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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
I wish I would have read this book 12 years ago before visiting Haiti. The author did a beautiful job educating and describing his experiences on the culture and history of the Haitians and their vodoun culture. There’s a fine line between exploitation and education when it comes to controversial (at the time/1980s) topics like voodoo. I also really appreciated the education he provided of toxins in plants and animals and human experiences with them throughout the years.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Death, Racism, Slavery, Blood, Cannibalism, Alcohol, Colonisation, War
The term zombi(e) originates in Haitian vodoun culture (voodoo), and while zombies in pop culture these days are fast, strong and a product of disease or parasitic infections, it is worth remembering that zombies in TV & computer games used to drag their festering corpses slowly across the ground in an awkward and stilted way.
This second notion is more akin to the Haitian definition of a zombi; a reanimated corpse, not overtaken by a malevolent species of fungi or a massive outbreak of a man-made virus, but reanimated through magic.
Canadian ethnobotanist Wade Davis traveled to Haiti in the 80s to determine whether psychoactive plants had a part to play in the numerous incidents reported of people who had been declared officially dead by a professional, only to be found later, dug from the grave, alive and breathing, although somewhat changed in their mental faculties.
This book is the account of Davis's foray into Haitian vodoun culture, and how he uncovers two answers to the mysterious cases of zombification on the island.
The first is plant-related, as he manages to classify the particular poisons involved in faking death symptoms well enough to fool several certified doctors (the dried glands of the extremely toxic pufferfish is a major ingredient), as well as the "antidote" to wake up the corpse again on the other side of the burial (the delirious effects of a high dosage of Datura stramonium not only reawakens the "corpse", but also leaves a permanent imprint on their mental state).
This alone is a significant discovery by Davis, but he probes further to uncover that zombification is a punishment served by high priests of vodoun, reserved for those judged to have transgressed the societal laws of the vodoun religion, which is deeply entrenched in the cultural amalgam of Haitis history as an epicenter of the transatlantic slave trade.
Fascinating!
The style of the book is a version of "narrative non-fiction", part serious scientific inquiries, part travel journal. The scientific chapters have a more "dry" style, containing a lot of information in a short amount of time. But for me, they were the most interesting, particularly the chapter detailing Haitian colonial history, along with one about various usages of lethal toxins in cultures around the world (in food for instance).
While Davis writes well enough for a "science guy", the descriptive fiction-imitating style of his "mystery story" didn't work for me, but I can see others being captivated by it. I just want more of the big ol' info-dumps!
This second notion is more akin to the Haitian definition of a zombi; a reanimated corpse, not overtaken by a malevolent species of fungi or a massive outbreak of a man-made virus, but reanimated through magic.
Canadian ethnobotanist Wade Davis traveled to Haiti in the 80s to determine whether psychoactive plants had a part to play in the numerous incidents reported of people who had been declared officially dead by a professional, only to be found later, dug from the grave, alive and breathing, although somewhat changed in their mental faculties.
This book is the account of Davis's foray into Haitian vodoun culture, and how he uncovers two answers to the mysterious cases of zombification on the island.
The first is plant-related, as he manages to classify the particular poisons involved in faking death symptoms well enough to fool several certified doctors (the dried glands of the extremely toxic pufferfish is a major ingredient), as well as the "antidote" to wake up the corpse again on the other side of the burial (the delirious effects of a high dosage of Datura stramonium not only reawakens the "corpse", but also leaves a permanent imprint on their mental state).
This alone is a significant discovery by Davis, but he probes further to uncover that zombification is a punishment served by high priests of vodoun, reserved for those judged to have transgressed the societal laws of the vodoun religion, which is deeply entrenched in the cultural amalgam of Haitis history as an epicenter of the transatlantic slave trade.
Fascinating!
The style of the book is a version of "narrative non-fiction", part serious scientific inquiries, part travel journal. The scientific chapters have a more "dry" style, containing a lot of information in a short amount of time. But for me, they were the most interesting, particularly the chapter detailing Haitian colonial history, along with one about various usages of lethal toxins in cultures around the world (in food for instance).
While Davis writes well enough for a "science guy", the descriptive fiction-imitating style of his "mystery story" didn't work for me, but I can see others being captivated by it. I just want more of the big ol' info-dumps!
A seriously fascinating book. A sort of mystery mixed with a scientific study. Intriguing. Well-written. Just a great story. One of my favorites.
adventurous
dark
funny
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
I expected far more scientific content, but instead there was a lot of cultural background and embellishment text so descriptive that made me feel most aspects of the journey. It is a great book that made me feel immersed in the Hatian and vudoun culture . It is uncommon that a book written by a scientist is full of narration. Although I was not expecting neither looking for that, it was nice. Sometimes, it was boring to get through it, but overall I liked it.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Animal death, Racial slurs, Torture, Blood, Colonisation
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Highly recommended if you go into this with an open mind. It's a bit fantastical at times, but the author does an amazing job of balancing that with reality. Incredible story, I wouldn't think anything like Davis' experience could have happened beyond the early 1900s.
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced