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380 reviews for:
Cursed Objects: Strange But True Stories of the World's Most Infamous Items
J.W. Ocker
3.66 AVERAGE
380 reviews for:
Cursed Objects: Strange But True Stories of the World's Most Infamous Items
J.W. Ocker
3.66 AVERAGE
dark
funny
lighthearted
informative
lighthearted
slow-paced
fast-paced
For as cool as a cursed book about cursed objects is. Overall i can say its a super remarkable book. Many of these stories have been told elsewhere and whole i think this it would loved by some, i found it fine. Think it would be great for those who dont know much about cursed items, those who do, might be worth a simple peak if interested
I appreciated the author's clear distinction between cursed and haunted objects, as they're often conflated. That being said, I really didn't enjoy the weird, casual tone of the writing. It felt almost like this was a j-fic introduction to cursed objects? But the research and info was valuable.
informative
slow-paced
I'm a huge fan of history books that approach history in a bite-sized form like this, picking out a variety of interesting items, anecdotes or examples from history and filling them with life to help paint a wider picture. As a result, when I saw this listed on Netgalley, I immediately wanted to read it. I love anything that plays around the fringes of the paranormal, and this was a concept I hadn't really seen explored in a book before.
Generally, I enjoyed the book. The objects selected are interesting, ranging from more famous 'cursed objects' such as Annebelle the doll (from The Conjuring), Tutankhamun's tomb and the Antikythera mechanism, to less known objects such as books bound in human leather and cursed chests of drawers. Each story is told with a great tone and style, and works as an individual short chapter whilst also feeding into wider themes such as revenge, how curses are born and spread by media etc.
The author goes to some lengths to explain the difference between 'cursed', 'haunted' and 'possessed', though I'm not too sure it's hugely clear (particularly as many of the objects included fall into separate categories), and in general I think this works.
What I think does let the book down is that the stories themselves aren't often hugely interesting. Many of the 'curses' feel rather mundane - for instance, there's many examples of people dying several years after contact with an item. It feels a little lacklustre and many of the stories are thus quite forgettable. I feel like the author might have been better served slimming down the collection of items and dedicating longer passages to some of the more interesting items such as Annebelle the doll, James Dean's car etc.
That said, overall I enjoyed this book. It's very readable and takes a unique look at some of the more unusual items that have cropped up throughout history. Some of the stories are incredibly interesting, particularly when the author delves into how they got their reputation and how media/film/pop culture has built up the mythos of the items., but many of the stories are forgettable and don't make the impact I'd hoped for.
I received an advanced galley of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest, impartial review. Thanks to Quirk Books for accepting my request.
Generally, I enjoyed the book. The objects selected are interesting, ranging from more famous 'cursed objects' such as Annebelle the doll (from The Conjuring), Tutankhamun's tomb and the Antikythera mechanism, to less known objects such as books bound in human leather and cursed chests of drawers. Each story is told with a great tone and style, and works as an individual short chapter whilst also feeding into wider themes such as revenge, how curses are born and spread by media etc.
The author goes to some lengths to explain the difference between 'cursed', 'haunted' and 'possessed', though I'm not too sure it's hugely clear (particularly as many of the objects included fall into separate categories), and in general I think this works.
What I think does let the book down is that the stories themselves aren't often hugely interesting. Many of the 'curses' feel rather mundane - for instance, there's many examples of people dying several years after contact with an item. It feels a little lacklustre and many of the stories are thus quite forgettable. I feel like the author might have been better served slimming down the collection of items and dedicating longer passages to some of the more interesting items such as Annebelle the doll, James Dean's car etc.
That said, overall I enjoyed this book. It's very readable and takes a unique look at some of the more unusual items that have cropped up throughout history. Some of the stories are incredibly interesting, particularly when the author delves into how they got their reputation and how media/film/pop culture has built up the mythos of the items., but many of the stories are forgettable and don't make the impact I'd hoped for.
I received an advanced galley of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest, impartial review. Thanks to Quirk Books for accepting my request.
This was a fun read for Halloween. I was glad to see Iowa City's Black Angel included. Every object is illustrated.