Mysterious Marie Laveau: Voodoo Queen and Folk Tales Along the Mississippi [Paperback]

Raymond Martinez (Author)

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Raymond J. Martinez was a long-time writer on New Orleans subjects. A resident of New Orleans, Martinez was also publisher of Hope Publishing Company.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Pelican Publishing (January 30, 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0911116834
• ISBN-13: 978-0911116830
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #431,069 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Step back in time, August 13, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mysterious Marie Laveau: Voodoo Queen and Folk Tales Along the Mississippi (Paperback)

If you're looking for an accurate history of Marie LaVeau, or insight into real Voodoo, this is not the book for you. Read "Jambalaya" by Luisah Teish instead.

However, if you want to step back in time to 1950's racism--complete with the N-word--and dark rumors about Voodoo, this is the book to read. Frankly, I was horrified to note Martinez' condescending, sometimes sneering, stereotypes. This book is already in my stack of paper to recycle.

For example, Martinez says that a loincloth is "the customary dress of the Negroes in Haiti, and for that matter, South Africa and most tropical countries." And, he advises us that Marie LaVeau's snake, Zombi, "fed only upon fair and tender children."

In describing Voodoo, Martinez claims, "Marie's rituals were, of course, so outrageously vulgar that children were forbidden to witness them...no person who pretended to be self-respecting could admit that so depraved a performance was enjoyable or even interesting."

But, as another reviewer noted, you can use this book to locate newspaper articles from Marie LaVeau's era. Otherwise, it's a waste of paper, unless you want to see what once passed for a generous and kindly attitude towards people and traditions of African descent.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting book..., July 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Mysterious Marie Laveau: Voodoo Queen and Folk Tales Along the Mississippi (Paperback)

Overall, I found the information and stories in this book to be fascinating. The writing style, however, is sometimes a bit confusing and jumbled. Martinez does give excellent references to historical sources such as newspaper articles, and his logic in either supporting or refuting some of the legends regarding Marie Laveau are sound. As a collector of occult books, I found this one to be useful for background and history, as well as full of entertaining folk tales.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good little snapshot of some folklore and mysteries of South, September 13, 1998

By 

Diana L. Wyss "Lynnrd" (Mexico, Missouri, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mysterious Marie Laveau: Voodoo Queen and Folk Tales Along the Mississippi (Paperback)

After finishing my first trip to New Orleans, I was hungry for more information on Marie Laveau and of voodooism. I found this little book in an airport shop and read it on the flight home. Interesting in a short story sort of way.