Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

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

9 reviews

savvy999's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Slavery, and Medical trauma

moore2030's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

Minor: Murder, Slavery, Genocide, Antisemitism, Blood, Colonisation, Kidnapping, Racism, and Cultural appropriation

maryellen's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Racism, Slavery, Medical content, and Terminal illness

chloesnotscared's review against another edition

dark informative medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content

Moderate: Animal death

Minor: Slavery, Racism, and Genocide

talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

dark informative medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Murder, Blood, Antisemitism, Racism, Medical content, Body horror, Death, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Misogyny, Animal death, Genocide, Child death, War, Sexism, Suicide, and Slavery

Minor: Homophobia, Transphobia, and Sexual violence

Descriptions of the Holocaust and other acts taken/beliefs espoused by the Nazi Party throughout WWII era. Descriptions of tanning process and related topics, of both animal and human skin. Discussion of medical ethics and violations thereof, including desecration of corpses. Mostly allegorical mentions of sexual violence/rape.

brittanythechronicreader's review against another edition

dark informative reflective medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Medical content

Moderate: Slavery

Minor: Murder

enchantressreads's review against another edition

dark informative mysterious medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Minor: Antisemitism, Slavery, Sexual violence, Racism, and Misogyny

cryptidkay's review against another edition

dark informative relaxing medium-paced

4.5

Normally, the only NF books I read are "thrilling" true crime ones (I'm aware it's a problem... you should see my netflix suggestions...). I saw this book referenced in The Madman's Library: The Strangest Books, Manuscripts and Other Literary Curiosities from History and, due to the macabre subject, knew it'd be the next nf title I read. I put it on hold at the library and profited!

50 pages in I'd had a page of notes, my own copy in the mail, and several imaginary conversations I'd like to have with the author. Librarian to librarian conversations.

The book and author's death-positive look at the practice of anthropodermic bibliopegy is fantastic. Rosenbloom matches my awe and fascination with these books while acknowledging the issues surrounding their conservation, curation, and creation; the classist origins of the practice and the medical field that made it popular, how the nazis were never actually involved (Whaaaat?), and how we as a contemporary society can deal with death better.

Rosenbloom's work is easy to read and easy to follow. My only wish is that this be republished as an illustrated edition so the reader can see some of the specimens and examples (especially of the beautiful reading rooms) she references in the text.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Medical content, Medical trauma, Misogyny, and Sexism

Minor: Animal death, Body horror, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, and War

This book is explicitly about books bound in human skin. Often the skin is not taken with a person's consent and is taken by a person (usually a medical "professional") in a place of power. Also there's a whole chapter on concentration camps and WWII.

jenny_d's review against another edition

dark informative reflective slow-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Racism, Slavery, and Antisemitism