Book Description
Never look at a grave the same way again
Admit it: You're fascinated by cemeteries. We all die, and for most of us, a cemetery is our final resting place. But how many people really know what goes on inside, around, and beyond them?
Enter the world of the dead as Katherine Ramsland talks to mortuary assistants, gravediggers, funeral home owners, and more, and find out about:
- Stitching and cosmetic secrets used on mutilated bodies
- Embalmers who do more than just embalm
- The rising popularity of cremation art
- Ghosts that infest graveyards everywhere
If you've ever scoffed at the high price of burying the dead, or ever wondered how your loved ones are handled when they die, or simply stared at tombstones with morbid fascination, then take a trip with Katherine Ramsland and learn about the booming industry -- and strange tales -- that surround cemeteries everywhere.
Customer Reviews:
cemetery stories.......2007-06-08
I enjoyed reading this book, and to me the best part were the websites listed in the back. Interesting..
Review of Cemetery Stories.......2006-04-07
It is interesting to read, however it did not have any pictures. National Geographic's television show called "Tabo" showed the body farm in Knoxville, TN in detail and how research there is help us to learn more about crime scene investigation. Some was described in this book. Also some of the crime investigation stories as seen on HBO, with Dr. Michael Baden are described. Some of characters for the movies "Pyscho" and "Texas Chainsaw" are described in reality. The book also talks about necrophilia, the funneral business, interesting stories by morticians, cemetery stories and more.
Great idea, but that's all..........2005-11-30
Katherine Ramsland has written about death, darkness, and the unknown before. She has, among other things, written biographies about Dean Koontz and the "queen of vampires" Anne Rice, investigated ghost phenomena, and produced a thorough exposé of the secret vampire scene in New York.
In other words; Ramsland is no beginner. She's a skilled writer, she's proven this again and again, however, Cemetery Stories is a low-water mark in her career. It's simply not a very good book.
Still, the topic in itself is perfectly fine. What is life like to a mortician and other members of the "death business", what really happens to a body that has been dead for days or weeks, how happens during an embalming, what's with man's fascination with death, what are some of the most famous ghost stories ever told; these things and much more are brought up to discussion.
But, throughout the entire book the overall perspective is very brief, and while reading one continually feels that there must be more to the stories, things that should and could be told, but are left out. It's very much written for an American audience - who have very different traditions compared to Sweden when it comes to open caskets, funeral homes, and other things of that matter (for instance, only 30% of Americans choose cremation) - but since the topic is global, then there is, in theory, a global audience as well. Too bad the book doesn't feel thoroughly done.
Put another way, there's a lot of potential, but that's all there is. Many of the stories told by Ramsland, stories she's been told by sources or looked up herself, will almost bore you to death, and more or less all her reports of haunted cemeteries or living dead are both pointless and most of all boring, because they all sound like your ordinary urban legend.
At the end of the book Ramsland starts talking about necromancy and necrophilia, but just as the book starts turning interesting it's finished. Considering all the energy devoted earlier in the book to pointless ghost stories, one could only hope Ramsland would spend as much energy on actual phenomena, but no. Instead she chooses to leave the reader high and dry.
The cover is beautiful, the topic interesting, the ambition admirable; but still, it's first and foremost a huge disappointment.
And finally, when Ramsland chooses to analyze traditional urban legends with the attitude "This type of incident has been reported so many times there's no reason to think it does not happen," (p. 174), it really makes one think how skilled she is in critical thinking.
Great idea, but that's all..........2005-11-22
Katherine Ramsland has written about death, darkness, and the unknown before. She has, among other things, written biographies about Dean Koontz and the "queen of vampires" Anne Rice, investigated ghost phenomena, and produced a thorough exposé of the secret vampire scene in New York.
In other words; Ramsland is no beginner. She's a skilled writer, she's proven this again and again, however, Cemetery Stories is a low-water mark in her career. It's simply not a very good book.
Still, the topic in itself is perfectly fine. What is life like to a mortician and other members of the "death business", what really happens to a body that has been dead for days or weeks, how happens during an embalming, what's with man's fascination with death, what are some of the most famous ghost stories ever told; these things and much more are brought up to discussion.
