Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Dark Archives: A Librarian's Investigation Into the Science and History of Books Bound in Human Skin by Megan Rosenbloom

28 reviews

percy_march's review

informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

Overall, this was a pretty good read. It definitely got better as the book progressed, but I did become very invested in and entertained by the stories told by Rosenbloom. We got the French Revolution, we got body-snatchers, we got death positivity, antique book loving, and discussions of body materiality.

What really pissed me off though is her dismissal of any other viewpoints on anthropodermic bibliopegy. She would use any topic to bring up how books containing human remains shouldn't be re-intered and stayed remarkably impartial - uncharacteristically so - when bringing up NAGPRA and repatriation. It was very... "neo-liberal millennial" style of speaking on the issues of historic racism, sexism, and medical abuse. 

Also, if you try to go for the audiobook - the narrator kept doing accents for people she was quoting/referencing, and it was too much. It really, really needed to stop.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Racism, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Child death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Slavery, Violence, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Sexual violence and Terminal illness

In-depth discussion of the process of tanning leather

apersonfromflorida's review against another edition

dark informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Body horror, Racism, and Murder

Minor: Genocide, Sexual violence, and Antisemitism

littleyarngoblin's review

dark informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

A deeply researched, empathetic look into the history and science of books bound in human skin. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Racism, Violence, and War

Minor: Antisemitism, Medical content, Murder, and Classism

proseweb's review

informative fast-paced

2.5

Kind of hated this tbh!! It was written from kind of a breathless 'isn't it SO COOL that I have a JOB about BOOKS?' place that I found very off-putting. It also didn't seem to engage with any of the larger literature around human remains in favor of slightly-better-than-pop-history. I ended up skimming the last half looking for all the yes/nos on which specimens of alleged human skin binding did in fact end up real, because I knew the author was not going to engage with the ethics around the practice with the rigor or nuance I wanted from her.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexism, Violence, Antisemitism, Medical content, and Murder

sistersin124's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

I really enjoyed this book and the way the author presented the information. I will say there are some sections that are designed to provoke thought and can be uncomfortable. The focus is very heavy on the people who created the books and the ethics around it all but I also feel like she gives adequate discussion on those used to create the books as well. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Terminal illness, Blood, Antisemitism, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

thepinkladylazarus's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative mysterious medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Medical content, and Murder

dexkit10's review against another edition

dark informative medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Medical content, and Murder

Moderate: Grief, War, and Classism

vohak's review against another edition

dark funny informative slow-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Gore

Minor: Animal death, Child death, Blood, Antisemitism, and Murder

The author handles it all retty well but don't read it if you're squeamish.

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

dark informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

This book messed me right up, and I was here for it lol it totally freaked me out, and I'm not sure that many other people could have pulled this book off. The narrator was also a perfect match - some levity, while also focusing on the seriousness of the subject. So much information in here, and I really appreciated that the author wasn't afraid to touch on the racial implications of some of the books. There are so many tiny ways that white oppressors have tried to make sure their bigoted ideas were mainstream, and we have to catch them in history. Whatever else Ms. Rosenbloom writes, I'm in.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Medical content

Moderate: Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Murder, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Racism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Forced institutionalization

If you think this is going to freak you out, it likely will, but it's not gross just to be gross.

aturb92's review

challenging dark informative mysterious medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Medical trauma, and Murder