Book Review: Severance by Robert Olen Butler
Book Review: Severance by Robert Olen Butler
Imagine that you have about 90 seconds to remain conscious after your head is severed. This book of prose (62 stories, 250 words each) is based on a 19th century French doctor’s opinion that the head remains conscious for 90 seconds after decapitation. And, if it’s true that we speak at a rate of 160 words per minute during heightened states of emotion, then you might have a lot to think about in these last 90 seconds before all the blood drains from your brain. This book requires a slow and thoughtful read about the men and women in history and present day who were beheaded or decapitated. Butler does some exceptional creative writing here if not outright chilling images and emotions. I found the last few lines of most of the stories to be highly dramatic and meaningful, providing real insight to these characters’ lives (Medusa, Paul the apostle, Lady Jane Grey, Sir Walter Raleigh, Thomas More) One especially, “Angry Eyes” an Apache warrior’s last 90 seconds was so impressive I had to put down the book.
One thing has left me wondering about this premise of 90 seconds of consciousness claimed by Dr. Dassy D’Estaing (1883). Who is this doctor? I could find nothing online about D’Estaing and this theory or how he came to his conclusion. If anyone here can confirm valid information about D’Estaing, please post. That said, this extraordinary little adventure into the last thoughts of the newly dead has a sense of absurd beauty.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-...
Imagine that you have about 90 seconds to remain conscious after your head is severed. This book of prose (62 stories, 250 words each) is based on a 19th century French doctor’s opinion that the head remains conscious for 90 seconds after decapitation. And, if it’s true that we speak at a rate of 160 words per minute during heightened states of emotion, then you might have a lot to think about in these last 90 seconds before all the blood drains from your brain. This book requires a slow and thoughtful read about the men and women in history and present day who were beheaded or decapitated. Butler does some exceptional creative writing here if not outright chilling images and emotions. I found the last few lines of most of the stories to be highly dramatic and meaningful, providing real insight to these characters’ lives (Medusa, Paul the apostle, Lady Jane Grey, Sir Walter Raleigh, Thomas More) One especially, “Angry Eyes” an Apache warrior’s last 90 seconds was so impressive I had to put down the book.
One thing has left me wondering about this premise of 90 seconds of consciousness claimed by Dr. Dassy D’Estaing (1883). Who is this doctor? I could find nothing online about D’Estaing and this theory or how he came to his conclusion. If anyone here can confirm valid information about D’Estaing, please post. That said, this extraordinary little adventure into the last thoughts of the newly dead has a sense of absurd beauty.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-...
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