But, throughout the entire book the overall perspective is very brief, and while reading one continually feels that there must be more to the stories, things that should and could be told, but are left out. It's very much written for an American audience - who have very different traditions compared to Sweden when it comes to open caskets, funeral homes, and other things of that matter (for instance, only 30% of Americans choose cremation) - but since the topic is global, then there is, in theory, a global audience as well. Too bad the book doesn't feel thoroughly done.
Put another way, there's a lot of potential, but that's all there is. Many of the stories told by Ramsland, stories she's been told by sources or looked up herself, will almost bore you to death, and more or less all her reports of haunted cemeteries or living dead are both pointless and most of all boring, because they all sound like your ordinary urban legend.
At the end of the book Ramsland starts talking about necromancy and necrophilia, but just as the book starts turning interesting it's finished. Considering all the energy devoted earlier in the book to pointless ghost stories, one could only hope Ramsland would spend as much energy on actual phenomena, but no. Instead she chooses to leave the reader high and dry.
The cover is beautiful, the topic interesting, the ambition admirable; but still, it's first and foremost a huge disappointment.
And finally, when Ramsland chooses to analyze traditional urban legends with the attitude "This type of incident has been reported so many times there's no reason to think it does not happen," (p. 174), it really makes one think how skilled she is in critical thinking.
Great stories!.......2005-08-31
Loved the funny stories shared by funeral directors. Gives you the behind the scenes details on funerals and prepraration of bodies, without being to gory!
Average customer rating:
- A GOOD MYSTERY,
- Who did it when everyone seems guilty?
- Twisting and turning, you can't resist trying to solve it
- AVERAGE POIROT MYSTERY
- Great Characters and Lots of Plot Twists - a la Christie!
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After the Funeral (Hercule Poirot Mysteries)
Agatha Christie
Manufacturer: Berkley
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ASIN: 0425173909
Release Date: 2004-10-05 |
Book Description
Christie at her plot twisting best.
Poirot unravels a deadly family mystery.
Download Description
When Cora is savagely murdered with a hatchet, the extraordinary remark she made the previous day at her brother Richard's funeral suddenly takes on a chilling significance. At the reading of Richard's will, Cora was clearly heard to say: 'It's been hushed up very nicely, hasn't itBut he was murdered, wasn't he?' In desperation, the family solicitor turns to Hercule Poirot to unravel the mystery.
Customer Reviews:
A GOOD MYSTERY,.......2007-09-16
I'M AN AVID CHRISTIE FAN AND I COULD NOT WAIT TO DEVOUR THIS BOOK. WHAT GOT ME WAS THE TITLE AND AS I READ ON THE BOOK DID NOT DISAPPOINT UNTIL CLOSE THE END WHEN THE KILLER WAS EXPOSED.IN THE USUAL STYLE OF AGATHA CHRISTIE IT WAS A TOTAL SUPRISE! IF YOU LIKE A GOOD MYSTERY WITH LOTS OF SUSPECT THEN YOU WILL ENJOY THIS BOOK
Who did it when everyone seems guilty?.......2007-08-21
Agatha Christie had true talent when it came to spinning masterpieces. Her legendary Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot used his shrewd logic to defeat many criminals when microscopes and labs were used in other mysteries, taking the reader on a rid of their life as he tracked clues and interviewed the suspects.
When Richard Abernethie dies and his family meets at the funeral, one person is certain that he was murdered. But when Cora, the one who knew something falls to the same fate as her brother, fingers start to point and everyone is in shambles unable to produce a clear alibi. Nieces and nephews, the servants and even strangers who were at the wrong place at the wrong time seem to hide something and it's not too soon when the famous Poirot, disguised as potential buyer of the Abernethie mansion is called to sort out the mess.
"After the funeral" was a complex and delightful read because it wasn't as simple as most books, this tale had so many guilty suspects that the hard part was weeding out the only one person responsible for the death while omitting more than a few red herrings and characters of mixed morals. Poirot outdoes himself relying heavily on his use of conversation, talking about nothing and everything to catch a phrase out of context and secure his bait. I adored the wide array of characters, the feuding family, snobby and marred with flaws as they made for a colorful read with one of the best twisted endings I have ever read. The story itself was simple yet it spiraled into a huge event, one that I loved sitting and reading for a few days, and always trying to find more time to devote to it. Following the fun I had with this book I am going to read another Poirot mystery "Hallowe'en Party" in hopes of sharpening my detective skills, perhaps this time I can catch the killer on my own!
