Customer Reviews

Corpses, Coffins, and Crypts: A History of Burial

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There are much, much better titles out there on this subject than Colman's thin survey. Here are a few suggestions:

The hour of our Death, by Philippe Aries is an historical and scholarly account of attitudes towards death from the Middle Ages to the present. This book pretty much initiated interest in the topic.

The Fireside Book of Death, by Robert Wilkins unfortunately looks to be out of print, but is available in many libraries. It follows the same themes as Colman's book, but is much more involved and better written.

Stiff, by Mary Roach is the now hugely popular study on the topic of corpses. Very similar to Wilkins, and I have to wonder if Roach borrowed much of her anecdotes from him. Roach's book lacks footnotes, which drives me crazy.

The Space of Death, by Michael Ragon is excellent and I highly recommend it!

A Brief History of Death, by Douglas Davies is a new book (2005) and very informational.

The philosopher Georges Bataille has some really interesting perspectives on death and its cultural meaning. Take a look at Death and Sensuality, or many other titles from this very influential Surrealist critic.

I was terribly diappointed in Mrs. Coleman's book. I had expected the book to be about unusual or macabre stories involving corpses, coffins and crypts. Instead, it turned out to be a rather disjointed review of the funeral practices of various cultures sprinkled with grave stone architecture. The author mentions that John Paul Jones body was well preserved because it was wrapped in tinfoil and his coffin was made of lead. A little research would show that tinfoil was non existent in the 18th century and that Jones' body was indeed well perserved because is was submerged in alcohol inside of a sealed lead coffin!
Colemen states that mummies she shows in a photo were "probably photgraphed in Mexico". Probably? The fact of the matter is that the photo is of the Capuchins' catacombs of Palermo. Were these glaring errors not bad enough, Coleman mainly focuses on the accomplishments of deceased minority women, and their final resting place, while making only fleeting references to dead white males and their historic contributions. Some items are interesting such as the Amana caskets and so on but, on balance, is is a woefully disappointing work. It isn't worth buying.

In "Corpses, Coffins and Crypts: A History of Burial," author Penny Colman offers a brief overview of death, dying, and related customs and rituals throughout time and across cultures. Intended for a younger audience (grades 9 through 12), the book is a relatively superficial examination of an incredibly complex topic.

Although the book's title stresses burial customs, "Corpses, Coffins and Crypts" includes discussions of a number of disposal methods, such as burial (in cemeteries, tombs, catacombs, and mausoleums), cremation (with either burial or scattering), exposure, and cryopreservation. More morbid practices, like cannibalism, are largely omitted. The most emphasis is placed on burial in cemeteries, and Colman includes a number of black-and-white photos to supplement the text; most are of famous or historic cemeteries and graves.

Throughout the book, Colman maintains a lighthearted and humorous tone, perhaps to set apprehensive readers at ease with the taboo material. For instance, she incorporates a picture of Archie Arnold's grave into the book. Arnold, a prankster in life, arranged to have his tomb flanked on either side by antique parking meters, with their dials set to "expired." Colman also interweaves a number of personal anecdotes and narratives into the text, giving her discussion a conversational, friendly feel. While some readers might appreciate the tone, I found it a bit informal for my tastes.

"Corpses, Coffins and Crypts" is probably most suitable for teenagers, as well as adult audiences who want a brief, casual read on the subject. For those looking for a more scholarly and in-depth look at death and dying, I highly recommend Kenneth Iserson's encyclopedic Death to Dust: What Happens to Dead Bodies? (from which Colman quoted heavily). At over 800 pages, Iserson truly does cover all the bases!

A seemingly morbid topic to many is rendered fascinating and informative in this finely written and beautifully designed volume. The author expertly incorporates both historical and multicultural facts and anecdotes to clearly and sensitively present various topics surrounding burial. The topics follow a logical progression from a discussion of death, to what happens after death, to rituals surrounding burial and, finally, burial sites of famous people and various interesting epitaphs. The book includes numerous black-and-white photos with notes, informative sidebars, and an excellent glossary, bibliography and index. Reading Level: Middle school and up. Highly recommended.

I recently checked this book out of the library to psych myself up for Halloween. However, this book was in the childrens/juvenile section! Which I thought was completely off - the material isn't really suitable for children, especially in its frank, no-bones-about-it discussions of corpses, decay, and photographs. The manner in which the book is written, though, is very basic, without too much heavy jargon, so I can see how you would possibly only need a juvenile reading level to tackle this book.

I would definitely consider it a survey, and not really delving too deeply into any of the topics. I wish that this had been longer, so it could delve further into the topics. I really did enjoy this book, and enjoyed the small amounts (the right amounts) of the author's personal connection to the subject. I think she covered a wide variety of topics, and the book, as all good surveys do, leaves me wanting to learn more. :)

This book is for children, and as such is not a comprehensive scholarly tome stuffed with every death fact and picture you can think of. Instead, buy it and read it aloud to your 8-12 year old. You will both feel closer and less stressed during a stressful time.

I purchased this book for my 8th grade students to use in a historical research project regarding burial customs throughout history. They LOVED it. The information is presented in understandable terms and avoids scaring young readers.
The only flaw I found with this book is the lack of organization. It was difficult for the students to look up information. I would have preferred more information on catacombs as well. However, the purpose of this book, I believe, was to entertain and stimulate interest. It achieved its purpose. Highly recommended.

Colman is an excellent researcher and writer. Not a textbook, but definetly a worthy read.

This is my all time favorite book because it helped me deal with my brother's death. Each chapter contained accurate and amazing information. The fact that the author interwove her experiences made me feel that I wasn't alone. I noticed that the reviewer from River Edge did not even spell the author's name correctly and his correction about John Paul Jones's is not accurate and his comment about her caption is silly. Just because Colman didn't write about the subjects he wanted to read about, he should not trash her book. He should keep looking for those subjects in another book, or write about them himself.

I think that this book was exceptionally good, though, I think it would have been alot better if the writer wrote alittle more about what happens after you die and not what the family goes through after you die. We all know that it is very upsetting when a loved one or someone you know dies. So I think the writer should have focused alittle more on that. Other than that i would recommened this book to any reader out there.