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

sbooksbowm's review against another edition

informative fast-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Medical content, and Medical trauma

maria_s's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Death, and Body horror

Moderate: Animal death

Minor: Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, Medical trauma, and Colonisation

cnidariar3x's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

3.25

While the scope is limited to France, the UK and the USA, the research and thorough documentation provides delightfully macabre teachings on this subject.

The structure of the book gave me some difficulty. My reading required me to power through the first three chapters. 

The chapters focusing on histories behind specific books I found much more engaging than the chapters focused on specific collectors/collections. 

Definitely learned a lot, not sure I feel a need to reread though!

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Content Warnings

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

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

arlangrey17's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

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

alicea's review against another edition

dark informative mysterious reflective fast-paced

5.0

This book was absolutely written with a reader like me in mind. I'm so glad that my friend mentioned this title to me after I finished reading Dr. Mutter's Marvel's as I think they make great companion books (as well as all of Caitlin Doughty's books). 

This book covers a lot of ground and seems to do it in only a few pages (I roared through them). From the history of medicine and its dubious practices to how a book bound in human skin is actually made this book will make you think long and hard about what has changed in the medical profession and what has stayed the same. She also delved into other weighty topics like the marginalization and exploitation of women, Black people, and the indigent and she lightly touched on the education of medical practitioners and the dangers in depersonalization. 

A well-researched and nuanced look at a thorny topic that I thoroughly enjoyed. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Antisemitism, Blood, Body horror, Death, Gore, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Racism and Xenophobia