Dark Archives Book Review

-

 

 Dark Archives Book Review

  Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dark Archives by Megan Rosenbloom is a nonfiction book exploring the history of the medical community, primarily focusing on anthropodermic bibliopegy or the binding of books in human skin. Rosenbloom’s interest in books being bound in human skin leads her to discover more about medicine and corpse handling at the time of medical morals being less than what they are now and how these doctors’ would have managed to turn human flesh into leather. She takes the reader on the journey with her all over the world wherever rumors of books bound in human skin took her.

 

From the cover to the blurb, this book hooked me instantly. Death isn’t a very easy thing to talk about and the thought of human skin being used to bind books comes across as something from a horror movie. So discovering a book following the rumors and reporting them, proving them as fact not fiction is both terrifying and eye-opening. Anthropodermic books aren’t the only topic Rosenbloom covers though. Along with book binding and how it was done throughout time and the materials used, she talks about how doctors and the medical industry progressed. The erasure of midwives and the treatments of female doctors in today’s times are topics also discussed.

 

I wouldn’t call Dark Archives entertaining however Rosenbloom did an amazing job at keeping me hooked. I feel like there have almost always been rumors of books being bound in human skin so a book proving these rumors as fact is both a relief and a shock. Thoughts of “That’s sickening but so cool.” become “Why would someone do that?” Especially doctors whom we are told to trust. There are some people who would shy away from releasing a book that covers such a dark topic, but I’m glad Rosenbloom chose instead to share what she learned with whoever would also find it interesting. Which, it was!

 

Rosenbloom had a question and did what she could to get it answered. She went even further and managed to influence other people along her way. This book, while it was written by one person, included the stories and opinions of other people. Ultimately, Dark Archives is the work of a community with Rosenbloom being at the front of the journey. Along with learning about book production and how the PMF (Peptide Mass Fingerprint) test was conceived, I was left with questions about the morality of binding books in human skin. Are books bound in human skin dehumanization, a form of postmortem rape as Paul Needham said, and does body autonomy extend after death?

 

Morbid, macabre, and mesmerizing, Dark Archives is a book that is hard to put down. Though it could cause some people to become ill with the depictions of dissection or even the thought of humans' corpses being used for the binding of books, it’s still a book I would recommend. With caution. This book would be great for book clubs since it would lead to intense discussion but also great to read on your own if you’re a fan of learning new creepy facts.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Space Brooms! Review

-
Image
      Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐   I received Space Brooms! as an advanced readers copy. It will be available to purchase on March 25, 2025. “All my life I wanted adventure.” Space Brooms! By A, G. Rodriguez is a wild sci-fi adventure that follows Johnny Gomez a space broom – term for a custodian- as he teams up with a captivating cast of characters. After Johnny happens upon a data chit containing information worth millions,   his boring life becomes much more entertaining and filled with the new and exciting people he meets along the way.  Space Brooms! is an easy to read book that quickly becomes immersive and enjoyable. The characters, starting with Johnny, are delightful even if they don’t all have Johnny’s best interests at heart. They’re likeable and well written so you aren’t reading about characters that just seem to be copy and pasted to only fill the pages. The new terminology that exists in this new futuristic space world is introduced and understoo...
Read more

Thunder and Daisy Review

-
Image
 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Thunder and Daisy by Mercedes Paradiso is a collection of poetry. Split into two chapters –Thunder and   Daisy- the poems contained within focus mainly on love and heartbreak.   Thunder and Daisy is a specific type of poetry called instapoetry. This is fairly obvious when reading the book. The poems are intersected with pictures to represent the poem that precedes it. I feel that the pictures aren’t necessary and the poems speak for themselves. The poems in Daisy broke away from the more simplistic ones in Thunder. Seeing the difference between the two chapters was a great way to not have the poetry seem repetitive.   I’m glad I read Thunder and Daisy. I didn’t enjoy every poem included but I could feel the emotions that were put into the entire book. If you’re a fan of poetry, I definitely recommend checking out Thunder and Daisy. Since Mercedes Paradiso includes her plan for releasing a book in the future that will be linked to Thunder and D...
Read more

Feminism: Opposing Viewpoints Review

-
Image
Feminism: Opposing Viewpoints Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐ “As individuals and as a nation, it is imperative that we consider the opinions of others and examine them with skill and discernment.” -John Stuart Mill Feminism: Opposing Views is a collection of essays discussing various issues as they pertain to feminism and women. The ideas and opinions discussed are neither wrong or right nor are they presented as such. It is simply a way to question feminism and your own ideas on the different topics discussed. I found this book to be a perfect look into feminism and the opposition to the movement. The essays were very diverse and discussed everything from should women work to can feminism and religion mix. Each essay started with questions you should consider as you read. I thought this was very helpful. The questions really assisted in making you consider and pay attention to what you’re reading. While reading, it seemed that not all of the authors were fully informed about what...
Read more