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alperezq 's review for:
Severed: A History of Heads Lost and Heads Found
by Frances Larson
Quite a fascinating book, a decapitated head is indeed a rare object that can bring up profound questions about being human and this book explores those questions at length.
I was hesitant that there would be enough material about severed heads to fill a whole book but the author shows that decapitation has for a long time played a capital (I'm sorry) role human society. She explores the cultural, psychological, historic, artistic, scientific and pseudo-scientific aspects of decapitation in great detail. I especially liked that the author avoided the temptation of being funny as other non-fiction writers tend to do when exploring grim subjects. She treats the subject with seriousness and reverence and expects the reader to do so as well.
I was hesitant that there would be enough material about severed heads to fill a whole book but the author shows that decapitation has for a long time played a capital (I'm sorry) role human society. She explores the cultural, psychological, historic, artistic, scientific and pseudo-scientific aspects of decapitation in great detail. I especially liked that the author avoided the temptation of being funny as other non-fiction writers tend to do when exploring grim subjects. She treats the subject with seriousness and reverence and expects the reader to do so as well.