Customer Reviews

Among the Cannibals: Adventures on the Trail of Man's Darkest Ritual

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If you want to read a book that reinforces your Western sense of superiority, this is the book for you. Not only does Raffaele characterize other cultures as primitive, but he does not even attempt to be objective. The lack of seriousness and factual information paints him as a twelve-year old school boy running around the world making inappropriate comments about other cultures and women. At one point he describes a culture's attraction to women with large bottoms as disgusting. I fail to see the anthropological value of this comment. Furthermore, what does this have to do with cannibalism? Again cannibalism, Eurocentrism, and supposedly perverse sexual appetites are combined. The overly sensational diction, immature and simplistic tone may make this book entertaining, but it further disrespects the people he encounters. Everything about this man is ridiculous. The back cover shows him acting as if he is engaged in a deadly wrestling match with a snake; Paul Raffaele, who are you? An anthropological journalist for the Smithsonian or Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter?

Smithsonian: WHAT WERE YOU THINKING WHEN YOU PUBLISHED THIS BOOK? You are a respected institution; why did you publish this garbage?

Among the Cannibals is a fascinating book for anyone interested in other cultures and their practices - religious or otherwise. What makes this book particularly amazing is that the author truly did find people that are today practicing cannibalism. Raffaele even manages to make it seem acceptable because of that society's particular beliefs and mores.

I had no problems reading the tales of the Korowai tribe's cannibalism. Nor did I take issue with the slightly more disturbing aspects of the Aghori sects in India. I think this was because all of these people come from an historical tradition of cannibalism. They believe that there is a reason for it.

However, there was one thing that I found distressing. This was the coverage of the brutal cannibalism in Uganda perpetrated by the LRA. When someone is forced to eat human flesh, it is not cannibalism in its truest sense. It is torture in its evilest form.

I believe Raffaele should have kept these horror stories out of this book. I think it would have served the world better had he then written a 2nd book about the atrocities in Uganda. It is writer's like Raffaele with their incredibly readable style of writing that manage to bring the terrible war stories to light in countries such as Uganda. Unfortunately, I think this is one story that will remain buried amongst the cannibals.

I'm biased. I bought this book accidentally while looking for "Dinner with a Cannibal", so I was looking for a more anthropological approach to cannibals than a travel narrative. That didn't keep me from finishing it though. The more cannibals the better!

Bearing that in mind, I can see people loving and being ever so slightly underwhelmed by this book, with most people happy its on their shelf. Squeamish parts and some great details really bring this book to life and Paul Raffeale does a fantastic job of putting us in his shoes (hiking boots, realistically). Whether with a tour guide with a reluctant taste for flesh or deep in the jungle, you're there with him.
He's an editor for Smithsonian, so you know he has the chops (eugh).

On the negative (for me--probably not all readers) I was a little put off on some of his adjective use. I'm a scribbler when it comes to books and there's a big exclamation point next to where he described cannibals as "demonic". Please leave that to the reader. Again, I was looking for an anthro type book...take this with a grain of salt.


What's to love:
+It's about cannibals! 'nuff said.
+How travel fiction should be on such an amazing topic. He's gutsy! (double eugh)
+You're right next to Raffeale as he travels to exotic locales and experiences tremendous characters & cultures.

The distracting bits:
-Raffaele was a little too judgmental for my taste.
-Not the book I went to the store for...negative on me not the book.

If you're into travel narratives, odd topics (yes, please), or want to take a break from all of that fluff, summer reading on the shelf right now, this book will give you something to sink your tee- just kidding, I won't go that route. It's an fascinating but imperfect book that I can happily recommend. Eat up!

A dull book about an interesting subject. The book flows with his own sometimes provincial (for a self confessed adventurer) views and his historical backgrounds are hilariously brief. He also very irritatingly spouts rubbish, such as the fanciful hope that stoneage cannibals in Papua New Guinea will give up their nasty ways and become civilised. He dwells a lot on the Lords Resistance Army of Uganda and the abuse of the child soldiers which is very disturbing and I'd argue irrelevant as an example of cannibalism. Having a Ak 47 pointed at your head and being forced to eat human flesh isn't a cultural or anthropological phenomenon.

Among the Cannibals is a truly fascinating book. It's a travel account, anthropological explorations, and adventure story rolled into one, with some exotic religious practices thrown in. Raffaele visited with some very unusual--and sometimes scary--people to get to the bottom of cannibalism in the contemporary world.

The truly faint of heart might not be prepared to read about the flesh-eating practices of so many cultures, which in fact are highly variable and have very different meanings to different groups. But the author does a very pleasant job telling the story of his journeys and bringing us into such secluded worlds, with fascinating pictures of those he encounters along the way.

I loved this especially for the peek it gave into different and almost entirely isolated cultures. Raffaele seemed very good at getting the subjects to open up to him. The Korowai, in New Guinea, for example, took him into their home even though he was the first white man they had ever seen. An impressive feat. And while he finds the practice of cannibalism extremely distasteful, he's able to discuss the tribal habits calmly and coolly, giving us as readers lots more great information.

Not the best book ever--the author is very biased and in his viewpoints to the point of distracting the reader. However, his book is well researched with personal trips to the exotic locations in the book, and his up close interactions with the "culprits."

Having along time interest in cannibalsim, I heard of the book via the internet, and then actually heard an interview with the author in NPR, with further peaked my interest. Tha auther explores New Guinea, India, Polynesia, Africa and Mexico. he also wanted to further explore the possible cannibalsim of ancient native peoples here in the Southwestern US, but was thwarted by controversy in the academic community.

The chapters concerning the African country of Uganda were possibly the most disturbing. The LRA--Lord's Resistance Army--is a scary guerilla army that functions through the murder of parents and the abduction of their children. These children are forced to kill and often eat those resisting them. This terrorist organization is active as I write this review and the stories told by children recovered from their captivity are heartbreaking and frightening.

Aside from the author's stated bias against the Indian Aghori cannibals (he could not forgive their eating of human flesh as he could the Korowai tribes in Papua, New Guinea [where Michael Rockefeller disappeared and is suspected to be have been eaten by cannibals]or the Tonga's cannibalistic past), the author does a thorough and often funny job of portraying these cannibalistic cultures as being very human--not animalistic at all. He is able to show how these practices whether occurring presently or in the past are an integral part of their culture and superstitions.