- Kasia S.
Twisting and turning, you can't resist trying to solve it.......2007-08-08
The revelations from chapter to chapter will take your mind twisting and turning down many possible paths. While After the Funeral is not in the class of Murder on the Orient Express or Death on the Nile, it is a captivating effort none the less. Recommended.
AVERAGE POIROT MYSTERY .......2007-06-16
AFTER THE FUNERAL was written in 1952 and first published in 1953. This Hercule Poirot "all in the family" mystery is, in my opinion, not one of the best Agatha Christie mysteries of that period but I appreciated it anyway for its implacable portrayal of a British family of the high bourgeoisie. Incidentally, if the members of the Abernethy family hadn't been so self-conscious of their belonging to their social class, there wouldn't have been any mystery at all. The solution of the mystery is, one must admit it, very improbable and strictly lies on the fact that people of a peculiar social class completely ignore those from a different background.
Great Characters and Lots of Plot Twists - a la Christie!.......2004-12-17
This Poirot book is the usual fare for Christie fans. There are lots of intricate plot twists and red herrings, and the characters are wonderful. I think I read Agatha christie for the characters more than anything, and this book does not disappoint. In this book the family patriarch dies suddenly. He has been ill, and no one questions the death until his youngest sister says "He was murdered wasn't he?" at the funeral. Then the next day this sister is found brutally murdered in her home. Enough for the family solicitor to call in retired Hercule Poirot. The ending of the book is quite unexpected, but that's usual for an Agatha Christie book.
Book Description
The Tibetan Book of the Dead is one of the texts that, according to legend, Padma-Sambhava was compelled to hide during his visit to Tibet in the late 8th century. The guru hid his books in stones, lakes, and pillars because the Tibetans of that day and age were somehow unprepared for their teachings. Now, in the form of the ever-popular Tibetan Book of the Dead, these teachings are constantly being discovered and rediscovered by Western readers of many different backgrounds--a phenomenon which began in 1927 with Oxford's first edition of Dr. Evans-Wentz's landmark volume. While it is traditionally used as a mortuary text, to be read or recited in the presence of a dead or dying person, this book--which relates the whole experience of death and rebirth in three intermediate states of being--was originally understood as a guide not only for the dead but also for the living. As a contribution to the science of death and dying--not to mention the belief in life after death, or the belief in rebirth--The Tibetan Book of the Dead is unique among the sacred texts of the world, for its socio-cultural influence in this regard is without comparison. This fourth edition features a new foreword, afterword, and suggested further reading list by Donald S. Lopez, author of Prisoners of Shangri-La: Tibetan Buddhism and the West. Lopez traces the whole history of the late Evans-Wentz's three earlier editions of this book, fully considering the work of contributors to previous editions (C. G. Jung among them), the sections that were added by Evans-Wentz along the way, the questions surrounding the book's translation, and finally the volume's profound importance in engendering both popular and academic interest in the religion and culture of Tibet. Another key theme that Lopez addresses is the changing nature of this book's audience--from the prewar theosophists to the beat poets to the hippies to contemporary exponents of the hospice movement--and what these audiences have found (or sought) in its very old pages.
Customer Reviews:
A classic.......2005-02-11
This translation deserved the good reviews. The text has been summed up well in other reviews. A word about the author seems appropriate. It is worth pointing out that W.Y. Evans-Wentz was an American (one reviewer stated that W.Y. E-W was English).The confusion here stems from the fact that W.Y. E-W went to Oxford, England, as a Rhodes scholar. He was a very articulate and erudite man - well versed in the Western classics, Western mystery tradition etc. - and in his footnotes, he made frequent cross references to such.
