Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

Witchcraft: A History in Thirteen Trials by Marion Gibson

6 reviews

arinheck's review against another edition

informative inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Violence, Xenophobia, Misogyny, Murder, and Colonisation

Moderate: Gore and Torture

Minor: Body horror, Bullying, Classism, Animal cruelty, Ableism, Animal death, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Cultural appropriation, Forced institutionalization, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Racism, and Antisemitism

erynlasbelin's review

challenging informative reflective fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Police brutality, Racism, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Miscarriage, Classism, Death, Murder, Rape, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Trafficking, Xenophobia, Ableism, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Body horror, Sexism, Antisemitism, Bullying, Colonisation, Misogyny, Torture, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse

imlfox's review against another edition

challenging informative fast-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Misogyny, and Sexism

Moderate: Colonisation, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, and Religious bigotry

rosemaryandrue's review

dark informative medium-paced

3.25

This is the story of many women and men from across the centuries and around the world who have been tried for witchcraft, and the often surprising historical currents that led them there, and influenced whether they would be allowed to live or die.

I was born about an hour away from Salem, Massachusetts, though I never went to visit until 2019. Of course I went in October, which is the absolute peak of their tourist station, and battled my way through a crowded open air market to check out all the witchy sights. In this day and age, it can be tough to imagine how seriously the accusations were taken back then, but Witchcraft does an excellent job of putting things in perspective.

In this book, we are taken on a trip to attend thirteen different witch trials, which take place across diverse points in space and time. I liked how the author showed us how society's perspective on witchcraft evolved from trying to persecute those that were sincerely believed to be in the league with the devil to charging them for presenting themselves as workers of magic. Gibson does an excellent job of explaining the complicated history that often led up to the accusations.

However, I did feel that the writing was dry at times, almost more academic than popular nonfiction; despite the interesting stories related, I found myself getting a little bored at times. I also thought the modern-day section of the book was markedly weaker than the rest of it, as the author didn't do a very good job of diving into the material as she did with the older historical cases.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture and Colonisation

Moderate: Classism and Misogyny

Minor: Abortion

shelfofunread's review against another edition

informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Forced institutionalization, and Torture

Minor: Colonisation and Slavery

arachan's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

4.5

A very ambitious book, trying to cover persecution of witches from 1485 to the trial by public opinion of Stormy Daniels. It does make for some deeply depressing reading, covering the farcical trials of the social outcasts and the affront of the powerful. 
This book definitely reads as a passion project. Gibson clearly knows her subject intimately and tries very hard to clear away the titillation factor that so many accounts of famous witch trials lean into.
An interesting, if depressing, read. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Misogyny, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Racism, Torture, Xenophobia, Slavery, and Colonisation