Discover new selections
Buy new:
-20% $19.16
FREE delivery Saturday, May 3 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$19.16 with 20 percent savings
List Price: $23.95
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Saturday, May 3 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery Friday, May 2. Order within 21 mins
In Stock
$$19.16 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$19.16
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
30-day refund/replacement
30-day refund/replacement
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$5.49
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
Gently used. Tight binding and crease-free spine. Minimal wear to cover and corners. 100% Guarantee! Free shipping directly from Amazon Prime. Gently used. Tight binding and crease-free spine. Minimal wear to cover and corners. 100% Guarantee! Free shipping directly from Amazon Prime. See less
FREE delivery Monday, May 5 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35. Order within 8 hrs 6 mins
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$19.16 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$19.16
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Sold by MAP4 and Fulfilled by Amazon.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Thomas Lynch
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Bodies in Motion and at Rest: On Metaphor and Mortality Paperback – June 17, 2001

by Thomas Lynch (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars 74 ratings
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$19.16","priceAmount":19.16,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"19","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"16","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"Xs2HH4BvYfYOwCvvDf%2B7oyadxvKh5z518PHWgkVegyZW6sTpdbUvA%2BXC1AK6hVXM%2FxlFF9NevGYX1RMLjDQXeXoRTtl9tuJh%2B3c3w42LBuhRnjY2jSTgO6%2BhJk6OL3tKyNqQb%2F5nrRg%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$5.49","priceAmount":5.49,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"5","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"49","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"Xs2HH4BvYfYOwCvvDf%2B7oyadxvKh5z513WNEJWCs6gADTm4LSF%2FDiNGvL97a2mLihAPhc1Kjc66S894etBW3n1B6G5GbVFzVkasKbI%2BgXdgZVGdabPhpRkIVxU9zR8YjgT1vW4qIrUnLbOP8CsffaVcOJDa5BqelxSJeXQAyOev7K4MdL5u8uP1xqC2aKTWJ","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

A Los Angeles Times Best Book of the Year

Masterful essays that illuminate not only how we die but also how we live.

Thomas Lynch, poet, funeral director, and author of the highly praised The Undertaking, winner of an American Book Award and finalist for the National Book Award, continues to examine the relations between the "literary and mortuary arts."

Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    280 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    W. W. Norton & Company
  4. Publication date
    June 17, 2001
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.8 x 8.3 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0393321649
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0393321647
Next slide of product details
The%20Amazon%20Book%20Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Frequently bought together

Bodies in Motion and at Rest: On Metaphor and Mortality
This item: Bodies in Motion and at Rest: On Metaphor and Mortality
$19.16
Get it as soon as Saturday, May 3
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
The Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade
$14.83
Get it as soon as Saturday, May 3
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Whence and Whither: On Lives and Living
$13.77
Get it as soon as Saturday, May 3
Only 16 left in stock (more on the way).
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price: $00
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
Some of these items ship sooner than the others.
Show details Hide details
Choose items to buy together.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Lynch brings a vast accumulation of life-and-death wisdom to the table, and he makes connections between art and mortality that reverberate in the mind. Few readers will walk away from this volume less than stunned and grateful."
― Jay Parini

"Lynch shows himself to be a master of the essay…[he] speaks eloquently in the voice of both poet and undertaker."
― New York Times Book Review

"Lynch writes beautifully and arrestingly about death because he seems to know so much about life."
― Elle

"If the personal essay as a form seems especially vital today, if it seems more congruent than other literary forms to everyday life―and if capturing the everyday life that we find in essays seems more worthwhile than ever before, a challenge befitting a genuine hero of consciousness―Thomas Lynch is one of the first we have to thank."
― Salon

"[Lynch] demonstrates once again his quizzical, gently cantankerous, free-minded Yeatsian charm. As he comments on the big and the small things of life, Mr. Lynch engages the reader with a mixture of poetic and funerary elements, of ephemera and durables both…his voice is rich and generous."
― Richard Bernstein, New York Times

"Lynch has his finger on the bloody pulse of creation, and what makes him such a fine essayist is that it's just the business of everyday life and death to him."
― Los Angeles Times

About the Author

Thomas Lynch’s stories, poems, and essays have appeared in Granta, the Atlantic, Harper’s, the New York Times, and elsewhere. His first collection of essays, The Undertaking, was a finalist for the National Book Award. Lynch lives in Milford, Michigan.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company; Reprint edition (June 17, 2001)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 280 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0393321649
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0393321647
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.1 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.3 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 74 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Thomas Lynch

Thomas Lynch

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Thomas Lynch's stories, poems, and essays have appeared in Granta, The Atlantic, Harper’s, the Times (of London, New York, Ireland, and Los Angeles), and elsewhere. "The Undertaking" was a finalist for the National Book Award; he is also the author of "Still Life in Milford," "Booking Passage," "Apparition & Late Fictions" and "Walking Papers." Lynch lives in Milford, Michigan, and West Clare, Ireland.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
74 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find the book enlightening and well worth reading, with one noting its poignant observations of coming of age. Moreover, they appreciate its humor and lyrical style, with one customer describing it as "words as music."