A few people now fault E-W' work - because of the universal sweep of his intuitions.It has even been suggested that he corrupted the purity of the Tibetan teachings - by his inter-cultural or trans-cultural horizons.Some Tibetan Lamas (i.e. Trungpa) have faulted E-W's work on such grounds.Western afficionadoes of Tibetan Buddhism - people who like to imagine themselves among the elect(Professors and pop followers alike) have chimed in.
Such people forget (or prefer to ignore) the fact that W.Y.Evans-Wentz spent many years studying and working with Tibetan Lamas. Be assured, W.Y. Evans-Wentz' projects had the blessing of his Tibetan co-worker - Lama Kazi Dawa Sammdup. There are those who would argue that this blessing did not extend to the commentary material - subsequently added by E-W, after his work with the Lama. But how E-W presented the material to a Western audience - was his business.
Death is most certainly a universal experience - and E-W placed it in a truly universal context. Is that so surprising?
The Jungian commentary appended to the first ed. of this text has also come in for criticism (some editions now delete it). But Jung had something - when suggesting that we ought to read the TBD 'BACKWARDS' - to understand the difficulties modern minds get into - when trying to approach such territory. Still, as E-W points out, late medieval Western culture had a similar perspective on death. It was part of life, we similarly understood the need to 'live our dying' - and the need to 'die-in-life' to find the greater spiritual life. There are chapels in Europe, constructed entirely of human bones. It looks morbid to modern people - but, in fact, it signified a triumph over death. Death is the greatest adventure. Whatever we may be doing, death is the ultimate destination that awaits us. Many European cathedrals have a 'memento mori' - an image of death, saying: "I was as you are;as I am, so shall ye be. " Will you be able to pay the ferryman - when the boat comes?
Not "Pop Buddhism," A Guide For The Living.......2004-04-28
This is not the Richard Gere "pop Buddhism" approach. This is the work of an English academic in the early 20th Century, as he uncovers an "Oriental" classic for a Western audience. Evans-Wentz even brings Carl Jung into the picture for the Westerners, as Jung's psychology was "New School" at the time and offered a sublime link between Oriental and Occidental thinking. I hold this book in the highest regard, not because it is a mystical Buddhist text, but rather because it offers tips for daily living and and self-actualization. As with most quality philosophical doctrines, this book is a paradox...a book of the dead that is really an abstract book for the living, regardless of religion or nationality. It is a refreshing and enlightening break from an increasingly fundamental world.
The Original Book and Translation (1927).......2003-10-14
This is the original "Tibetan Book of the Dead". All other versions are a toned-down version of this work by different authors who want to accommodate people who do not want to put the work in. You need to put the work in. No one can spoon-feed this kind of wisdom to you.
The Tibetan Book of the Dead is an extremely authoritative translation of the original texts of the "Bardo Thodol" by Lama Kazi Dawa-Samdup who schooled W.Y.Evans-Wentz in Tibetan Buddhism. The book is an extremely important piece of work for both the scholars of psychology and religion, and the lay person who has the time to spend working on it. The book is also the reality behind the "Necronomicon" which has been popularized by fiction writers, such a H.P.Lovecraft, but has been completely taken out of its true context.
To begin with, this book is a beautiful book once you truly understand the message that it is trying to convey to the reader - or more correctly, when the reader correctly understands the message that is being conveyed. It has a primordial air to it and is certainly ancient in its wisdom and understanding. The book was translated in the early 1900s and was first published in 1927. Be warned - this book is exceptionally difficult to read because the standard of grammar used is of the highest acumen humanly possibly. Evans-Wentz was a Doctor of Literature, a Doctor of Science and a Master of Arts. If you don't have a full size Oxford dictionary, then you will have trouble reading it. There is also a difficulty in the translation. There are many Tibetan words that do not exist in English so Evans-Wentz sometimes derives a more descriptive meaning behind the message that is trying to be communicated to the reader. Dr. C.G. Jung has written an introduction at the start of the book which is mostly concerned about explaining the Tibetan meaning of the words "Soul" and "Mind". It is for reasons like these that the book requires multiple readings to fully absorb the information that is being presented. So what exactly is The Tibetan Book of the Dead? It is a corpus with several teachings. Tibetan Buddhist monks believe that if you understand the meaning of death then you will understand the meaning the life. It expounds in detail on the illusions of the human mind and gives a context for working out many questions that are philosophical and spiritual in nature.
