100 Places to See After You Die: A Travel Guide to the Afterlife by Ken Jennings

I like Jennings. He’s by far my favorite Jeopardy GOAT which to the uninitiated is Greatest of All Time. He’s also a fun writer, and I’ve enjoyed his books over the years, so I immediately requested the ARC of his latest when it popped up on Netgalley.
The concept here is charmingly simple…the book is essentially a compendium of afterlife as it is depicted in mythology, religion, books, movies, arts, etc. There are sections on each with alphabetically arranged entries. But, of course, Jennings ad libs. The idea here is to stick to the facts but give them a humorous spin, turning this into something of travelogue, albeit to destinations perhaps best left alone, speculative or otherwise.
So do you want Jennings as your Virgil for touring the underworld? Well, sure, he’s a fun guy. So this book is on lighter side for such a heavy topic. But then it’s also lite as it lightweight in a way. Like Jennings deliberately holds back his famous snark and sarcasm it seems to appease the general public. Must be all that Jeopardy host training.
He’s a smart, funny, erudite guy with sweeping knowledge of random facts and pop culture and he utilizes it all well, but…mildly? Like holding most of his opinions to himself. Which is a shame, says this reader, because nonfiction if often best when it is presented by an opinionated author.
So basically don’t go in expecting too much meditation on the subject or comparative studies or things like that. You will learn some things, especially in the first two sections of religion and mythology. The rest are basically Jennings rehashing plots of famous books, movies, etc. Which is entertaining but only so much. And reader beware, he does give away the plot. Every single time. The ending and all.
So overall, this quirky travelogue is somewhat educational, plenty entertaining, leaves something to be desired (specifically more of the author's personality, thoughts, opinions, etc.). Worth a read. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.