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

5 customers mention "Age range"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enlightening, with one review noting its poignant observations of coming of age and another highlighting how it serves as a guide for understanding mortality.

"...It's much more than a good yarn, even though it is. It is life, death, grief, anger, love, joy, the children and a cat the ex wife... its' hard to..." Read more

"Thoughtful, humorous and sometimes poignant observations of coming of age and aging of the boomer generation. I highly recommend the book." Read more

"...or fails to rise up in the description of human foibles, Lynch is insightful, delightful, grown-up and solid. Must read!" Read more

"...His work is both lyrical and enlightening." Read more

5 customers mention "Readability"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well worth reading, with one mentioning it can be read multiple times.

"...It is beyond amazing to read the numerous stories by Mr Lynch. It's much more than a good yarn, even though it is...." Read more

"...Must read!" Read more

"...Worth anyone's time before the final knock comes at their door." Read more

"...On the whole, the book is powerful and well worth reading." Read more

4 customers mention "Humor"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book humorous.

"Thoughtful, humorous and sometimes poignant observations of coming of age and aging of the boomer generation. I highly recommend the book." Read more

"...With humor that never detracts from solemn subjects, or fails to rise up in the description of human foibles, Lynch is insightful, delightful, grown-..." Read more

"While not his best work, it's still humorous and touching" Read more

"To be read over and over - its that good, funny, sad, clever and all about life..." Read more

4 customers mention "Lyricism"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the lyrical style of the book, with one noting how the words flow like music and another mentioning the warm voice of the narrator.

"Thoughtful, humorous and sometimes poignant observations of coming of age and aging of the boomer generation. I highly recommend the book." Read more

"...can enjoy unpretentious stories about lives and their endings, told by a voice warm and familiar as your favourite whiskey and a furry friend......" Read more

"...I am lucky to live in his home state of Michigan. His work is both lyrical and enlightening." Read more

"Thomas Lynch is a favorite. He can put words together most agreeably and euphoniously - it's almost like singing. I watch for him to publish." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Tom Hackim
    5.0 out of 5 stars To be read over and over - its that good, funny, sad, clever and all about life
    Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I first heard about the author - Thomas Lynch - Undertaker and author about 20 years ago. I had joined our Bereavement Ministry (plan Funeral Mass) at my Catholic parish. This book "Bodies in Motion and at Rest" was suggested reading. People had mentioned how clever it is. Then I saw a recent article in 'The Atlantic Magazine' by Mr Lynch... "Death without Ceremony". And the name and title of this book caught my attention... at which point I bought the book. It is beyond amazing to read the numerous stories by Mr Lynch. It's much more than a good yarn, even though it is. It is life, death, grief, anger, love, joy, the children and a cat the ex wife... its' hard to explain. You will laugh and cry. In conclusion, I am in the process of emptying out my vast bookshelf. But this book will always be on the shelf for me to dip into every once in a while. Thank-You Thomas Lynch!
    3 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Stephen E Johnson
    5.0 out of 5 stars Middle aged musings
    Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Thoughtful, humorous and sometimes poignant observations of coming of age and aging of the boomer generation. I highly recommend the book.
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • S P
    4.0 out of 5 stars No complaints !
    Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    great condition and arrived as planned..
    Helpful
     Report
  • Superminx
    5.0 out of 5 stars Lynch is the best!
    Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Reading Thomas Lynch is like sinking into a comfortable chair to think clearly about the meaning of life. In this, and his other book, The Undertaking, Lynch is both poet and guide for a journey of understanding mortality (morality too). It is tempting to draw a loose connection to the best (which is, by no means, all) work from Garrison Keillor--in that Lynch brings the mundane details of life to focus in ways that let us see they are really the big things in life. With humor that never detracts from solemn subjects, or fails to rise up in the description of human foibles, Lynch is insightful, delightful, grown-up and solid. Must read!
    8 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • fr. jime jeffery
    5.0 out of 5 stars Addresses the reality of death head-on with grace
    Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Have read many of his books as clergy and feed me as one dealing with deaths as well. Bought this one for a colleague in the funeral business as a thank you for assisting my wife and myself in doing our own necessary planning. Worth anyone's time before the final knock comes at their door.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars A non-fiction favorite
    Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I've read it multiple times and gifted it twice. If you can enjoy unpretentious stories about lives and their endings, told by a voice warm and familiar as your favourite whiskey and a furry friend... then I recommend this book to you.
    4 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • D. Dudley
    3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    While not his best work, it's still humorous and touching
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • susan l russell
    5.0 out of 5 stars The funeral director I work for suggested the writings of Thomas Lynch and I m so glad he did
    Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    I could not put this book down once I started reading. The funeral director I work for suggested the writings of Thomas Lynch and I m so glad he did. It is edifying and encouraging in all areas. The tender heart and kindness of Thomas Lynch is most evident. It is nice to be reminded we have sensitive and caring men and women in our business serving families in such loving ways. As soon as I completed this book I ordered another by Mr. Lynch. I hope his writings are used in colleges and universities everywhere. Well done!
    7 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Donna northcott
    5.0 out of 5 stars You won't be disappointed reading this.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 19, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Fantastic. Wise and insightful.
    One person found this helpful
     Report