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A review by debumere
Disconnected from Death: The Evolution of Funerary Customs and the Unmasking of Death in America by April Slaughter, Troy Taylor
2.0
Two stars because I found the bit at the end about buying caskets from Walmart and a casket with a sound system (an eye-watering $35k+) interesting but this book could have done with an editor.
For starters, the notables ‘buried’ at Kensal Green cemetery are actually in Highgate (this infuriated me greatly because I love, and I mean love, Highgate cemetery) and secondly, biodegradable tree urns/pods where the cremains are placed and then out sprouts a tree, it’s cute but be mindful that your ashes have absolutely no nutritional value whatsoever, despite claims of ‘offset elevated pH levels and diluted high sodium concentrations present in the ash’, so you, personally, will not be anywhere in that tree and therefore not a ‘living memorial’. If you wish your entire body, not embalmed, be placed in a pod and then a baby tree planted, you would probably be part tree then and this is a ‘thing’.
There was a long stretch in the middle about Abe Lincoln’s untimely death and his 13 day trip round the country whilst rapidly deteriorating. Abe needed topped up with chalk (to hide his decomposing face) and a dusting regularly due to the number of times his coffin was opened for rubber-neckers. This was interesting, however, I didn’t feel the length of it was necessary but ask me about Abe’s death train and I can probably tell you about it now. That was a book in itself.
I don’t think I’ve ever written a review as long as this but it had to be said. Just glad I got the kindle edition and not the paperback because it would NOT be going on my shelf.
For starters, the notables ‘buried’ at Kensal Green cemetery are actually in Highgate (this infuriated me greatly because I love, and I mean love, Highgate cemetery) and secondly, biodegradable tree urns/pods where the cremains are placed and then out sprouts a tree, it’s cute but be mindful that your ashes have absolutely no nutritional value whatsoever, despite claims of ‘offset elevated pH levels and diluted high sodium concentrations present in the ash’, so you, personally, will not be anywhere in that tree and therefore not a ‘living memorial’. If you wish your entire body, not embalmed, be placed in a pod and then a baby tree planted, you would probably be part tree then and this is a ‘thing’.
There was a long stretch in the middle about Abe Lincoln’s untimely death and his 13 day trip round the country whilst rapidly deteriorating. Abe needed topped up with chalk (to hide his decomposing face) and a dusting regularly due to the number of times his coffin was opened for rubber-neckers. This was interesting, however, I didn’t feel the length of it was necessary but ask me about Abe’s death train and I can probably tell you about it now. That was a book in itself.
I don’t think I’ve ever written a review as long as this but it had to be said. Just glad I got the kindle edition and not the paperback because it would NOT be going on my shelf.