Thomas Lynch (1) (1948–)

Thomas Lynch is a second-generation Irish Catholic that grew up in the midwest into the family tradition of undertaking. He has quite a way with words, being a published poet, and these short biographical stories infused with lessons and ideals have a beautiful poignancy that made even a common story seem somewhat profound. However, I found that he focused a lot more on his personal life and religion rather than his career in the funeral business than I expected and since the main reason I wanted to read this book was to get a personal view of the funeral trade, I was a bit disappointed. I did like his stories about Ireland and the differences between how people view death and the dying between the two countries, but I'm not Catholic or at all religious so the strong religious overtones were sometimes too much for me. Overall, a very interesting read but not quite what I hoped for.… (mehr)

I have too much to say about this book to say it as well as I'd like to, and have already tried at length and failed, so will try to keep my review short. Thomas Long and Thomas Lynch both write well and informatively about their subject in The Good Funeral, and it was a fascinating, although, for me, a bit of a plodding read. I would love to have read it in a class, and to have had the opportunity to meet with other people to discuss each section. It will, no doubt, be useful in seminaries and mortuary science schools for just that purpose. For this lay reader, though, it didn't quite work. I am often drawn to books about death, and read this one as an admirer of Thomas Lynch's previous works and a veteran of many funerals. But I disagreed with the authors' conclusions (particularly on the role of faith in making meaning of death and the importance of having the deceased's body present) about what is required for a "good funeral." Still, I am grateful to have benefited from Long and Lynch's insights from their many years as pastor and funeral director, and they have given me a lot of food for thought as well as a couple of good leads on what to read next.… (mehr)