The book is essentially split into three parts. The first part has introductions from various students of theology, psychology and Buddhism. Evans-Wentz then explains the nature of the book and gives a rough breakdown of what we will find in the "Bardo Thodol" and how it is used to help the dead find their way to Nirvana during the after-death ceremonies (like an Irish wake) but also how the book can be used as a guide for the living, which is its true intended purpose. The middle part of the book is the "Bardo Thodol" translated directly into English and third part covers the topic of Buddhism in general with references to the different schools of thought and Christianity.
The middle part of the book, the actual "Bardo Thodol", is split into three parts. There is an introduction at the start which explains the entry into the "Chikhai Bardo", the first of the Bardo regions that one automatically enters at the point of death. Then there is the second phase of the "Bardo Thodol", the "Chonyid Bardo" before the final phase of the "Bardo Thodol" the "Sidpa Bardo". Essentially these three areas can be explained as - the moment of death and the dawning of the light or nirvana, the karmic illusions of worldly things and finally the rebirth process. However do not think that this means that everybody is reborn or that Tibetans/Buddhists take reincarnation literally. It is all part of a thinking puzzle. You have got to work out things for yourself. There are hidden meanings in there. You must compare the different concepts in this book to find out what it really means! Question the "Bardo Thodol". Question what it teaches! Question what it says about itself!
The Bardo Thodol is a technical and thoroughly scientific examination of consciousness that is still highly regarded as one of the most logical and controlled methods of understanding the mind and its relation to the world of phenomena. At first glance the book may seem horrid, uncanny and evoke a fear by the mere mention of the word "death", but this is a book about the living, dedicated to life and expounds on some of the most important questions that man can ask himself. It is extremely satisfying and worthy of repetitive readings. There is a pile of footnotes to help guide you through each page.
Enormously recommended! ! ! !
(As a side note Evans-Wentz wrote several other books to follow up on this one. They should be read in the following order - (1)The Tibetan Book of the Dead, (2) Tibet's Great Yogi Milarepa, (3)Tibetan Yoga and Secret Doctrines and (4)The Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation.)
The Definitive Book of the Mind.......2003-03-23
First published in 1927. Translated by LAMA KAZI DAWA-SAMDUP. Edited by Dr. W.Y Evans-Wentz, formerly of Jesus College, Oxford who spent the rest of his life dedicating himself to following the teachings of this very translation. This writer is the one who first produced the teachings of 'The Tibetan Book of the Dead' to occident man in the west. It still remains the definitive edition to this day. The book also has many footnotes and an important lengthy introduction by C.G. Jung to introduce the occident mind to the nature of the book. The footnotes are the helping hand in reading and understanding the text.
This is a book about the raw mind. It may take you many lifetimes to understand. You may understand it after the first reading. There are no devices, tools, sects, schools or Gods used to get you there. This is a book about your mind. The mind is the only device you should need along with the book to bring you to the understanding of - knowing the nature of reality. Then when you are done with the book pass it on and use the only tool that this book expounds on. The mind.
I have not even attempted to read anything else since I found this book. That is because it is definitive. The book only needs your mind. Nothing else. That is why this book is THE definitive book of the mind. Christians should not be afraid of this book in any way shape or form. It is good natured, good willing and does nothing more than help expand your goodness.
It is through the book of the dead that you will learn the book of life.
As the recently deceased Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, of Tiruvannamalai, South India, admonished Evans-Wentz when he sojourned in his ashram he said - "Each of you should ask yourself, 'who, or what, am I?' Why am I here incarnate? Whither I am destined? Why is there birth and why is there death?'"
This book has never been equaled by any other book. And I am not just talking about within the confines of theology.
This is THE book.
The central book of Thanatology.......2000-09-25
This book is probably the pre-eminent "global" text on Ars Moriendi. Stripped of culturally conditioned paraphernalia ( various Bodhisattvas, elaborate Mahayanist mythologies etc ), what remains is probably the most descriptive essay on the "great beyond" ( apart from Plato's "Phaedo", which I find even more aesthetically and cognitively persuasive, but greatly differing in spirit ).
