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medeiia's review against another edition
5.0
Extremely well-written and enjoyable read; love the total inclusion of perspectives (as opposed to a white/western centered narrative). Highly recommend, learned a lot.
denimchild's review
4.0
This book was far more compelling than I had anticipated. I was totally ignorant about life in the Middle Ages and frankly I wasn't sure if I was interested in learning more. But after I saw this book at the library, I couldn't resist. Sure enough, judging a book by its cover turned out to be a good thing. The subject matter was interesting and the author's quips and explanations kept me reading. You not only get a history of the body as it was viewed by societies in the Middle Ages, but you also learn how that information influenced the construction of society.
If you can, get a physical copy of this book; it's a real treat. The cover is gorgeous, the paper thick, and the pictures are beautifully printed in color. Furthermore, the book comes with its own ribbon marker, I haven't seen that in a while!
spookyhai's review against another edition
4.0
A really fun overview of a lot of topics that interact with the medieval world and the medicine people practiced at the time.
foxingfae's review against another edition
4.0
Hartnell treats us to a fascinating and surprisingly in-depth look at life in the Middle Ages from the perspective of the human body. The book is arranged in sections from head to toe, including everything in between. The writing is eloquent but not the point of becoming overly flowery or too dense to get through.
It was fascinating to learn about how Medieval people understood the different aspects and functions of the body. Also tied in are relevant points of context from the time. For example, in the section on the heart we learn about how the heart was studied medically, but also about how the iconic heart shape “<3” was popularized.
Hartnell explains that in a lot of ways, the Middle Ages were more progressive than we give them credit for. At the same time though, he doesn’t shy away from pointing out the blatant racism, homophobia, and misogyny that people regularly experienced. I really appreciated this well rounded view.
Spread throughout the pages are beautiful full-color photographs and illustrations that help add more meaning to the specific examples being discussed.
I often struggle to read nonfiction because I lose interest so easily but Medieval Bodies was fascinating all the way through!
It was fascinating to learn about how Medieval people understood the different aspects and functions of the body. Also tied in are relevant points of context from the time. For example, in the section on the heart we learn about how the heart was studied medically, but also about how the iconic heart shape “<3” was popularized.
Hartnell explains that in a lot of ways, the Middle Ages were more progressive than we give them credit for. At the same time though, he doesn’t shy away from pointing out the blatant racism, homophobia, and misogyny that people regularly experienced. I really appreciated this well rounded view.
Spread throughout the pages are beautiful full-color photographs and illustrations that help add more meaning to the specific examples being discussed.
I often struggle to read nonfiction because I lose interest so easily but Medieval Bodies was fascinating all the way through!
katieg's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
3.0
This was a great read, I really enjoyed Hartnell's style, both the historical context and the medical aspects of the book were explained clearly and without jargon. The approach of the book was also quite intriguing, I would classify it as a social history, but instead of focusing on a specific time, region, or group of persons it asked how medieval people understood their bodies and their place in the world by working from head to toe, different chapters focusing on different body parts and their context in broader society. The book argues that while medieval medicine (and medieval people in general) often seems backwards, disgusting or harmful to modern readers, they are actually more similar than we might expect, and that the middle ages was a period that prioritized constancy rather than change (and that doing so was not a fault). I don't think the argument will be radical for people who already have their toes in medieval studies, but I still found it to be an engaging read and a fresh perspective. The book wasn't able to make many claims about medieval Europe because of the breadth of times and regions it drew its sources from, but that didn't bother me too much, since it seemed he was referencing other historian's work. It was clearly well researched throughout.
I also listened to this on audio, and while the narrator was great, I wished I had also had the physical because they're were clearly visuals I missed out on, while they were described well I wish I had got to see them!
I also listened to this on audio, and while the narrator was great, I wished I had also had the physical because they're were clearly visuals I missed out on, while they were described well I wish I had got to see them!
kiahsbooks's review
5.0
As a history student and someone who is generally just interested in history, I really enjoyed this book. One of my favourite things about the book is that even though it is non-fiction, it reads like a story going through the human body step by step. The images and the fact that each chapter is also split into sections makes the book so quick and easy to read so it’s perfect for a reader that likes to learn but maybe doesn’t want to read a heavy, academic book on the same topic.
julis's review
medium-paced
4.0
The good: Godddddd I wanted to read 300 pages of humans being fucking weird about each other, about the world, about life, about connecting our bodies to the divine (and the reverse!) and then being really fucking bizarre about it. Reliquaries! Marginalia! The four humours! Hartnell also wins for explicitly setting his focus on “500-1500 but mostly the latter half, and the Mediterranean”, and then actually drawing in Jewish and Muslim writings and experiences! Good! There’s a whole bit on the origins of blood libel which is APPALLING but also good for him! His writing is engaging, the pictures of artifacts and texts are phenomenal, I discovered two museums in Paris I didn’t go to, I loved…most of it.
The less good: So, like, yes there are fewer written texts from 500-1000 but not no written texts. Dude! The organization around the human body is a) inspired but b) sometimes a little bizarre–topics get forced into body parts like he wanted to cover them (why is ‘maps’ in ‘feet’? why is a discussion of maps here at ALL?). A few things are glossed over or left out entirely–the chapter on the genitals could be far, far weirder than it currently is and makes only the most passing of nods to queer people. Why in the chapter on the stomach is there no real discussion of food restrictions? I know he read Caroline Walker Bynum so where is it! RELATEDLY there’s just a mention of kosher and halal and no real discussion of like, how that affected how Jews and Muslims saw themselves, their food supply, and the world in contrast to Christians? What?
The bad: You and I need to sit down and talk about the importance of CITING YOUR SOURCES. In the most glaring error, he quotes from a 14th century French woman, but when turning to the works cited I discovered that his citation is a CWB book–no mention of where in the book, or the name of the woman, or absolutely anything. This is not good academic procedure sir! And I know you know this because you are a Lecturer at an English University! My dude!