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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
challenging
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
an interesting and accessible history of witchcraft across continents. this is largely focused on europe and north america, although in the later parts is looks at some african case studies, and at points this becomes too narrative. it’s split into three parts; the first being trials at the height of the witch craze, the second being trials in the 19th and 20th centuries, looking at how accusations of witchcraft shifted, and the final part looking at 21st century examples. i would’ve preferred for the second and third parts to be longer, but the points the author wanted to make were nonetheless made relatively well. she encourages us to think about who is being accused of witchcraft, and the legacy of being a witch - to exist outside of power structures, often with illogical and nonsensical evidence levelled at them. in an era of amber heard and blake lively, where me too seems to have collapsed, the central thesis is a worthy one to draw attention to - how are these women being targeted, and why?
challenging
inspiring
fast-paced
dark
informative
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
dark
informative
medium-paced
challenging
informative
medium-paced
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
An inspired book. Marian refuses the dichotomy of rationality vs emotion, and accepts that to truly understand historical experiences, we must think of them in human terms.
challenging
dark
informative
medium-paced
dark
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
I loved this. It covered even more ground than I was expecting it to. And I’m really intrigued by its thesis about new forms of media’s relationship to demonologies/witch hunts/witch trials. I could see this concept of “demonologies” taking on even more of a life of its own, similar to “hauntology.” This book gave me a lot of new information (especially about subjects I thought I was familiar with…like the Salem Witch Trials), but still left me wanting more! (As a good nonfiction book should.)
dark
informative
sad
slow-paced
Informative, if a bit slow. I appreciated the focus on centering the victims of witch hunts over the powerful people who prosecuted them.
I struggle with the knowledge this stuff is so recent
I struggle with the knowledge this stuff is so recent
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Religious bigotry, Murder, Colonisation, Classism
Moderate: Genocide, Torture