Among the greatest merits of the book are, IMO, a clear exposition of the Trikaya doctrine, ie. Mahayanist ontology; subtle psycho-spiritual analysis ( mainly in footnotes ) of 'Knower' ( principle of consciousness, caitanya or shes-pa - permanent reincarnating "I": an entity in perfect concordance with Tantricism but not very plausible in Buddhist Theravada orthodoxy ) and visionary cartography of the three ( "Divine"( Chikai ), noetic/causal ( Chonyid ), and psychic/imaginal ( Sidpa )) supraphysical Bardo states/worlds.
Probably the biggest failure is Jung's introduction, something that makes a man suspicious whether Jung had read "Bardo Thodhol" at all. Avalon's foreword is not bad, but also not very illuminating. What makes the book readable and understandable are Evans Wentz's intro and footnotes without which "The Tibetan Book of the Dead" would be a dry and dull read. Since inception of Wentz's "Tibetan Canon" ( 4- 5 books ) many eminent authors ( Chogyam Trungpa, Tarthang Tulku, Sogyal Rinpoche,..) have written numerous works on the Vajrayana, but, as far as I'm concerned- they haven't succeeded in surpassing these early masterpieces.
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After the Funeral
Jane Loretta Winsch
Manufacturer: Paulist Press
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Tear Soup
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Customer Reviews:
Mournfully realistic.......2000-06-22
This book deals with death and the aftermath that comes with it. A great book to read to students before a loved one passes away and it also challenges children to step-up if needed. Don't even think about not putting this in your shopping cart cause it is a must-have for any bookshelf!
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- Ways of Living, Ways of Surviving
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After a Funeral
Diana Athill
Manufacturer: Granta Books
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Customer Reviews:
Ways of Living, Ways of Surviving.......2000-10-19
This is the true story of the relationship between a middle-aged English publisher (Athill herself) and a young Egyptian writer. Its narrative concerns the disintegration of the writer's state of mind and, with it, of his relationship with Athill; it ends with the writer's suicide. As has been remarked about Athill's other books, this account is remarkable for its honesty. Athill is an unusually aware and articulate woman in whom the faculties of imaginative sympathy and of dispassionate appraisal are both extraordinarily strong as well as more or less equivalent (these gifts have presumably contributed towards her successful career as a publisher). I read the book as a 'debate' between two ways of existing: on the one hand the egocentric, relentless, consuming passion of the young writer; Athill's moderate, self-restraining but not unemotional rationality on the other. It is an important debate and has made for great writing before (Hamlet versus Horatio?) - partly because it is so complex: both ways of living overlap with each other and also in some way depend upon each other for definition. Each way of living, too, has something the other cannot have (abandoned emotion's intensity; rationality's ability to survive). In its own very modest way, then, this book felt to me like a classic account of life at its most real.
Customer Reviews:
A fun and informative book.......2004-08-14
After the Funeral is an amusing if somewhat macabre narrative of the fate of some of the mortal remains of famous people. As the author puts it himself, the funeral is not necessarily the end of the story for many historic individuals.
To some extent the book simply makes a play to natural morbid curiosity about death and the dead. After all who doesn't enjoy a good old fashioned ghost story now and again? But it also showcases the amazing hold that the people who make history have over the average person, even after the former have gone the way of all flesh. The anger that they elicited from foiled rivals continues, as in the case of Cromwell, whose body was subjected to a belated public "execution" and whose head was kept as a souvenir for generations. The love that they engendered continues beyond the grave, as in the case of Shelley and his wife Mary (and perhaps his friend Trewlany). Who is not still amazed by the brilliant mind of Einstein, though he has been gone since 1955, and would not perhaps enjoy stealing a glance at the brain that once produced those amazing thoughts?
Probably the most scandalous issue taken up by the book is the commercial value that famous dead people have. The resting places of the likes of Daniel Boone, Buffalo Bill, Sitting Bull, Moliere and Marx have all been turned into tourist attractions and, believe it or not, some have given posthumous endorsement of eternal real estate (plots in private cemetaries)! The fight over the remains of some of them by those who would make a profit makes for amusing reading. The quarrels among the citizens of North Platte, Nebraska, Cody, Wyoming, and Denver, Colorado over the body of Buffalo Bill are particuly funny. I understand that the fight between Cody and Denver has only recently been resolved.
