Oh boy, what a ride. "The Emperor of All Maladies" is a very big book - not that there's anything wrong with that. It's an almost-complete history of cancer research (rather than cancer itself), and it describes all the major steps towards better diagnoses and treatments for many different types of cancer. The books goes back and forth between historical events, laid out in great detail, and the author's own experiences as a cancer doctor in the US.

I certainly learned a lot while reading this book. I know quite a bit about (molecular) biology and what "cancer" means on different levels, but I was unaware of many of the historical connections, let alone the many protagonists who have contributed to making cancer less of a threat.

Now why the measly two-star rating? Let me tell you.

This book has the details. All of them. Who was the first to suggest a certain type of chemotherapy for a specific type of cancer? Where did he live? How did he get to work every day? What did his office look like? Who were his co-workers? Who of their relatives got cancer at some point? How often did they travel to meet collaborators, and did they go by plane or by car? You'll find out if you read this book. For me, it was just too much - too much of everything.

Also, too many too flowery descriptions. Every figure in this book, every person who is introduced, the doctors, the researchers, the politicians, the patients, their relatives - they're all introduced with a three-adjective description, as another reviewer pointed out. I found it just so annoying to read, the same formula for every new person, of which there are SO MANY.

So while the topic is mostly very interesting, I was put off by the way it is presented - flowery language, willfully pompous, over-the-top and verbose. This could have been cut back by about a quarter and I would have enjoyed it more. As it is, however, it felt almost like a chore reading it.

All in all, the insights into the connections between cancer pioneers over the centuries, their ways to fight cancer, and the way everything is orchestrated behind the scenes - in Congress and medical associations' meeting rooms - was intriguing, and I'm glad I learned about these things. It was the way of writing and how the content is presented that made me enjoy the book much less than many other people did.