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Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'
Dark Archives: A Librarian's Investigation into the Science and History of Books Bound in Human Skin by Megan Rosenbloom
26 reviews
confusible's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
fast-paced
3.5
This is definitely not a book I would normally pick on my own but it was a Fantastic Strangelings pick so I gave it a try. I liked it better than I thought and it was a quick read. The topic was interesting and the book explores much more about the ethics of how these books were made and if they should still be preserved than I expected. I enjoyed some of the stories behind the books, especially the William Corder one but some of them made me lose a little faith in humanity, that doctors would have to ego to take a dead patient’s skin and use it to bind a book in their personal collection, or that binding a book in a murderer’s skin in punishment, both just gruesome to me. The book was a little bit rambling a full of tangents but still interesting.
Content Warnings
Minor: Medical content, Body horror, Death, and Medical trauma
dakotuhhh's review against another edition
dark
funny
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
I loved this book!
I’ve honestly never been a huge reader before these last few months, and I’d never read a nonfiction like this before. I really fell in love and was so happy to be learning as much as I was
One thing that stood out to me was the ethical conversations surrounding universities, museums and other institutions keeping human skin books. Almost every human skin book was created without the consent of the person who’s skin was used.
There are those who argue that the books or just their bindings should be cremated, buried or just somehow laid to rest. The author does a great job of fairly presenting these arguments, while she believes in the importance of preserving and studying the books.
If the goal is to rid all universities, museums and other institutions of human remains that were gathered unethically, Im fairly certain that would be most of them. But I don’t see anyone rioting over Otzi the iceman. Liberty Leading the People is believed to have been painted partially with Mummy Brown, a paint made from ground up Mummified corpses. Yet there are no calls for that to be burnt as far as I know
These books are treated with respect and care by people who understand and appreciate what they are in these institutions. It’s not like a hacky sideshow
I dunno maybe it’s a bad take I just wanted to share my opinion I guess! No one asked!
Either way I love the book
I’ve honestly never been a huge reader before these last few months, and I’d never read a nonfiction like this before. I really fell in love and was so happy to be learning as much as I was
One thing that stood out to me was the ethical conversations surrounding universities, museums and other institutions keeping human skin books. Almost every human skin book was created without the consent of the person who’s skin was used.
There are those who argue that the books or just their bindings should be cremated, buried or just somehow laid to rest. The author does a great job of fairly presenting these arguments, while she believes in the importance of preserving and studying the books.
If the goal is to rid all universities, museums and other institutions of human remains that were gathered unethically, Im fairly certain that would be most of them. But I don’t see anyone rioting over Otzi the iceman. Liberty Leading the People is believed to have been painted partially with Mummy Brown, a paint made from ground up Mummified corpses. Yet there are no calls for that to be burnt as far as I know
These books are treated with respect and care by people who understand and appreciate what they are in these institutions. It’s not like a hacky sideshow
I dunno maybe it’s a bad take I just wanted to share my opinion I guess! No one asked!
Either way I love the book
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Death, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Murder
bibliobsessive's review against another edition
informative
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Medical trauma, Medical content, Racism, and Death
rigbees's review
challenging
dark
informative
medium-paced
4.0
This book is a good balance between heavy ethical discussions about death, rare book preservation, and the history of our medical system. Rosenbloom has a gift for talking through difficult subjects by both being aware of morbid curiously (she mentions it as much in the first paragraph!) and keeping the persons harmed at the center. She doesn't provide an easy answer for the ethical dilemmas she outlines, but instead provides context and frameworks to think about it in different ways.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma and Death
This book is about human remains, the medic practice, and includes content about genocide (including the Holocaust).barelyconcealed's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
fast-paced
3.75
An interesting reads that hits not only the existence of human skin books - but also on the ways in which they manifested in a historical sense, and what is being done with them now. It weirdly paired well with the Caitlin Doughty book I just finished, even though it's on a different subject with a vastly different tone.
I think when Rosenbloom gets into some of the more related subjects the book loses its focus and kind of my interest. But it's a relatively fast read and definitely worth checking out if you're even remotely interested in the subject matter.
I think when Rosenbloom gets into some of the more related subjects the book loses its focus and kind of my interest. But it's a relatively fast read and definitely worth checking out if you're even remotely interested in the subject matter.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Medical trauma
Minor: Racism and Antisemitism
Holocaust, dismembermenttalonsontypewriters's review against another edition
dark
informative
medium-paced
4.0
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.catburps's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, and Death
enchantressreads's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Minor: Antisemitism, Slavery, Sexual violence, Racism, and Misogyny
sneezy_5000's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Medical trauma, and Medical content
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.
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.
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.