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Book Curses
Featuring some of the most ferocious and humorous book curses ever inscribed, this is a lively and engaging introduction to the history and development of bookish maledictions.
Have you ever wanted to protect your books from forgetful borrowers, merciless page-folders or outright thieves? Perhaps you have even wished harm on those who have damaged your books, but would you threaten them with hellfire, hanging or the plague?
This book contains a collection of some of the most ferocious and humorous book curses ever inscribed, from fearsome threats discovered emblazoned on stone monuments from the ancient Near East, to elaborate manuscript maledictions and chilling warnings scribbled in printed books. Book curses are entertaining writings in themselves, but they also offer a tantalising insight into how passionately texts and books have been valued by their owners and readers over the centuries. Here you will find an engaging introduction to the history and development of the book curse and perhaps some inspiration to pen a few of your own.
ELEANOR BAKER is the English Subject Lead for the Astrophoria Foundation Year at the University of Oxford.
Have you ever wanted to protect your books from forgetful borrowers, merciless page-folders or outright thieves? Perhaps you have even wished harm on those who have damaged your books, but would you threaten them with hellfire, hanging or the plague?
This book contains a collection of some of the most ferocious and humorous book curses ever inscribed, from fearsome threats discovered emblazoned on stone monuments from the ancient Near East, to elaborate manuscript maledictions and chilling warnings scribbled in printed books. Book curses are entertaining writings in themselves, but they also offer a tantalising insight into how passionately texts and books have been valued by their owners and readers over the centuries. Here you will find an engaging introduction to the history and development of the book curse and perhaps some inspiration to pen a few of your own.
ELEANOR BAKER is the English Subject Lead for the Astrophoria Foundation Year at the University of Oxford.
128 pages, Hardcover
First published November 7, 2024
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134 people want to read
About the author
Eleanor Baker
1 book1 followerDr. Eleanor May Baker is the English Subject Lead for the University of Oxford's Astrophoria Foundation Year, and the Stipendiary Lecturer in Old and Middle English at Balliol College for the 2024/5 academic year.
In her spare time she enjoys making medieval and folk-horror inspired linocut prints.
In her spare time she enjoys making medieval and folk-horror inspired linocut prints.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 21, 2025
It was a cute book. Repetitious. Mentioned that there are a couple of book curses written by children. It is not noted which entries are by children and I don't know the writers of the curses well enough to pick them out. Also when I read children I am expecting someone younger than the author is noting. I believe the children in this book are just under the age of 18. Older than I was expecting.
Easy read, just not that engaging.
Easy read, just not that engaging.
January 7, 2025
Eleanor Baker has collated a delightful collection of book curses in this volume. They're entertaining and, to a non-expert reader, reveal provide a insights into the literary culture of the time in which they were written. Baker has also written an excellent introduction to the collection, which concisely defines a book curse, what sorts of curses she has collected and why she has chosen them, and what book curses are supposed to do- along with specific notes about the use (or not) of humour by the maledictions' authors. She also includes a useful note about her translations of original texts into contemporary English.
Baker has divided the curses into six eras: antiquity, early medieval, high medieval, late medieval, early modern and modern. Each era has its own short introduction which briefly explains how writing was used at the time and for what purpose, who had access to it (both in terms of the ability to read and write and who was likely to own or encounter the written word), and the cultural context that informed the content of the curses themselves.
All of the curses from the antiquity are curses collected from steles and tablets of the ancient Near East- mostly from the ancient communities of the Fertile Crescent. While Baker writes that the written word was first developed in this area of the world and that ancient Egyptian papyrus writing was less likely to survive to explain these choices, it is not entirely clear why other writing from ancient societies have been excluded, be they European or from elsewhere. Consequently, after being introduced to some truly ancient curses from the Assyrian and Neo-Assyrian Empires and so on, we jump straight to the Early Medieval period. From this point on, the curses are mostly from Britain and particularly what would become England. The final section has a few curses written in North America.
Book Curses is fun, interesting and would be a great addition to any library.
Baker has divided the curses into six eras: antiquity, early medieval, high medieval, late medieval, early modern and modern. Each era has its own short introduction which briefly explains how writing was used at the time and for what purpose, who had access to it (both in terms of the ability to read and write and who was likely to own or encounter the written word), and the cultural context that informed the content of the curses themselves.
All of the curses from the antiquity are curses collected from steles and tablets of the ancient Near East- mostly from the ancient communities of the Fertile Crescent. While Baker writes that the written word was first developed in this area of the world and that ancient Egyptian papyrus writing was less likely to survive to explain these choices, it is not entirely clear why other writing from ancient societies have been excluded, be they European or from elsewhere. Consequently, after being introduced to some truly ancient curses from the Assyrian and Neo-Assyrian Empires and so on, we jump straight to the Early Medieval period. From this point on, the curses are mostly from Britain and particularly what would become England. The final section has a few curses written in North America.
Book Curses is fun, interesting and would be a great addition to any library.
June 14, 2025
A slim, amusing book about the different kind of curses that were included in books to dissuade people from stealing them. Most of the curses were some form of relegating the stealer to hell, or a grisly death (usually by hanging), or declaring them to be anathema.
My favorite was a poem in a collection that cautioned the reader not to steal the book, but to avoid using the pages as toilet paper:
Who with thy leaves shall wipe (at need)
The place, where swelling Piles do breed:
May every ill, that bites, or smarts,
Perplexe him in his hinder-parts.
For those who don't know, piles was an older term for hemorrhoids.
My favorite was a poem in a collection that cautioned the reader not to steal the book, but to avoid using the pages as toilet paper:
Who with thy leaves shall wipe (at need)
The place, where swelling Piles do breed:
May every ill, that bites, or smarts,
Perplexe him in his hinder-parts.
For those who don't know, piles was an older term for hemorrhoids.
February 25, 2025
I really liked the chronological order of this book. There was a lot of creativity in the curses, although some of them were repetitive. I also enjoyed the descriptions which added context and background into why this or that was relevant at that time. A curious reading that will be perfect for those who like history and books as reading subjects.
April 19, 2025
I might be biased because I love a good anthology, but I liked how the write sectioned off the curses in chronological historical order and gave context as to where each curse was found. Some terrible, whimsical, and others fantastical they provided diverse writing styles and perspectives.
November 9, 2024
A short little book featuring curses placed on books from the Ancient world through to various religious groups if that book were to be removed from a monastery library etc.
December 27, 2024
Entertaining and insightfull
February 7, 2025
I can just imagine the author's delight when she discovered these fabulous curses in the various books and buildings examined as part of her research. Delightful and amusing.
May 23, 2025
Fun and interesting little book, but definitely would have been better if images of some of the manuscripts and bookplates were included.
July 9, 2025
A quick, quirky read in one sitting book.
August 4, 2025
Interesting but quickly became repetitive
September 4, 2025
Quite short but an interesting overview of book curses. You can read through it in a single sitting.
October 30, 2025
Cute lil book that is good for the Halloween mood. Easily read in a day.
December 5, 2025
This book could have really used some photos
December 21, 2025
An engaging introduction to the history of bookish maledictions. Some very humorous book curses indeed!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews