （including shellfish） make lots of noise， much as birds & insects are constantly chirping in the trees。* Fish scales grow in concentric rings just like the rings on a tree trunk。* Cross-species communication （such as between a grouper and a moray eel， who collaborate when hunting reef fish） is not uncommon。* Nacre inside an oyster shell is unpigmented; the visible colors are due to the structure of the crystals that make up the shell， which cause the sunlight to reflect & refract。* （this one is probably just my own ignorance） A periwinkle is a snail！ I’ve always thought it was like a coquina snail。 I guess I was confused because the coquinas I see in NJ are periwinkle-colored， so I just assumed the true periwinkle animal was a close cousin。* Lobster was not always viewed as a tasty delicacy; 200 years ago it was relegated to prisoner food in NJ。 No one else wanted to eat it due to its resemblance to its arachnid cousins。 （I looked this one up to verify， and it's true， but I could find no connection with NJ state prisons in particular。 Most sites refer to Maine， Massachusetts， or New England。 I think this French author maybe was confused about which state was NJ？ None of the sites say the aversion was due the lobsters' insect appearance， so I think that's author fabrication。）* When Columbus set sail on his famous voyage of “discovery，” his ship holds were filled with dried “stock fish” （cod） caught by Basque fishermen off-shore of 。。。 the Americas。* Remora were used for fishing （they would be attached to a line and released in the open water， and would then attach themselves to a larger fish， thus allowing the person to haul in the larger fish）。* Tuna never stop swimming， and in fact they cannot breathe if they do not swim。 Tuna are warm-blooded！ A young tuna can cross the Atlantic in 60 days。I didn’t really love how each chapter started with a bullet point list of items that will be discussed in that chapter （Ex: “in which whales exchange song lyrics”） - it was cheesy， and felt like a weird attempt to make this book seem like a textbook。 I also didn’t warm to the author’s occasionally cheeky attitude。 （If you like Bill Bryson， you will probably love this book！！）There is some kooky "science" （not backed up at all by any scientific fact） in here which I could have done without。 The first idea was interesting， but they keep coming， and I started to wonder why， and - even worse - I started to wonder if the other surprising facts in this book were truly factual。* humans are hairless because we evolved as coastal aquatic hunters。* eels travel all the way to the Sargasso to spawn because they didn't notice how far it had gotten due to continental drift。* the giant oarfish can predict earthquakes。Word count:sardine - 86anchovy - 27tuna - 95dolphin - 38whale - 103jellyfish - 16shark - 30clam - 7mussel - 10lobster - 20In the end， this is a lovely book that failed to charm me。 。。。more
Olga Skorobogat
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Interesting book
Książkoty
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~3，5
Magdalena
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2。75
Jeff
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Poetic Narrative More Memoir Than Hard Science。 This is a memoir of a man who was afraid of the sea as a small child and who had one chance encounter that turned his life around。。。 and inspired his life long study of the sea。 This book really is as much about the author's own experiences and thoughts as it is the actual scientific facts he states throughout， which is seen perhaps most glaringly in the extremely short bibliography （at least on this advance copy I read）。 But truly poetic and beaut Poetic Narrative More Memoir Than Hard Science。 This is a memoir of a man who was afraid of the sea as a small child and who had one chance encounter that turned his life around。。。 and inspired his life long study of the sea。 This book really is as much about the author's own experiences and thoughts as it is the actual scientific facts he states throughout， which is seen perhaps most glaringly in the extremely short bibliography （at least on this advance copy I read）。 But truly poetic and beautiful regardless， one is almost inspired to pursue a career （or perhaps second career） in something that gets one out in， on， or under the water just from the sheer awe Francois shows here。 All of this noted， I do have a bit of a bone to pick with the actual title: "eloquence" is "a discourse marked by force and persuasiveness"， according to Webster。 And while I found quite a bit of beauty， wonder， and awe within this narrative， I found little truly forceful or persuasive。 Francois doesn't seem to be making any major point or trying to persuade anyone to any particular position other than the sheer wonder of all that exists under the seas。 Truly an excellent work， even with the quibble over a part of the title。 Very much recommended。 。。。more
miss_atticos
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