While the fate of the bodies and body parts of history's famous are often up for grabs, according to the author, not even cremation seems to be a safe way of avoiding the vagaries of eternity. The misadventures of the ashes of the writers D. H. Lawarence and Dorothy Parker attest that point.
All in all a fun and informative book.
Rest in peace, if you can........2003-07-29
Just exactly what does happen to a corpse after the funeral? Well, for the most part the remains are allowed to rest in peace, but not always. Exhumations are not all that uncommon. Whether it be for law enforcement purposes, DNA testing, or just simply because the next of kin have decided to move the body to another cemetery. Generally it is pretty mundane stuff. However, if the corpse just happens to be the remains of a famous person, then things can sometimes get interesting.
The next question that would occur to most people is; why would anyone want to move around a dead body or any part thereof? That is what this book is all about. Each of the corpses covered in this book has a completely separate entry to avoid confusion. Each of those entries starts with a brief history of the deceased's life so that if the reader is not familiar with Lord Byron for example they are given a little information to start off with. Usually within this short biography one finds the reason for the posthumous travels of their body, or the above mentioned parts thereof. The reasons range from a somewhat warped but deep love or admiration, to politics, to obsessive hate, to tourism and even practical jokes. The adventurous bodies in this book run the gambit from Oliver Cromwell to Thomas Paine and from Voltaire to Sitting Bull. In short, the subject is fascinating.
Edwin Murphy writes in a clear manner and with a witty style. I found a few historical errors but all in all, this book seems to be very well researched. Also, when there are conflicting stories he presents both tales. For example, was it director Raoul Walsh or Peter Lorre who put the corpse of John Barrymore in Errol Flynn's living room? Just that question alone should make most people want to read this book. I thoroughly enjoyed my evenings with this book and I think you will too.
Unique Book.......2001-09-21
This is one of the most unique books I have ever read. It is informative, interesting, amusing, and well written. You would have trouble beliving some of the fantastic "posthomous adventures famous corpses" that the author meticulously recounts, except that he provides a full bibliography so you can check the facts yourself. How about the Portugese lady who was exhumed five years after death to be crowned queen. Or Oliver Cromwell, who was exhumed from Westminister Abbey to be executed for treason (hung, then decapitated) and whose severed head became a museum exhibit and prop for lectures on phrenology. Or Daniel Boone, whose neglected body was hijacked from Missouri as part of a plan to promote a new cemetery in Kentucky? Mr. Murphy has apparently invented a new literary category that he calls "Necrobiography," of which his book is the only example so far. I can't wait for the sequel which he promises, especially if it is as enjoyable as the original. I heartily recommend this book. It is not morbid or sensational in the least, but holds your interest(tastefully illustrated too).
Interesting and funny!.......2001-06-29
I really enjoyed this book--it was entertaining, VERY interesting and funny without losing tact or being disrespectful of the subjects involved. I agree that the writing style is a little different in some places, but i think different authors have different styles, and to me it doesn't detract from the interesting subject matter--plus to me it seemed easy to read and personable. It's amazing what people will do with the remains of folks they've loved (or hated)! I hope the author goes on to do another volume like he mentioned in the intro.
Great research, writing only so-so.......2000-03-13
I picked up this book because of its unusual and intriguing subject matter. I figured it would be a nice diversion to read about some of the crazy adventures and mishaps that befall famous corpses after the funeral (so to speak). In that, I was not disappointed. Murphy obviously did his research, and he was honest enough to list various accounts when the facts were in doubt. He also wrote with a nicely wry sense of humor befitting the subject. However, I found the writing to lack a certain polish, as if I was reading a third draft instead of the finished product. I found enough awkward sentences, paragraphs with more than one subject, and other poorly constructed phrases to dampen my enjoyment of the book somewhat. I suspect this may not be the fault of the author so much as the editors involved in the project, but in any case, the book suffered as a result.
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When They All Go Home: What to Do After the Funeral
Robert V. Dodd
Manufacturer: Abingdon Pr
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 068745042X |
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